Daily Bread

Simon the Sorcerer

⁹ Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery^(A) in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,^{(B) 10} and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.”^{(C) 11} They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. ¹² But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God^(D) and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized,^(E) both men and women. ¹³ Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles^(F) he saw.

¹⁴ When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria^(G) had accepted the word of God,^(H) they sent Peter and John^(I) to Samaria. ¹⁵ When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit,^{(J) 16} because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them;^(K) they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.^{(L) 17} Then Peter and John placed their hands on them,^(M) and they received the Holy Spirit.^(N)

¹⁸ When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money ¹⁹ and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

²⁰ Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!^{(O) 21} You have no part or share^(P) in this ministry, because your heart is not right^(Q) before God. ²² Repent^(R) of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. ²³ For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

²⁴ Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me^(S) so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

²⁵ After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord^(T) and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.^(U)