Though having believed and been baptized (v.13), the residue of his past bondage surfaces as he unworthily seeks power to manipulate others for self-exalting purposes. In Simon's case, his bitterness shaped his passion to control others (v.19)- which prompted his quest to purchase the ability to impart the gift of the Holy Spirit. Here is warning regarding the danger of tolerated or embraced unforgiveness, which may, like poison, permeate and bind the soul, ultimately corrupting everything around it.
" Peter identified the basis for Simon's sorcery as bitterness - the deepening effect of unforgiveness (v.2). He makes "the root of bitterness" Peter accused Simon of harboring, as being"unforgiveness" instead of idolatry/sorcery. In my study Bible's Kingdom Dynamics Section (something I usually ignore), Christopher Hayward uses Acts 8:23 to teach us about The Bonds of Unforgiveness. Proper biblical criticism of Scripture is known as "exegesis," and it's a good thing to put into practice, if you want to show yourself to be approved by God and to rightly divide the word of truth. Revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words " The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are Never are we to be drunk, even when we are "in the Spirit." But don't not stop there dear reader, keep reading until verse 28 on your own, and I will finish my quote with verse 29: The believer is commanded to be in complete control of themselves, to be sober minded at all times. That is why liquor is often called "spirits" and why drugs are called "pharmaceuticals," which is from the Greek word"pharmakia." Pharmakia denotes sorcery coupled with mind altering drug abuse.
That is some good stuff right there and lets us in on what Peter was alluding to when he rebuked Simon in verses 21-23 of Acts 8! As many of us who have studied pagan practices, we know that it was and is common for them to get drunk or take drugs in order to enter into contact with the spirit world through an altered state of conscience. Turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness ,or wormwood Īnd so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart'- as though the drunkard could be included with the sober." " so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart 12: 15 has a cross reference of that phrase " root of bitterness" that lead me to Deut. The previous verses make reference to fornicators and to Esau as being profane, and verse 18 goes on to teach about mount Sinai and mount Zion. "looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled "ĭefiled? Oh, that can't be good! So, what is this "root of bitterness" that would make us become defiled if we allowed it into our lives? Defilement in Scripture is usually a reference to idolatry. 12:15 to research the phrase "poisoned by bitterness," which Peter used in Acts 8:23.
I was further lead by a cross reference in my Bible to Heb. I think Simon the Sorcerer would have been pleased and very comfortable living in these days rather than in his day. We are, after all, to be like lambs lead to the slaughter - not a very attractive scenario in the worldly - it's all about me - brand of " Christianity". Once again, the death of a righteous man - scattered the sheep, and once again it produced good fruit, Gentiles were at last being exposed to the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. What happened after Stephan's martyrdom? As always, God turned this tragedy into triumph the gospel of Jesus finally moved beyond Jerusalem and leaked out into Samaria via Philip. We all too easily forget that our lives become forfeit for his sake when push comes to shove in the defense of the gospel, or when the proving of our faith comes to bear. So many times we forget that when we become one of Jesus' sheep, our good Shepherd never promised us a life without trials or tribulations, only that he would not leave us, or forsake us while we go through them together. This account seems to be such a waste doesn't it? Why would God allow the martyrdom of such a wonderful man, when he could have done such wonderful things for the kingdom of God here on earth. T his morning I was reading about Stephan, no particular reason, I just opened up my Bible and began to read.