Acts 8:20-25 20But Peter said to him, “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21You have neither part nor share in this word, for your heart is not right before God. 22Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of unrighteousness.” 24And answering, Simon said, “You yourselves pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.” 25Then, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
Peter took the initiative once again and responded to Simon with several crucial points. First, he held nothing back in his rebuke of Simon (verse 20). Peter saw through Simon’s trickery. Simon was more than ignorant; he was manipulative and greedy and had not changed his old habits of magical deceit. Second, Peter gave a spiritual assessment of Simon (verse 21). The problem was at the heart level. Simon had not truly changed and become a leader in the Christian movement. Leadership, being an instrument of miracles or the authority to lay hands on someone, and preaching the word (logō, referring to the gospel) come with character, experience, and maturity. Simon wanted it all without paying the cost of submission to God.
Third, Peter called for Simon to repent and pray for God’s forgiveness (verse 22). The optimism of God’s grace to change anyone is evident in Peter’s statement. There was hope for Simon, but he needed to change his ways, thinking, and behavior. Fourth, Peter repeated Simon’s spiritual problem (verse 23). The gall of bitterness could refer to Simon’s jealousy of what he saw Peter, John, and Philip do. Jealousy can eat away and keep a person from experiencing God’s grace. Simon was also trapped by his sin, expressed as the bond of unrighteousness. Sin, especially self-focused thinking like Simon’s, is a trap that can blind people from realizing they are actually stuck and enslaved.
Simon felt some degree of conviction and asked for prayer. Was his response in verse 24 sincere? Did he understand his problem and repent, or was he still trying to be manipulative of Peter? Luke is not clear but ends the story of Simon abruptly with Simon’s request. Simon seemed more concerned about God’s judgment than about God’s forgiveness. He lacked the sincerity and humility that lead to genuine transformation.
Verse 25 brings to a close the story of the spread of the gospel into Samaria. The apostles met great success as they shared about their experiences with Jesus and the good news about him. Proclaiming the good news was the focus of their efforts (the idea forms an inclusio with verse 4). Luke gives no time indicator, but the geographical reference of many villages indicates great effort and effectiveness in sharing about Jesus. This experience must have been a powerful confirmation and reminder of what Jesus told the apostles before he ascended into heaven. After the great ministry, they returned to the place of persecution and challenge. Jerusalem was their sending church. When they returned, there must have been many questions and stories to share about what happened and how the Holy Spirit came upon the Samaritans.
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