New Testament in a Year

Chapter 8

The Church Becomes Open to the Gentiles.^{[a] 1} Saul approved of his death. That day marked the beginning of a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem, and everyone except the apostles scattered to the country districts of Judea and Samaria. ² Stephen was buried by devout men who made loud lamentations over him. ³ Saul, meanwhile, began to inflict great harm on the Church. He entered house after house, dragging off men and women and sending them to prison. ⁴ Now those who had been scattered went from place to place proclaiming the word.

The Mission in Judea and Samaria

Springtime in Samaria.^{[b] 5} Philip went down to a city in Samaria and began proclaiming the Christ to them. ⁶ The crowds welcomed the message proclaimed by Philip because they had heard and seen the signs he was doing. ⁷ For unclean spirits emerged with loud shrieks from many people who were possessed, and many others who were paralyzed or crippled were cured. ⁸ Thus, there was great joy in that city.

The Encounter with Magic.^{[c] 9} A man named Simon had been in that city for some time practicing magic and had astounded the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. ¹⁰ All of them, from the least to the greatest, believed in him, declaring, “This man is the power of God that is called ‘The Great One.’ ”^{[d] 11} And they listened to him because for a long time they had been captivated by his magic.

¹² However, when the people came to believe Philip as he preached about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ¹³ Even Simon himself became a believer. After his baptism, he was constantly in Philip’s company, and he was astonished when he saw the great signs and mighty deeds that were taking place.

¹⁴ The Holy Spirit. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. ¹⁵ When they arrived there, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, ¹⁶ for as yet he had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸ Condemnation of Simony. When Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed by the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, ¹⁹ saying, “Give me this power too so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” ²⁰ But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought that you could obtain God’s gift with money. ²¹ You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not upright in the eyes of God. ²² Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours and beg the Lord that if possible you may be forgiven for devising your evil scheme. ²³ I see that you are engulfed in the gall of bitterness and the chains of wickedness.”

²⁴ Simon said in reply, “Pray for me to the Lord that nothing of what you have spoken about may befall me.” ²⁵ Then, after giving their testimony and proclaiming the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the good news to many Samaritan villages.