ISB ~ Acts 8 v9

Simon:Revered by the Samaritan masses as the embodiment of divine power (8:10). Beyond the narrative of Acts, Christian tradition calls him the father of heretics and the founder of Gnosticism. It is said that when Simon and his teaching eventually reached Rome, a statue was erected in his honor along the Tiber River with the inscription: “To Simon, the holy god”. Luke probably included this episode to alert readers that Simon and his devotees were not approved by the apostles.

practiced magic:This is the first of several episodes in Acts where Christianity triumphs over the magical and superstitious arts so prevalent in the ancient world (13:6-11; 16:16-18; 19:18-19).