LESSON 12 - LIFE AND LESSONS OF THE APOSTLE PAUL --- THE CONVERTING OF SIMON AND THE SAMARITANS - After the stoning of Stephen, and Saul consenting to the murder of this good Christian man, the persecution of the Christians in the area of Jerusalem got bad, and the Christians began to scatter. But instead of it wiping out Christianity, it was spreading it like wildfire, because as the Christians scattered, they took their Christianity with them and would teach it to new people, wherever they went. They scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, but the apostles remained in Jerusalem. Stephens body was taken and buried. After this, Saul went on the rampage against the Christians, making havoc of the church, entering every house, hauling off men and women to prison. But the Christians kept multiplying. There was a man named Philip, who began preaching in the area of Samaria, preaching about Jesus to them, and they began to listen, and they watched the great miracles he was performing. Philip was healing the sick, and the crippled were walking again, and he was casting demons out of people. People were responding joyfully to all the good things he was doing for them. It was here that we meet Simon, who used sorcery to bewitch the people of Samaria, presenting himself as great, in the eyes of the people, who believed he had the power of God in him. He had deceived them for a long time. But now Philip was in the area preaching about Christ, and stealing Simons thunder. He watched, and the people watched and they all listened to what Philip had to say. Verse 12 of Acts 8 goes on to say, (now watch the pattern ), But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. There is the pattern again - they HEARD the word preached about Jesus, they BELIEVED what they heard, and this led them to know that they needed to be BAPTIZED, which they were, in the name of Jesus Christ (as verse 16 goes on to tell us.) But not just them; Simon also, HEARD, BELIEVED, and was BAPTIZED. Simon, fascinated by the power Philip had, to perform these miracles, hung around Philip for awhile, hoping to learn. When the apostles back in Jerusalem heard about the new converts in Samaria, they sent Peter and John to them, to pray that they might receive the Holy Spirit, and laid hands on them, and they did receive the Holy Spirit. Simon saw what the apostles had done, and he craved this power. He went to them and offered them money if they would just tell him how to get this power, so he could do what they had done! This angered Peter! The audacity of this man trying to buy what God gave freely! Peter told Simon,Thy money perish with thee, for thinking you could buy the gift of God with money! He went on scathingly telling him his heart was not right, to repent and ask Gods forgiveness. Simon begged them to pray for him, that God might forgive him. The apostles continued there, teaching the Word of the Lord to the people, then returned back to Jerusalem, but continued to preach to the cities in the surrounding areas of Samaria. During the meantime, Saul is on the rampage, breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord! (9:1) ADF 2013
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 13:28:15 +0000
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