We previously talked about how Saul, the one persecuting Christians with the support of the Jewish Sanhedrin, became converted to Christianity and became one of the very ones he had been persecuting. At about this same time Deacon Philip went and began preaching in Samaria. There he performed many signs, wonders, and miracles. In the city in which he preached was a sorcerer named Simon, or Simon Magus, as history labels him, who amazed the people with his magical abilities, and the people called Simon the Great Power of God (Ac 8:10). This means they looked upon him as being a deity. But as Philip preached, many of the people believed in Jesus and were baptized, including Simon (Ac 8:13). The people realized what Philip preached was very different from what Simon Magus taught. Yet, there is some doubt if this Simon truly believed because he became enamored with Philip and the great signs and miracles he performed. Even Simon Magus recognized there was a vast difference in the power with which Philip operated than the power with which he operated.

When the Church in Jerusalem heard of the success Philip was having in Samaria, they sent Peter and John to investigate. Peter and John laid their hands on the believers there and they received the Holy Spirt (Ac 8:14-17). Yet, apparently Simon Magus did not receive the Holy Spirit but was very impressed with these apostles’ ability to cause such a change in people and offered money to them if they would allow him to receive such power (Ac 8:18-23). In other words, he was trying to buy his way into becoming an apostle. Peter reprimanded him and said that Simon Magus was full of bitterness and captive to sin. Peter was referencing an Old Testament passage (Dt 29:18) which uses the term “bitter poison” to refer to one turning away from God and following false gods. Peter was proclaiming that his man was deceptive in how he was trying to follow God.

Early church tradition teaches that this Simon, Simon Magus, gave rise to the Gnostic ideas that plagued the early church (Dumond). It seems this Simon was involved in Zoroastrianism which began in Media and Persia which later became Parthia and spread westward. When Assyria captured the Northern Kingdom of Israel, they repopulated the land with those from Babylon and other cities occupied by Assyria (2Ki 17:24-41). They combined their belief practices with those of Judaism and thereby had a form of worship of God but they were actually worshipping false gods (2Ki 17:7-23). Remember, the priests in Northern Israel were not Levites (1Ki 12:31) and did not teach the people properly in the worship of Yahweh (1Ki 12:32-33). Therefore, combining these two religions received no pushback. Simon Magus was likely a descendant of those who taught these practices. Zoroastrianism believes in monotheism, of a type, and a coming Messiah, but for entirely different reasons.

Since Zoroastrianism began in the 6th century BC, scholars proport that other monotheistic religions, like Judaism and Christianity, drew its monotheistic teachings from it. However, who lived in Babylon in the 6th century BC? Daniel. And he was over all the wise men, or Magi, at the time (Da 2:48). Therefore, it is likely that Judaism had influence on Babylonian theology, and not vice versa. Then, Zoroastrianism was created to explain how a polytheistic culture could believe in a supreme god and not forgo the rule of lesser gods underneath him.

From a distance, Zoroastrianism appears similar to Christianity. It seems Simon Magus merged Zoroastrianism and Christianity even further. In Zoroastrianism, there is a supreme being who is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Yet, what this god desires is for people to do good and if they do enough good deeds they will be rewarded in the afterlife. Those who are not rewarded go to punishment, but not for eternity. There will be a Messiah who will come and allow those to one day also be transitioned into paradise. So, you can see how easy it was for Simon Magus to get new Christians confused as to the truth which Paul, Peter, Timothy, Titus, and others were preaching. Because people are saved by the grace of God, they taught that only spiritual matters were important. How one lives in this life is immaterial to one’s belief in Christ. Also, he taught that believing in Jesus Christ would grant them the ability to gain insight into the mysteries of God which were not available to all. This led to the teaching of a hierarchy with more knowledge granted with more privilege granted as one elevated themselves through this hierarchy. Gnosticism became a belief reliant upon Jesus Christ but not in his transforming power or the receipt of the Holy Spirit. It became very appealing because it did not require people to change the way in which they lived. Early on, it was taught that what happens to one’s body is immaterial because the physical had no connection to the spiritual. This belief allowed sexual immorality to continue and still believe one could be right with God. We’ll see that this Simon became even more deceptive as time went on as he incorporated more Christian teaching saying one should do good deeds for others because such actions would appease and please God.

This teaches us that we should remain faithful to truth—God’s truth. Anything that teaches anything other than the belief in Jesus Christ and his death, burial, and resurrection is needed for us to be right with God should be avoided. There is no work we do that will or could ever appease God (Ro 3:20; Ep 2:8-9). It is only through Jesus Christ that we become pleasing to God. We are declared righteous because of our belief in him and not by anything we can do (Ro 5:1).

There were other events that were also at play during this time. We’ll look at those next time. I hope you join me.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens