![]() From high above the crowd, Simon suddenly lost his power of flight and fell to the ground, breaking his legs, and died soon after. Peter knelt down and prayed that God would stop Simon, which God did – right in mid-air. Of course, it was not by the power of God but of Satan, which Peter quickly proved. Everybody in Christendom has heard of Simon, the magician, and how Peter, the apostle, rebuked him, as told in the narrative of the Acts of the Apostles. Simon started following around Peter, directly challenging his teaching, and quickly became Peter’s most important opponent. Their conflict came to a head in Rome. Puffed up with pride, Simon Magus challenged Peter publicly in front of the Emperor Nero and a crowd, saying that he would fly as proof of his doctrines. He may have also claimed to be either Christ himself or some sort of divinity. In one version, Simon, rebuffed by the Apostles, abandoned the Catholic Church and turned to Gnosticism, an early Christian heresy that rejected the authority of the Apostles in favor of secret knowledge that individual Christians claimed to receive directly from God. Though Scripture doesn’t record his life after this point, the rest of his amazing life is recorded by the early Church fathers and other sources. Of course, the Apostles refused to commit such a sacrilege, and today the sin of selling Church offices or sacred things is called Simony, after Simon Magus.īut his story doesn’t stop there. The power of the sacrament impressed Simon so much that he asked the Apostles to give him the power to confer it, offering them money. Soon after, Peter and John visited the area to strengthen the new believers with the Sacrament of Confirmation. He then particularizes with Philip’s mission in Samaria. By the grace of God, many people believed and were baptized, including Simon. In recording the persecution which followed Stephen’s death, Luke says that Christians were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria ( Acts 8:1) and went about preaching the word ( 8:4 ). ![]() When the apostles came to Samaria Simon noticed that they. ![]() We first hear about Simon Magus in the New Testament book of Acts, where we learn he was an occult magician living in Samaria, using the demonic forces to perform amazing feats and win adoration from his town.īut then Philip, one the first deacons, brought the Gospel to his area. Simon had only ever done clever magic tricks so he was amazed when he saw real miracles performed. But how many of them could support their false teaching by flying? That ability was demonstrated in the 1st century by Simon Magus, known in the early Church as the “Father of Heresies.” Heretics have plagued the Church since the very beginning. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. ESV / 2 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful
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