Acts 8:4-25 – The Powerful Work of the Spirit in Samaria

In this passage, we see that the Gospel is now being proclaimed in Samaria by God’s sovereign design.  As discussed last week, it was the persecution against the believers that scattered them, leading Phillip to Samaria.

Phillip is performing signs by the Holy Spirit to an astonishing degree, attesting to the truth of the Gospel and the mercy of God.  In Acts 8:5-8, we see that the city was rejoicing at this work as healing and mercy came to those who had unclean spirits, where paralyzed, or lame.  A man named Simon, a magician known to “astonish” the people of Samaria and claimed to be great came to be “astonished” at Phillip! Then Peter and John come down to witness the work of God here and prayed for the Holy Spirit to come upon them.  The Spirit came upon these people who were Samaritans!  The text records that Simon hopee to buy the Holy Spirit, as if man has the Spirit domesticated.

In 8.9-13, we see how the Spirit is casting down that which exalts itself above God.  Simon’s magic cannot compare with the work of God.  The text goes on to demonstrate that the Spirit cannot be domesticated, it is the power of the free of sovereign Lord.

Phillip’s miraculous deeds accompanied his incredible message as he proclaimed the Kingdom of God through the Gospel of Christ (8.5-6, 12-14, 25).  God was not only mercifully healing the physical distresses of these people, but he was bringing salvation to all of them that believed!

In Acts 8:14-17, we see the Holy Spirit come upon these people, as the Spirit had come upon those believers in Jerusalem at Pentecost.  In Acts, there is a clear meaning to this.  At Pentecost, God claimed a people for Himself from those in Jerusalem; the people whom Jesus commanded would hear the Gospel first (Acts 1:8, Luke 24:47).  The Gospel is now going forth (outward) by the promised power of the Holy Spirit just as Christ commanded.  Now the Spirit signifies that it is not just the believing Jews and proselytes in Jerusalem who have been brought into the Kingdom of Christ, but the Samaritan’s now have been sealed with the Spirit of God as well.

This is no small thing!  God is now vividly showing in front of those even from Jerusalem that God is accepting those outside of Jerusalem.  In John 4:9 we see the evidence in a clear statement that “The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans” (consider the shocking parable of the good Samaritan as well).  In fact, this was such a big thing that Peter and John came down to witness it!  Later in Acts 10 we will see one final bestowal of the Spirit on a group symbolic of the nations as the Spirit will be poured out on the Gentile nations as well.

These bestowals of the Spirit have tremendous importance in Acts, showing forth the progress of the Gospel starting from Jerusalem and going out to encompass all the peoples of the earth, Jews and Gentiles alike.  These bestowals of the Spirit were not on an individual here and there, but upon the three very important ethnic groups to show that the Gospel has indeed extended salvation to all nations.

This pattern of the bestowal of the Spirit in Acts, that includes hearing the Gospel and believing first, and then the Spirit at a later point is not a normative pattern in individual salvation.  In other words, we must not use this as an understanding of how the Spirit comes to a person who believes the Gospel now the the Spirit has been poured out on the Jews, the Samaritans, and the rest of the world.  There is no indication that there was a Jew in Jerusalem who believed after Pentecost, but then had to wait for the Spirit later.  In the same way, there is no indication of a Samaritan believer after Acts 8 or a Gentile believer after Acts 10 who had to wait for something else to bring the Spirit upon him or her.  (We will discuss the issue of John’s disciples when we get there later in Acts, but it is not contrary to this pattern.)

In fact, the Scriptures will not allow us to entertain the idea that a person may be a redeemed believer in the Gospel and yet not have the Spirit now that the Spirit has been poured out on all of the nations.

Consider Ephesians 1:13 in which Paul states without exception that the ones who have faith in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:1) were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit “when you heard the word of truth (the Gospel of your salvation) and believed in Christ”!  Paul’s point in Ephesians is to realize that as a believer you have been gifted with the Holy Spirit as you are part of the holy Temple of God, the Church which is the Body of Christ.  He continues his teaching in Ephesians 2:13-22 making it clear that the only way believing Jews and believing Gentiles are brought near to God (and to one another) is through the blood of Christ (verse 13) through the Spirit of God (verse 18 and 22).  It renders Paul’s argument illogical and false to assert that there are some believers who are saved by the Gospel who have not been baptized in the Spirit.

In Galatians, Paul teaches the same thing and it is the hinge of the logic and argument of the entire book.  In chapter 4, Paul is teaching of the Jews who once were under the Law but now have come to Christ.  He tells those Jews who believe in the Gospel that God sent the Spirit of his Son into their hearts.  If the Spirit has not been given to them, then they are not God’s children in Christ.  It is because the Spirit has been given to them that he can now command them to walk by the Spirit in righteousness.  Otherwise they are doomed to carry out only the desires of the flesh.

One last proof of this comes from 1 Corinthians 12.  In verse 3 Paul states that no one can profess truly that Jesus is Lord “except by the Holy Spirit”.  Later in verse 13 of the same chapter, Paul states that all believers, whether Jew or Gentiles were made to drink of one Spirit…the Holy Spirit of God.  This could not be said before the Spirit had been poured out on the Jews, the Samaritans, and the Gentiles. But now, to every believer, it cannot be denied that if you are in Christ, you have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ.