The Sorcerer’s Sin

¹⁴ Now when the ^(A)apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, ¹⁵ who, when they had come down, prayed for them ^(B)that they might receive the Holy Spirit. ¹⁶ For ^(C)as yet He had fallen upon none of them. ^(D)They had only been baptized in ^(E)the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then ^(F)they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸ And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, ¹⁹ saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

²⁰ But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because ^(G)you thought that ^(H)the gift of God could be purchased with money! ²¹ You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your ^(I)heart is not right in the sight of God. ²² Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God ^(J)if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. ²³ For I see that you are ^(K)poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”

²⁴ Then Simon answered and said, ^(L)“Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.”

²⁵ So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

Love for God and One Another

4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but ^(A)test the spirits, whether they are of God; because ^(B)many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² By this you know the Spirit of God: ^(C)Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, ³ and every spirit that does not confess ^[a]that Jesus ^[b]Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

⁴ You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than ^(D)he who is in the world. ^5 (E)They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and ^(F)the world hears them. ⁶ We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. ^(G)By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.