The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 256

lourl f!oico for unclean Bpirits, crying with called Great for the great po111er of Gorl, A.V. lottd voice, cctme out of many that were and T.R. That powor of God, etc. The po•BeBBed with them, A.V.; that were palsied revised text iaserts KaAouµev7J before µey&A7J. for talten with palBieB, A. V. From many of Origen so.ye of Simon that his discipleA, the those, eto. The R.T. is represented by the Simonians, ce.llecl him "'I'ho Power of Goel." me.rgin, but it is nonsense. The different ('ContraCels.,' lib. v. 62, where see Delarue's rendering depends upon whether 1r11e6µ.a:ra note). AccordingtoTertullian ('DeAnima') a.Kcl.8ap-ra is tl\ken ns the subjer.t to i{11pxe-ro, he gave himself out as the supreme Father: or as the object nfter txona, In one cBBe, with other blasphemies. According to St. 1r11e6µ.a-ra or av-rcl. must be understood after Jerome on Matt. xxiv. 5, he speaks of him- ix&n,.,,,, e.s in the A.V., which ineerts with self in different writings as the Word of God, them in italics; in the other, the same word BB the Paraclete, the Almighty, the Folnees must be understood before i!11px•-ro, BB in of God. the R.V., which inserts they. The latter Ver. 11.-They gave heed to him for to construction seems right, but the sense is him they had, regard, A.V.; amazed for the same, e.nd the A.V. is much the nee.test bewitched, A. V.; hi~ sorceries for sorceries, rendering. The.t were palsied, The purpose A.V. and effect of miracles is here clearly shown, Ver. 12.-Good tidings for the thi111Js,A.V. to e.ttraot attention, e.nd to evidence to the and T.R. hearers and seers that the workers of Ver. 13.-.And for then, A.V.; also himself miracles a.re God's messengers, and that believed for himself believed also, A. V. ; being the Word which they preach is God's Word. baptized for when he was baptized, A.V.; Ver. 8.-Much for great, A.V. and T.R. beholding sign• and great miracles =ought, Much joy, The joy was caused partly by he was amazed for wondered, beholding the the healing of their sick, and partly by the miracles and signs which were done. Con- glad tidings of the gospel of peace (comp. tinued with (~v 1rpactKap-r<pwv); see eh. i. 14; Matt. xiii. 20; 1 Pet. i. 8). iii. 46; vi. 4; L 7. St. Paul uses the word Ver. 9.-Simon byname for called Simon, in Rom. xii. 12; xiii. 6; Col iv. 2; and the A.V.; the city for the same city, A. V.; substantive formed from it (1rpoctKap-r•p7Jcris) amazed for bewitched, A.V. (here and in once, Eph. vi. 18. Elsewhere in the New ver. 13). Amazed. In Luke xxiv. 22 the Testament it occurs only in Mark iii. 9. But same word (;1;[an1µ,) is rendered "made us it is found in Hist. of. Bus. 6. A.mazed (see astonished" in the A.V.; and in eh. ii. 7, note on ver. 9). In Simon we have the first 12, and elsewhere, in e.n inlre.nsitive sense, exe.mple of one who, having been baptized "were amazed." It has also the meaning of into Jesus Christ, lived to disgrace and "being out of one's mind" or "beside one's corrupt the faith which he professed. He self" (Mark iii. 21; 2 do'r. v. 13), but never was an instance of the tares SOW'Il among the that of " bewitching" or" being bewitched." whee.t, end of the seecl which sprang up As regards Sim.on, commonly surnamed quickly being as quickly destroyed. He is Magus, from his magio arts, it is doubtful an instance also of the truth of our Lord's whether be is the same Simou as is mentioned saying, "Ye cannot sen-e God and mammon." by Josephus (' Ant. Jud.,' xx. vii. 2) es Ver. 14.-The apostles (see ver. I). being employed by Felix the Procurator of They sent unto them Peter and John. The J udrea, in the reign of Olaudius ( eh. xxiii. selection of these two chief apostles shows 25), to bewitch Drusilla into forsaking her the great importance attached to the con- husband, King Azizus, and marrying him, version of the Samaritans. The joint act which she did (oh. xxiv 24). 'l'he doubt of the college of e.postles in sending them arises from Josephus stating that Simon to demonstrates that Peter was not a pope, be a Oypriot (K01rpio11 ")'<vos), whereas Justin but a. brother apostle, albeit their primate; Martyr says of Simon Magus that he wus end tLat the government of the CLurch was a.,ro "wµ71s AE")'oµ"1-11s ri,,,,,.,,,, n ne.tive of in the apostolate, not in one of the number. Gitton, or Githon, e. village of ~amaria. It Ver. 15.-That they might receive the has been thought that Gitton may be e. Holy Ghost. Why was it needful thut two miste.ke of Justin's for Citium, in Cyprus e.postles should come clown to Same.ria and (Farrnr's • Life of St. Pe.ul,' vol. i. pp. 260, pray, with laying on of hands, for tlie newly 352; Alford, etc.). The after history of Simon baptized that they might reoeive the Holy Magus is full of fe.ble. He is spoken of by Ghost? There Is no mention of such prayer Irenmus and other ee.rly writers as the or such imposition of hand~ ln the case of inventor or founder of heresy. (For e. list the first three thonsand who were baptized. of e.uthorities concerning Simon, see Farrnr's They were told by St. Peter, ":Ue baptized • Life of St. Paul,' vol. i. p. 260, note: Alford, every ono of you, , , . e.ncl ye shall receive i. 6 ; ' Bible Dictionary ; ' and n good o.rticle tho gift cf the Holy Ghost" (.eh. ii. 31.l), in 'Diet. of Biog. and Mythol.') and they were be.ptized, and doubtless did Ver. 10.-That power of God whiall la reoeive the Holy Ghost. Neither ia there  THE AOTS OF THE APOSTLES, [011, VIII, 1-40.