Acts 8:12

Note

Philip has gone down to Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there, and a city long held by a sorcerer believes him. The verse begins with "But," and sets Simon's magic and Philip's gospel side by side.

Chosen with Stephen as one of the Seven, Philip was among those scattered in the persecution after Stephen's death. In Samaria unclean spirits came out and the paralyzed and lame were healed: "So there was great joy in that city" (Acts 8:8). But the city had another wonder-worker. Simon had practised sorcery there for a long time, and everyone, from the least to the greatest, said of him, "This man is the divine power called the Great Power" (Acts 8:10). This verse tells whose word those same people came to believe.

The verb is euangelizomai (εὐαγγελίζομαι) in the present middle participle, euangelizomenō, in the dative to agree with Philip: literally, "they believed Philip bringing good news." What they believed was his message, and its content is double, "concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ." Jesus had come into Galilee proclaiming the kingdom of God (Mark 1:14–15); the apostles in Jerusalem preached His name as the only name by which anyone is saved (Acts 4:12). In Philip's preaching the two are one message: the kingdom comes with its King's name. The next verb, ebaptizonto, is an imperfect passive, picturing them baptized one after another, and Luke takes care to name both men and women.

The KJV reads "preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ," following a Greek text with an article, "the things," before "concerning." The BSB, from a text without it, writes "preached the gospel of the kingdom of God," and so puts the word "gospel" where the KJV has "preaching." The LSV, as usual, says "proclaiming good news." Each choice brings out something true. The KJV shows that Philip's message had content, things that could be believed; the BSB shows that the content was good news.

On "when they believed" Wesley writes: "What Philip preached, then they saw and felt the real power of God, and submitted thereto" Wesley. The people who had called Simon the Great Power met the real one. Matthew Henry writes that they "were fully convinced that it was of God, and not of men, and gave up themselves to be directed thereby" Matthew Henry. With Simon's story in the next verse in view, he adds a warning: "All are not savingly converted who profess to believe the gospel" Matthew Henry.

Justin Martyr, born in Flavia Neapolis in Samaria and writing in the middle of the second century, knew of this Simon. In his First Apology (chapter 26) he describes a Samaritan named Simon, from a village of that country, whose magic won him honour as a god, and says that almost all the Samaritans still acknowledged him as the first god Justin, First Apology. Philip's gospel came into a place where such a name held people fast.

The Samaritans moved from amazement to faith. Simon had astonished them; Philip gave them a kingdom and a name. To believe the gospel, the verse suggests, is not to admire a power but to entrust oneself to the One whose name it is.