Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 8]
carried away by Philip.
8:9 {Simon} (\Sim•n\). One of the common names (Josephus, _Ant_.
XX. 7, 2) and a number of messianic pretenders had this name. A
large number of traditions in the second and third centuries
gathered round this man and Baur actually proposed that the Simon
of the Clementine Homilies is really the apostle Paul though Paul
triumphed over the powers of magic repeatedly (Ac 13:6-12;
19:11-19), "a perfect absurdity" (Spitta, _Apostelgeschichte_,
p. 149). One of the legends is that this Simon Magus of Acts is
the father of heresy and went to Rome and was worshipped as a god
(so Justin Martyr). But a stone found in the Tiber A.D. 1574 has
an inscription to _Semoni Sanco Deo Fidio Sacrum_ which is (Page)
clearly to Hercules, Sancus being a Sabine name for Hercules.
This Simon in Samaria is simply one of the many magicians of the
time before the later gnosticism had gained a foothold. "In his
person Christianity was for the first time confronted with
superstition and religious imposture, of which the ancient world
was at this period full" (Furneaux). {Which beforetime used
sorcery} (\proup•rchen mageu•n\). An ancient idiom
(periphrastic), the present active participle \mageu•n\ with the
imperfect active verb from \prouparch•\, the idiom only here and
Lu 23:12 in the N.T. Literally "Simon was existing previously
practising magic." This old verb \mageu•\ is from \magos\ (a
\magus\, seer, prophet, false prophet, sorcerer) and occurs here
alone in the N.T. {Amazed} (existan•n). Present active participle
of the verb \existan•\, later form of \exist•mi\, to throw out of
position, displace, upset, astonish, chiefly in the Gospels in
the N.T. Same construction as \mageu•n\. {Some great one} (\tina
megan\). Predicate accusative of general reference (infinitive in
indirect discourse). It is amazing how gullible people are in the
presence of a manifest impostor like Simon. The Magi were the
priestly order in the Median and Persian empires and were
supposed to have been founded by Zoroaster. The word \magoi\
(magi) has a good sense in Mt 2:1, but here and in Ac 13:6 it
has the bad sense like our "magic."
8:10 {That power of God which is called Great} (\h• Dunamis tou
theou h• kaloumen• Megal•\). Apparently here already the oriental
doctrine of emanations or aeons so rampant in the second century.
This "power" was considered a spark of God himself and Jerome (in
Mt 24) quotes Simon (Page) as saying: _Ego sum sermo Dei, ...
ego omnipotens, ego omnia Dei_. Simon claimed to _impersonate
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