Acts 8:4-25

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*


August 16, 2010

   *IX. ACTS 8:4-40 RESULT OF PERSECUTION: SPREADING EVANGELIZATION*

 *A. 8:4-25 SAMARIA RECEIVES THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT*

*1. 8:4-8 SAMARIA EVANGELIZED*

*a. 8:4 PERSECUTION SCATTERS - BUT EVANGELISM SPREADS*

Hoi men, oun, di-a-spaRENtes [1289] di*E*Lthon eu-ag-ge-liZOme-noi
[2097]ton LOgon.

*And th**os**e, therefore, scattered abroad went about preaching the word.*


 *b. 8:5 PHILIP PREACHES CHRIST IN SAMARIA*

PHIlip-pos de ka-telTH*O*N [2718] eis t*e*n POlin t*e*s Sa-maRIas,

*But Philip went down to the city of :Samaria,*

eK*E*rus-sen [2784] auTOIS ton ChrisTON.

*and** proclaimed to them the Christ.*


 *c. 8:6 SIGNS DRAW ATTENTION OF CROWDS TO PHILIP*

proSEI-CHON [4337] te hoi OCHloi tois le-goMEnois

*And the crowds gave heed with one accord*

huPO tou PhiLIPpou ho-mo-thu-maDON [3661], en t*o* aKOUein auTOUS,

*to the **things** spoken by :Philip, as they heard them,*

kai BLEpein ta s*e*MEIa ha ePOIei.

*and saw the signs which he did.*


 *d. 8:7 BOTH DEMONIACS AND SICK HELPED*

polLOI gar t*o*n eCHONt*o*n PNEUma-ta aKAthar-ta [169]

*For many of those that had unclean spirits*

bo*O*Nta [994] ph*o*N*E* meGAl*e*, eX*E*Rchon-to [2192],

*that cried with a loud voice, came out,*

polLOI de pa-ra-le-luMEnoi [3886] kai ch*o*LOI [5550] e-the-raPEUth*e*-san
[2323].

*and many paralyzed and lame were healed.*


 *e. 8:8 JOY: THE RESULT OF POWER AND WORD MINISTRY*

eGEne-to de polL*E* chaRA [5479] en t*e* POlei eKEIn*e*.

*And much joy was in that :city.*


 *2. 8:9-13 SIGNS LEAD TO FAITH AND WATER BAPTISM*

*a. 8:9-10 A DESCRIPTION OF FORMER SORCERIES OF SIMON*

A-N*E*R de tis, oNOma-ti SIm*o*n,

*But **there** was a certain man, Simon by name,*

prouP*E*Rchen [4391] en t*e* POlei maGEU*o*n [3096],

*who previously in the city used sorcery,*

kai e-xiSTAn*o*n [1839] to ETHnos t*e*s Sa-maRIas,

*and amazed the nation of :Samaria,*

LEg*o*n EI-NAI ti-na he-auTON MEgan:

*saying he was some great one:*

h*o* proSEIchon [4337] PANtes, aPO miKROU HE*o*s meGAlou, LEgontes,

*10** to whom all gave heed, from small to great, saying,*

HOU-TOS es-tin h*e* DUna-mis tou TheOU h*e* ka-louMEn*e* MeGAl*e* [3173].

*This **man** is the power of :God which **is** called Great.*


 *b. 8:11 SORCERIES DREW ATTENTION TO SIMON'S WORDS*

proSEIchon [4337] de auT*O*, diA to hi-kaN*O* [2425] CHROn*o*

*And they gave heed to him, because that of long time*

tais maGIais [3095] e-xe-staKEnai [1839] auTOUS.

*he had amazed them with **his** :sorceries.*


 *c. 8:12 PEOPLE FORSOOK SIMON FOR GOD'S KINGDOM AND NAME OF JESUS*

HOte de ePIsteu-san t*o* PhiLIPp*o* eu-ag-ge-li-zoMEn*o*

*But when they believed :Philip preaching good tidings*

peRI t*e*s ba-siLEIas [932] tou TheOU kai tou oNOma-tos 'I*e*SOU ChrisTOU,

*concerning the kingdom of :God and the name of Jesus Christ,*

e-bapTIzon-to [907] ANdres te kai guNAIkes.

*both men and women were baptized.*


 *d. 8:13 PHILIP WON SIMON THROUGH AMAZING SIGNS*

ho de SIm*o*n kai auTOS ePIsteu-sen:

*And :Simon himself also believed:*

kai bap-tisTHEIS, *e*n pro-skar-teR*O*N [4342] t*o* PhiLIPp*o*;

*and being baptized, he continued with :Philip;*

the-*o*R*O*N te s*e*MEIa kai duNAmeis meGAlas ge-noMEnas, eXIsta-to [1839].

*and beholding signs done and great miracles, he was amazed.*


 *3. 8:14-24 EARLY CHURCH EMPHASIS ON BAPTISM OF SPIRIT BY JESUS*

*a. 8:14-16 PETER AND JOHN THROUGH SPIRIT SEAL PHILIP'S WORK*

A-KOUsan-tes de, hoi en 'Ie-ro-soLUmois, aPOsto-loi,

*Now when **the** apostles, th**os**e at Jerusalem,*

HOti DEdek-tai [1209] h*e* SaMAri-a ton LOgon tou TheOU,

*heard that :Samaria had received the word of :God,*

aPEstei-lan pros auTOUS PEtron kai 'I*o*An*e*n:

*they sent unto them Peter and John:*

HOIti-nes, ka-taBANtes [2597],

*15** who, when they were come down,*

proS*E*Uxan-to [4336] peRI auT*O*N, HOp*o*s LAb*o*-sin PNEUma HAgi-on:

*prayed for them, that they receive **the** Holy Spirit:*

ouDEp*o* gar *e*n ep' ou-deNI auT*O*N e-pi-pep-t*o*KOS [1968];

*16** for as yet He was fallen upon none of them:*

MOnon de be-bap-tisMEnoi huP*E*Rchon eis to Ono-ma tou KuRIou 'I*e*SOU.

*only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.*


 *b. 8:17 HOLY SPIRIT RECEIVED THROUGH LAYING ON OF HANDS*

TOte e-peTIthe-san [2007] tas CHEIras ep' auTOUS,

*Then laid they the**ir **hands on them,*

kai eLAMba-non PNEUma HAgi-on.

*and they received **the** Holy Spirit.*


 *c. 8:18-19 SIMON OFFERS MONEY FOR THIS MINISTRY*

iD*O*N de ho SIm*o*n HOti diA t*e*s e-piTHEse-*o*s [1936]

*Now when :Simon saw that through the laying on*

t*o*n cheiR*O*N t*o*n a-poSTOl*o*n DIdo-tai to PNEUma,

*of the apostles' :hands the Spirit was given,*

proS*E*neg-ken [4374] auTOIS CHR*E*ma-ta [5536],

*he brought them money,*

LEg*o*n, DOte ka' 'MOI t*e*n e-xouSIan TAUt*e*n,

*19** saying, Give me also this :power,*

HIna h*o* an e-piTH*O* tas CHEIras, lamBAn*e* PNEUma HAgi-on.

*that on whoever I lay :hands, he receive **the** Holy Spirit.*


 *d. 8:20 SIMON REBUKED FOR PRICING THE HOLY SPIRIT*

PEtros de EIen pros auTON, To arGUriON [694] sou sun soi EI*e* eis aP*O*lei-an
[684],

*But Peter said unto him, Your :silver perish with you,*

HOti t*e*n d*o*-reAN [1431] tou TheOU eNOmi-sas [3543] diA chr*e*MAt*o*n
KTASthai [2932].

*because you have thought to obtain the gift of :God with money.*


 *e. 8:21 PETER REVEALS SIMON NOT TRULY CONVERTED.*

ouk EStin soi meRIS [3310] ouDE KL*E*ros [2819] en t*o* LOg*o* TOUt*o*:

*You have neither part nor lot in this :word:*

h*e* gar karDIa sou ouk EStin euTHEIa [2117] Enan-ti tou TheOU.

*for your :heart is not right before :God.*


 *f. 8:22 PETER COMMANDS REPENTANCE UNTO FORGIVENESS*

me-taNO*e*-son [3340] oun aPO t*e*s kaKIas [2549] sou TAUt*e*s, kai de*E*th*
e*-ti [1189] tou KuRIou,

*Repent therefore of this your :wickedness, and pray the Lord,*

ei Ara a-pheTH*E*seTAI [863] soi h*e* ePInoi-a [1963] t*e* karDIas sou.

*if perhaps the thought of your :heart shall be forgiven you.*


 *g. 8:23 PETER REVEALS SIMON'S GREAT BONDAGE*
 eis gar choL*E*N [5521] piKRIas [4088] kai SUNdes-mon a-diKIas [93]
hoR*O*se ONta.

*For I see that you are unto **the** gall of bitterness and bond of
iniquity.*


 *h. 8:24 SIMON BEGS FOR PRAYER HELP*

a-po-kriTHEIS de ho SIm*o*n EIpen, De*E*th*e*-te [1189] huMEIS huPER eMOU
pros ton KUri-on,

*And :Simon answered and said, You pray for me unto the Lord,*

HOp*o*s m*e*DEN ePELth*e* [1904] ep' eME h*o*n eiR*E*ka-te.

*that none of the **things** YOU have spoken come upon me.*


 *4. 8:25 REVIVALS IN OTHER CITIES*

Hoi men oun, di-a-mar-tuRAme-noi [1263] kai laL*E*san-tes

*They therefore, when they had testified and spoken*

ton LOgon tou KuRIou, huPEstre-phon [5290] eis 'Ie-reSOlu-ma,

*the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem,*

polLAS te K*O*mas [2968] t*o*n Sa-ma-reiT*O*N eu-*e*g-geLIzon-to [2097].

*and preached the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.*



 *NOTE**: *For me, Acts 8:20 is the key verse in this passage - *“But Peter
said unto him, Your :silver perish with you, because you have thought to
obtain **the gift of :God** with money.”* The word “d*o*-reAN”, gift,
appears 11 times in the NT, and each time refers to the Holy Spirit, who
Jesus said would take His place. He said, *“It is **expedient**, that I go
away, for far better is the Holy Spirit **in** you, than Me being **with**you!”
* The disciples no doubt did not believe Him at the time He said this, but
after the Day of Pentecost, they could then see the *accuracy* of His
prophecy! The Spirit *in* them allowed Jesus to work *through* them. And the
rest of the book of Acts abundantly confirms the truthfulness of His word in
the Gospel of John.


 Note the first time “d*o*-reA” appears in John 4:10, when Jesus spoke to
the woman of Samaria. On most occasions the definition of a word comes with
its first reference. Here Jesus likens the water of the Spirit promised to
the woman of Samaria as an *artesian well*, evermore flowing up into eternal
life.


 In Acts 2:38 it appears in “the Peter Package” as the third and fulfilling
part following repentance and baptism. 3000 men believed the word of Peter,
and fulfilled the two conditions, qualifying them to receive this promise.


 Now in Acts 8:20 Peter strongly rebukes Simon the sorcerer, and informs him
that this gift (do-reA) of God cannot be purchased with money. The Phillips
translation at this point renders this word, “To *hell* with you and your
money.” Peter knew it had cost Jesus His life at Calvary to make this “gift”
available! No wonder he came on so strongly to correct Simon's ignorant and
almost blasphemous request.


 Look up in Strong's concordance and do a word study on the remaining 8
references.


 Notice the importance the early apostles placed upon *immediate* baptism
following true repentance. They normally did not lay hands on believers for
the Holy Spirit except the first two conditions of Acts 2:38 had been
performed. See the Philippian jailer in Acts 16. The apostle Paul did not
allow the wounds of Silas and himself be attended to - nor for them to sit
down to breakfast, till *first* the Philippian jailer and his entire
household be baptized! In Acts 8 Philip had baptized the Samaritan believers
following their repentance and faith, before Peter and John laid hands on
them for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Look at all other references for the
order of baptism and the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. Except God Himself
would change this order, the apostles adhered to it. The one exception is
with the Roman centurion, his family and friends in Acts 10 and 11. The
Jewish believers would not have laid hands on Gentiles for the Holy Spirit,
but once God intervened and did, then Peter immediately commanded water
baptism, so as to fulfill the pattern of Acts 2:38. J.A.W.













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