May 01, 2026 | Be Connected
Jesus AND Simon
Scripture: Acts 8:18-25(NIV)
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! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent 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 so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
25 After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.
Devotional
I am often astonished at how quickly I judge the "bad guy" in Scripture, even though I know I will inevitably find a piece of him in my own heart. Today, our "bad guy" is Simon.
We know from earlier verses that Simon practiced sorcery and boasted of his feats. Whether his motivation was pride, self-promotion, or both, we can’t be certain. What we do know is that when Simon sees Philip performing "great signs and miracles," he can’t help but want a piece of the action. He offers the apostles money in exchange for the power to do the same.
Before we are too hard on Simon, we should consider his background. It is likely he had previously "bought" his magic tricks that he used to amaze the people of Samaria through money or apprenticeship. He was simply using the old tools he knew. However, we also know that Simon had believed and been baptized—and notably, his first two acts upon being rebuked by Peter were to repent and ask for prayer. Those are two steps in the right direction.
I think Simon genuinely believed, but he fell into the same trap that trips up so many of us today: the "Jesus And" gospel.
The "Jesus And" gospel is a false teaching that adds conditions to salvation. It’s "Jesus plus my good behavior," "Jesus plus my political leanings," or "Jesus plus my reputation." It subtly shifts the focus away from the finished work of Christ and back onto ourselves.
Many of us, if we are honest, live like this. We say:
"I’ll follow Jesus and let Him be a big influence, but I reserve veto power for my personal life."
"I believe the Bible, except for these few socially inconvenient truths that I’ll just ignore."
Simon was a man used to the spotlight, and he was envious. He wanted Jesus only if Jesus would amplify Simon, rather than the other way around.
How many of us prefer the spotlight of our positions—at work, in our social circles, or even in our families—rather than using that influence to point others toward Christ?
I know my hand is going up. How about yours?
