"THE BOOK OF ACTS"

The Follow-Up Of The Samaritans (8:14-25)

INTRODUCTION
  1. The conversion of the Samaritans was simple and straightforward...
    1. Philip preached Christ and the people heeded him - Ac 8:5-6
    2. They responded by believing and being baptized - Ac 8:12-13
  2. Unique with the Samaritans' conversion is the follow-up that occurred...
    1. It has been described as one of the most extraordinary passages in Acts
    2. Used to teach various doctrines related to confirmation, sanctification, and spiritual gifts

[We must be careful not to draw conclusions contrary to the rest of the Scriptures. With that goal in mind, let's first review...]

  1. THE FOLLOW-UP BY PETER AND JOHN
    1. THEY IMPART THE SPIRIT...
      1. Hearing of the Samaritans' conversion, the apostles sent Peter and John - Ac 8:14
      2. Peter and John imparted the Spirit to the Samaritans - Ac 8:15-17
        1. While the Samaritans had been baptized, they had not "received the Spirit"
        2. The Spirit had not yet "fallen upon" any of them - cf. Ac 10:44-46; 11:15-17
        3. Through prayer and laying on of the apostles' hands, they "received the Spirit"
    2. SIMON TRIES TO BUY THE GIFT...
      1. He sought to buy the ability to impart the Spirit - Ac 8:18-19
      2. Peter rebuked him strongly, called upon him to repent and pray - Ac 8:20-23
      3. Simon asks Peter to pray for him - Ac 8:24

      [Peter and John preached the gospel in many villages in Samaria on their return to Jerusalem (Ac 8:25). Now let's go back and look at some questions frequently raised...]

  2. THE FOLLOW-UP EXAMINED MORE CLOSELY
    1. FREQUENT QUESTIONS...
      1. Why is it said the Samaritans received baptism by Philip, but not the Spirit?
      2. What does it mean "that they might receive the Holy Spirit"?
      3. What did the apostles have that Philip did not?
      4. Was this some sort of confirmation? Second stage of sanctification?
    2. PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS...
      1. Whatever Luke meant to "receive the Holy Spirit"...
        1. It required the apostles' laying on of hands
          1. Philip could not impart it, making it necessary for the apostles to come
          2. Simon could see that it was through the apostles' laying on of hands the Spirit was given - Ac 8:18
        2. It was something visible or audible
          1. It caught Simon's attention, who sought to buy the ability to impart it
          2. It was clearly something miraculous, perhaps speaking in tongues - cf. Ac 19:1-7
          3. It involved the Spirit "falling upon them," as with Cornelius - cf. Ac 10:44-46
      2. Was it actually the Spirit Himself, or something the Spirit gives?
        1. All Christians receive the Spirit upon obedience to the Gospel - Ac 2:38; 5:32; 1Co 12:13; Ep 1:13-14; Ga 4:6; Ro 8:9-11
        2. But in NT times many (not all) Christians received miraculous gifts - 1Co 12-14
      3. Since the Samaritans had believed and been baptized (Ac 8:12,16)...
        1. They probably received the Spirit as any baptized believer normally would
        2. They apparently had not received the Spirit regarding miraculous gifts (see below)
    3. PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATION...
      1. The expression "receive the Holy Spirit" is a metonymy = "receive spiritual gifts"
        1. Metonymy - A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated
          1. E.g., "Washington" for the United States government; "Crown" for royalty
          2. E.g., "The pen is mightier than the sword" ("pen" stands in for "the written word"; "sword" stands in for "military aggression and force")
        2. What the Samaritans had not received were miraculous spiritual gifts that the Spirit often bestowed in the early church - cf. 1Co 12:1-11
      2. The apostles of Christ had the ability to impart spiritual gifts
        1. Paul imparted the "Holy Spirit" in this way - cf. Ac 19:1-7
        2. Paul hoped to impart such a gift to the Romans - Ro 1:11
        3. He imparted such a gift to Timothy - 2Ti 1:6
      3. The ability to impart spiritual gifts was limited to the apostles
        1. Which is why Philip could perform miracles, but not pass the ability on to others
          1. The apostles had laid hands on him earlier - Ac 6:5-6
          2. Philip, like Steven, could then do miracles - Ac 6:7; 8:6-7
        2. Which is why it was necessary for Peter and John to come to Samaria
          1. If spiritual gifts came simply by praying, why send for Peter and John?
          2. It took an apostle for the spiritual gifts to be imparted!
      4. It was this ability to impart spiritual gifts that Simon wanted to buy
        1. He was not content to simply receive a spiritual gift
        2. He wanted that apostolic ability to impart spiritual gifts! - Ac 8:19
CONCLUSION
  1. The ministry of Philip among the Samaritans had...
    1. Been confirmed by the miracles which Philip did in their midst - Ac 8:6-7
    2. Resulted in true conversions when they believed and were baptized - Ac 8:12-13
  2. Peter and John's mission to Samaria appears straightforward...
    1. To impart miraculous spiritual gifts by the apostolic laying on of hands
    2. Which served to establish the new converts in their faith - cf. Ro 1:11

Today, conversion occurs wherever people believe and are baptized (Mk 16:16; Ac 2:38; 22:16). They are established in the faith when they observe the apostles' doctrine (Mt 28:20; Ac 2:42) which was revealed and confirmed by the miraculous gifts of the Spirit in the first century (cf. He 2:1-4)...