The David Copperfield of the First Century

Simon Magus appears only once in the Bible, mentioned in Acts 8:9-25.  The New International Version includes a heading referring to Simon as the Sorcerer.  However, after doing an hour of research yesterday, Simon was much more than a sorcerer, he was the David Copperfield of the 1st century.

The word magus means magician of the highest order.  Simon was likely a magician similar to those Pharaoh summoned in Exodus 7:10-12.  Indeed, Simon Magus was a wise man, an expert in the secrets arts.  According to several sources, Simon was able to turn stones into bread, levitate, unharmed by fire and use mental telepathy to move large objects.  Without knowing for certain, it appears Simon was able to possess Satan like powers, Matthew 4:3-10.

Unfortunately, Simon Magus met his match in Philip, who was filled with the Holy Spirit.  While the people of Samaria thought Simon was a god, he wanted to possess the same powers of Philip, offering Peter money.  However, Peter rebukes Simon for attempting to buy this gift, exhorting him to repent for such impure motives.  After verse 25, Simon vanishing from the pages of scripture, only to be discovered by first century historians who credit Simon Magus with founding gnosticism.  Filled with the knowledge of the secret arts and likely a few demons, Simon creates a new sect replacing the Holy Spirit with gnosis, a secret and hidden knowledge.

The story doesn’t end well for Simon Magus as he goes to Rome to prove his divinity by trying to fly in front of the Roman Church.   When Simon’s attempt failed, he fell to the earth wounded and was taken to Aricia, a small town near Rome, where he is buried.  Simon’s followers carried on his movement, known today as Gnosticism.  John the Revelator wrote 1 John to address the spread of this teaching and to correct any who had been deceived, 1 John 2:1-6.  Simon Magus was truly torn between 2 worlds, Galatians 5:16-18, with his own flesh ultimately leading to his destruction.  Christianity is not about believing, it is about living, John 10:10.

by Jay Mankus