Who was Simon Magus?

Answer 1

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Simon the magus used to do magic tricks and the Word of God tell us that the people favored him thinking he was someone important. But when Philip preached the Gospel of Christ alot of people belived and even Simon the magus believed in the true power of the Holy Ghost; read Acts 8: 9-25

Answer 2

Simon the Magus was a Gnostic Christian leader. He is said to have been the most outstanding disciple of John the Baptist. The story goes that when John died Simon was in Alexandria, so another Samaritan Gnostic, Dositheus, became John's successor. When Simon returned home, he became the acknowledged master.

Surprisingly, given the emnity between two different branches of Christianity, the early Church Father, Justin Martyr says that Simon was regarded with reverence by nearly all Samaritans. However, Simon is vilified in Acts of the Apostles, possibly because he was too successful in leading a different branch of Christianity. Acts of the Apostles contains a pejorative passage (Acts 8:9-24) that accuses Simon of practising magic in the name of Jesus, and of offering money to be told the apostles' secret of healing.