What we find in Acts eight is that there is a contrast between false power and the true, Jesus-centered power that is rooted in humility and love. In Acts chapter eight, we meet a man called Simon the Sorcerer, who referred to himself (and others called him this as well) as “The Great Power of God.” Read Acts 8: 9-13 below:
"Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw."
I’ve got some friends who are online dating right now, and they will sometimes send me a guy’s profile. I’ll either respond with a thumbs up, a thumbs down, or even a thumbs sideways. Let me tell you, if a girlfriend sent me Simon the Sorcerer’s profile, I’d be like RUN IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. The guy is a row of red flags.
Luke, the author of Acts, points out a few obvious red flags. First of all, Simon practiced sorcery – which is a big no-no in the Bible. Sorcery is demonic power; it’s trickery. It enslaves people. This goes back to the Old Testament in Exodus when the Pharoah had enslaved the Israelite people, and a leader named Moses was called by God to them free. The whole scene became a battle between God’s cosmic power and Pharoah’s magicians. Pharoah’s sorcerers kept people enslaved, while God’s formidable power led to freedom.
Second, Simon’s power was all about gaining his own followers—his own little collection of people. In contemporary terms, Simon is after more subscribers, listeners, and consumers. He is trying to collect more followers to wield more influence over them. We see, in Acts 8, a clear contrast between Simon and the followers of Jesus. Read the entire story:
"Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.
Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Peter answered: “May your money perish with you because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry because your heart is not right before God. 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. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
- Acts 8:4-24
Again, we find some obvious contrasts:
Why does this matter in 2024? In this day and age, we’ve all known a Simon – someone who is all about impressing people with their power, their talent, their skillset. Maybe it’s a political leader, a church leader, or an influencer. What we find in Acts eight is that there is a contrast between false power and the true, Jesus-centered power that is rooted in humility and love. But the difficulty is that the “Simons” in this world are easy to fall for. Why? Because they are charming, talented, and impressive. So without realizing it, we buy what they are selling.
I think we need to be honest about our reactions to the Simons in our lives. We tend to do one of three things (or some combination of all three):
We get wrapped up in a weird attraction to people who seem like they have some special, elite anointing or secret sauce. And because of our brokenness or our insecurity, we think they’ll fill some hole in us. Or because of their money, means, or influence—or maybe they are at the “table” where we want to sit—before we know it, we are giving that deference and honor. For no other reason than the perception, they give off that they have power.
We want to be “The Great Power of God” ourselves. Now, we are socialized enough to be “humble” so we would never actually say that. We would never say, “I want to be the great power of God.” But if we’re being self-aware about our own souls, we must admit that sometimes in our insecurity and our messiness and our search for identity outside of Jesus – we strive and hope for certain people to look at us and go, “Oh, look at how likable they are. Look at how gifted they are. ow smart, or strong, or influential, or creative or talented, or good and right they are.” Whatever it is, we are so often after approval and admiration ourselves.
By the way, this is what the bile calls idolatry. And the thing about idols is that they may seem like your best friend. They are comforting, loving, and attractive. But soon you’re giving them your time, money, energy, and worship, and—just like false ”Simon” power—that idol will take you captive.
Maybe you are cynical, and rightly so, because you’ve seen far too many showmen in the church, in politics, online, or in other forms of leadership, and you are sick of it. That’s a godly cynicism; that’s a good sense of justice and righteousness. But the danger of cynicism, if you give it too much power, is that Evil will use it in such a way that you will end up allowing the toxic power of showmen/show-women to have so much power over you, that they cause you to walk away from Jesus and Christian community and the Spirit’s work in your life.
If you’re a cynic, let your cynicism be an invitation—not to bitterness—to Jesus and life in the Christian community, and surrender to the Spirit of God. That’s where the real power is.
Any “Simon” will lead to dissatisfaction and disappointment. So don’t waste your worship on anyone other than Jesus. Don’t waste your time, money, or energy. Only Jesus satisfies. Only Jesus fulfills his promises. Only Jesus transforms, heals, and fills us. Only Jesus has real power.
One more thing. If you find yourself in category number two, wanting to be a bit too much like Simon, with all that power. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
God’s invitation for you is to love and transform those places so that you can experience something more—more freedom, more rest, more joy, more wholeness, and more of the Spirit’s power—rather than the toxic power of the showmen and showwomen in this world. As Acts 1:8 says,
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The point is – true power comes not from influence or arrogance but from God.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Mike Powell