It’s a warning of POTENTIALLY false conversion. The ending is not clear. The Word goes to the effort to detail this well known man’s response to Philip’s message, saying that he ‘believed also’, and ‘was baptized’. It doesn’t say if he received the Holy Ghost also, only that he witnessed the event.
He started out right, but wasn’t YET (remember, we don’t know the ending) obedient to the Spirit, which leads us to rise and walk in newness of live. The ‘old man’ still had rule in him, and his conversion was not complete without the Spirit. Peter condemned his behavior with the threat of severe punishment. He then showed the fear of God (the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom), knowing he was in dire straits, and asked for Peter’s help. The story is left off there.
There are indeed multitudes that profess to being ‘Christians’, and that they believe, but are not willing to let go of the ‘old man’. Their lifestyles say otherwise (foul language, riotous living, greed, lies, etc.), yet are nice people, would lend a hand, and so on. I work with such, and such was I, before receiving the power of the Holy Ghost. It convicts, and leads to understanding what is righteous.
Without the Holy Ghost, a conversion is not complete. Some people need a ‘smackdown’, not totally unlike what happened to Saul on the way to Damascus. That was my case, after years of being a ‘professing Christians’, and doing works that would indicate Christian behavior, yet without having received the Spirit. Deep down, I knew something was missing, but felt that I, when compared to deacons and elders in my mainline protestant church, was living a good Christian life.
When a true witness showed me I wasn’t born again the Bible way, I blew him off. It wasn’t until things in my life were going wrong, that I had no control over, that I then realized I needed that real biblical conversion found in Acts.
I’m convinced that that is why there is so much sin abounding in ‘Christian’ church bodies; people believing they are saved from sin when they still dead in sins and trespasses. These folks are not rebuked for living unrighteous lives because they are led by leaders that are not born again themselves.
I call tham ‘Ahimaaz’ messengers (2 Sam. 18); going forth with a an incomplete message that they aren’t first hand witnesses of (not born again). They take the ‘short cut’ and get to the location ahead of the true messenger, and unwittingly deceive the hearer. David referred to Ahimaaz as ‘a good man’, but unfortunately was not a good messenger in that case.
Simon wasn’t even a blind leader in the Acts 8 event, just, in my opinion, one that was not yet filled with the Spirit because his his heart was not yet willing to do it’s leading. Peter called him out on it.
Now, wouldn’t it be a surprise to someday in heaven meet Simon, finding out that he later on did repent, seek God, and found deliverance.
I Don’t see it that way at all-This is not a teaching about whether or not Simon was sanctified, Peter warned him that he was on his way to Hell!
“fear of God (the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom)”
Remember, perfect Love casts out fear. I could never fear my Father. To do so would block my feeling His Love and I would sooner die than give up that feeling.
I Love God, more than I Love myself. When filled with His Spirit, it is impossible to experience fear. Since God’s Love, Agape, is unconditional and freeing, my only fear is of myself not feeling worthy of such a Divine gift and blocking myself from it.
When completely filled with the Spirit, if someone pointed a gun at my head and threatened to kill me, I still would only feel Love toward that person. Unfortunately, I am human and often fall out of that Divine Grace and need to constantly be aware when I am lost.