18 And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 8:18-25 reveals Simon’s sin of attempting to use the ministry office for personal financial gain (usury).
8:18
And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given,
Simon saw the commercial possibilities of someone who had the power to bestow the Holy Spirit on others. He was still in the mode of a professional magician, with a greedy orientation.
he offered them money,
Simon thought the authority of giving the Holy Spirit could be purchased with money.
8:19
saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Simon was interested in power for power’s sake. He emphasized the process of ministry rather than the content of its message.
PRINCIPLE:
To use ministry for exclusively personal gain is simony.
APPLICATION:
It is sad to see that many in ministry today use their office for personal, exclusive gain. The situation with Simon is a clear, negative example of someone who used ministry exclusively for themselves and not the church; this is simony. The term simony comes from the character in our passage, Simon.
