Category: Simon the sorcerer

The Spiritual Dexterity of Our Physical Posterity #115

Thursday, September 17, 2026

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9 KJV).

If our physical posterity could augment its spiritual dexterity, exactly what would that entail?

Micah 3:11, circa 700 B.C.: “The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.” Ancient Israel’s political and religious leaders were more concerned with receiving bribes and monetary gain than upholding and preaching the truth. Roughly 1100 B.C., the Scriptures relate: “And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre [money, profit], and took bribes, and perverted judgment” (1 Samuel 8:1-3).

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily [sneakily] shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious [destructive] ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned [insincere] words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not” (2 Peter 2:1-3). The sense of “make merchandise of you” is “use you to make a profit” (gaining your money, attention, trust, and so on—having first “coveted” [2 Peter 2:14]); it is the Greek “emporeuomai,” from whence English derived “emporium.”

In Acts 8:9-25, Simon the sorcerer had so captivated the Samaritans with “miracles” that they assumed this servant of Satan was a servant of God! (His “witchcraft ministry” actually previews the Antichrist.) When Simon noticed how Apostles Peter and John imparted the Holy Ghost via the laying on of hands, he offered them money to “buy” that power from them. It is a reasonable inference that Simon had extorted much wealth from the Samaritans, so he had plenty to give Peter and John (who nevertheless declined)!

Again, let us be wise about money matters….

Spellbound! #14

Friday, September 1, 2023

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:17,18 KJV).

Let us analyze these “good words and fair speeches.”

Study the following “ministry” conducted in Samaria (central Israel, north of Jerusalem): “But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries” (Acts 8:9-11). Empowered by Satan, Simon worked miracles! He was “giving out” (saying, bragging) that he was “some great one.” The Samaritans were spellbound, considering him “Messiah” (thereby foreshadowing the Antichrist!). Simon used witchcraft to fool them, and they exclaimed, “This man is the great power of God!”

Re-read today’s Scripture: “…they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly.” The “belly” symbolizes the heart or soul: a false teacher’s motivation is a self-serving “appetite” that must be satisfied. As a glutton in the physical realm obsesses over food, so a false teacher’s goal is to gain devotees. The person most vulnerable to such a “ministry” is someone who is “simple.” In Greek, it is “akakos,” literally “without evil.” The victim is unsuspecting, fearing no evil from others, and distrusting no one. That false sense of security is summed up as, “No one will harm me because everyone means well. All preachers and teachers serve God. It does not matter where I attend church or which denomination I join.” While it sounds harsh, this is a foolish, ignorant, or gullible person—and, when multiplied by two billion, Christendom’s tens of thousands of denominations form!

If we understand how today’s Scripture is taken from Romans, the most basic Pauline epistle, then a sure way to avoid falling prey to false teachers is to have a good foundation in grace teaching as furnished in Romans….