¹⁸Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, ¹⁹saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” ²⁰But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! ²¹You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. ²²Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. ²³For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.” ²⁴But Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”

Is it possible to buy spiritual power? Yes—depending on what we mean by “spiritual power.” Simon had been exercising a certain power over people’s spiritual beliefs, making himself the object of their attention and amazement. And he hungered to escalate this power grab when he saw the superior “authority” the apostles wielded through their miraculous imparting of the Holy Spirit to all upon whom they laid hands. He had his mind set on buying that power.

Unfortunately, in many churches, spiritual power is desired for self-promotion. In clerical churches, the power grab is accompanied with ceremony, prestige, and privilege. In other churches, the power grab is more subtle, like in the case of “Diotrephes who loves to be first” in the church (3 John 9). Simon in our story epitomizes the blatant, unapologetic, unvarnished, selfish effort to wield spiritual influence. We must learn well from this story!

The receiving of the Holy Spirit was obviously an observable phenomenon, akin to what took place at Pentecost; Luke does not give us the exact details. Simon clearly saw it as greater than what his magic arts could perform. But he didn’t understand the quantum difference between his magic arts and the ministry of the apostles, and this provoked Peter’s severe condemnation. He cuts him no slack: he declares that his heart “is not right before God” and his desire is “wickedness.” Simon needs to repent.

Two observations here are important for us to note. First, Peter’s denunciation of Simon does not seal the magician’s condemnation but offers a path to forgiveness. God always offers forgiveness to those who repent. The repentance is not simply for his sinful sorcery, nor even for trying to buy spiritual power; those were evidences of something far deeper. He needed to repent of the wickedness of his heart. Second, to his credit, Simon humbled himself in asking for prayer, but the record does not specifically show that he repented.

Lord, help me see when I minimize the wickedness of my heart with half-hearted repentance. I acknowledge with Paul, “I am the foremost of all sinners.”