Simony is the act of selling church offices and roles or sacred things. It is named after Simon Magus aka Simon the Magician, who is described in Acts 8 as having offered two disciples of Jesus payment in exchange for their empowering him to impart the power of the Holy Spirit to anyone on whom he would place his hands. The term extends to other forms of trafficking for money in “spiritual things”.

The appointment of ecclesiastical officials, such as bishops and abbots, by a secular authority came to be considered simoniacal and this became a key issue during the Investiture Controversy.

Information derived from Wikipedia.

Simon the Magician is not mentioned in the remaining books of our bible. His reputation was noted by more secular writers. Those secular writings are not inspired by God nor included in scripture. We have to expect a certain amount of secular interference with truth. Only the Word of God is true.

Do we need to know the path taken by Simon the Magician and use that information as a warning of avoidance?

Look within our own hearts for motives attached to actions. If we are walking in the way, following the leading of the Holy Spirit, course corrections are expected. Seeking answers on the wayward path will lead us far enough away from the Way that finding our way back may become difficult.

Discipleship training intentionally avoids looking into the well-worn path of the dissident, rebellious and disillusioned. Training is confined to the way we should go, avoiding those bunny trails that can only lead to confusion.

1 Corinthians 14:33 English Standard Version (ESV) For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,

Acts 8:9-11 ESV

⁹ But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. ¹⁰ They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” ¹¹ And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. 

This Simon the Magician went on to believe by the preaching of the gospel by Philip.

Acts 8:17-19 ESV

¹⁷ Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, ¹⁹ saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

What were Simon the Magician’s interests? Power, magic, and reputation might have been a large part of Simon the Magician’s former life. This is the last tale from Acts 8 and it is unclear if Peter and John’s baptizing of Christians in the Holy Ghost included Simon the Magician.

The fact that he thought the power could be bought leaves me with the impression that he had not received the Holy Spirit. Chapter 9 goes right into the conversion of Saul, to become Paul. His change was so dramatic. In comparison Simon the Magician’s conversion seemed incomplete.

When we read of believers that do not fit perfectly within our understanding of salvation conversion, what are we to learn?

Number one has to be the issue of an unknown future. The future for each of us is an unknown at conversion. We have so much to learn about God’s promises, practices and will that we might only see the reactions of the flesh to our conversion. Simon leaned on old habits in trying to buy the magic from Peter and John. He had no real understanding of the power he witnessed. He desired the power. Why he desired the power remains unknown. All we can do is search our own motives in those things of God we desire.