Philip preaches in Samaria

Philip preaches in Samaria  

The Passage: Acts 8:4-25

Structure:

a. 8:4-13, Philip went to Samaria

  b. 8:9-13, they received the Holy Spirit

  b’. 8:18-24, Simon wants to buy the power over the Holy Spirit

a’. 8:25, preached to many Samaritan villages    

Block a. (4-13):

a. 4-5, Philip went down to Samaria preaching Christ

  b. 6-8, They paid attention to his words and signs 

  b’. 9-11, they used to pay attention to the words of Simon and his magic

a’. 12-13, they believed preaching in Jesus Christ and were baptized

Historical and geographical context: An important geographical factor – Samaria is north from Jerusalem, but St. Luke said, “went down” (8:5). The reason is the Temple Mountain of Jerusalem is the highest point map, cp. Ps. 48:1-3, Is. 2:2-3.

The spread of the good news to Samaria was provoked by the persecution raised by Saul. Later, St. Paul – who used to be Saul – writes to the congregation in Rome that everything that happens with the believers God turns for good (Rom. 8:28).       

Theology:

Judean- Samaritan relationship. Samaritans began their life on that territory around 721 BC because of move of the Northern Israel Kingdom to Assyria. King Sargon II replaced them with the people from other nations who mixed up with the small group of Manasseh and Ephraim. After the return from the Babylonian Exile Samaritans were the ones who resisted the reconstruction of the Temple (Neh. 2:19, 4:1-2). To the time of Jesus their mutual dislike came to the highest point (John 4:7-9). Yet, people of different nations can reunite around worship of Jesus the Messiah (John 4:10, Acts 1:8).     

Reality of magic. People who reject the rule of God the Creator are ruled by the evil forces (Rom. 6:16). Magic is an attempt to control the realities of life avoiding submission to the One Who created the rules.  

Maturation in faith. Simon believed (8:13). He joined Philip, apparently learning the way of the Lord. Along with the others he received the Holy Spirit. But when he saw that the power of the Holy Spirit is given by the laying of hands, he wanted to have this power – power of the apostleship. Philip, being a deacon, had an authority to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Apostles had the power and authority to admit people to the Christian Church. Notice that the confession of the Holy Spirit is followed by the recognition of One, Holy, Christian, and Apostolic Church. To be part of the apostleship in those days one had to fit the criterion written during the replacement of the 12th apostle (1:21-22). The request of Simon is wrong not because he wanted to be a leader, for the St. Paul later wrote on the blessedness of leadership (1 Tim. 3:1). The request was problematic because he wanted to avoid the years of growth and maturation. Newly converted should not be placed in the offices of authority (1 Tim. 3:6). Money and financial gifts can’t replace years of education, experience, and – again – maturity.               

Importance of hierarchal approval. The Church sent Peter and John to see what happened in Samaria. It is St. Peter who rebukes Simon, not Philip or one of the local believers for neither of them had enough experience to catch the challenge Simon’s initiative could’ve create for the Church. Out of all the reformers Dr. Martin Luther was the one who did not separate from the Roman Catholic church. Unlike Calvin or Anabaptist who broke with the church, Luther stayed within the church as long as he could.      

Other themes:

Baptism and the Holy Spirit. From the account of the Book of Acts we see that the baptism of water and descending of the Holy Spirit are not interconnected facts – there is no stable paradigm. But, by the end of Time of the Apostles the baptism of water is intertwine with the emersion of the Holy Spirit (Tit. 3:5).