Chapter 32

1Brothers, then, see and understand the craft and deeds of Satan, the enemy of all good, and how he caused divisions, unbelief, and ungodliness among the people. The first division he caused arose through Simon in the city called Gitthae. This man was a sorcerer, and through his own impure craft he clothed himself with Satan as with a garment and served him as a slave, carrying out all the evil that he willed. Philip the apostle, our brother, performed mighty works and great signs and healed the sick in the city of Samaria by the grace of the Lord and the teaching of the Holy Spirit. When the people of Samaria saw all his deeds, they grew strong in faith, believed in God, and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. When Simon the sorcerer saw signs and wonders that were not performed by magical art, amazement seized him. He immediately believed and was baptized, and afterward he fasted and prayed. When we heard this, we gave thanks to God because the people of Samaria had believed through Philip’s preaching. Then we arose and went to them, and carefully taught them the word of admonition. We laid hands upon all who had received baptism and, through prayer, bestowed upon them the gift of the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit descended upon those who believed when we laid our hands upon them, he came to us bringing bribes and said, “Give me this authority also, so that when I lay my hands upon people, the Holy Spirit may descend upon them.” For Satan desired to seduce those who wished to believe, just as he seduced Adam, so that Adam ate from the tree, was expelled from the garden, and came under the judgment of death. In the same way, he set a snare for us so that we might accept bribes. If we had accepted them, we would have been deprived of the Holy Spirit, whom we had received without payment, and would have received in exchange wealth that grows old and perishes. Then we were afraid and troubled.

2When I, Peter, saw this evil deed, I said to Simon, “May your gold and silver perish with you. Do you think that you can purchase the gift of God with gold? Your heart is not right before God. Turn away from your evil deeds and pray to God that he may forgive the sin your heart has conceived, for I see that you are like bitter gall in your evildoing.” Then Simon became exceedingly afraid and said to us, “Pray to the Lord for me, so that none of the things you have spoken may come upon me.”

3Moreover, it was to me, Peter, that Simon came in Caesarea, the city of Cornelius, who was faithful in Jesus Christ. But Simon plotted to seduce the blessed and holy children: Zacchaeus, who had once been a publican; Barnabas; Nicetas; and Aquila, the brother of Clement, who was ordained bishop in the city of Rome and was a disciple of righteous Paul in the teaching of the holy Gospel. Before them, I spoke to Simon three times by the word of prophecy and overcame him by the power of the Lord. Then he fled and went to Italy.

4When Simon came to the city of Rome, he disturbed the Church, destroyed the faith of many, perverted the Gentiles, and turned them toward himself. He taught them to practice sorcery and to perform the works of accursed demons. After this, he went at midday to the house of their gods and delivered a speech to them while looking up toward the skies, and all the people paid him reverence. Then the demons lifted him up, and he flew into the air. But I, Peter, stood and prayed, and I saw him flying through the air. He said, “I will ascend into heaven,” and promised the people every kind of benefit. They believed him and regarded him as a god. But I stretched out my hands and prayed to God with all my heart to bring him down to the earth and to break the power of the demons who were seducing and destroying the people. Again I prayed to God not to kill him, but to break him like a potter’s vessel. Then I turned to Simon and said, “If you are a man of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, and if you teach his commandments and his truth, do not come down. But if you are a seducer and a destroyer, O Simon—I command you, demons who are carrying Simon the sorcerer: stay far from him and abandon him, so that he may fall and be made a mockery before those whom he has seduced.” When I had spoken these words, the unclean spirits fled and abandoned Simon. He fell to the earth and was bruised with great [amazement], and his limbs were broken. Then all the people cried out in a loud voice, saying, “There is one Lord, the God of Peter, whom he has proclaimed to us in truth.” The people immediately abandoned Simon, and from that day the ungodliness and divisions among the Simonians increased.

5Then Satan entered the hearts of the false prophets who led people astray and caused them to speak blasphemous words against God Almighty. They said that he is not the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. They also said that he is not the Creator of the world, but that he is invisible, unknown, unnamed, and not begotten. Again, they said that it was not he who sent down the Law and the prophets. They did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, and they said that there would be no retribution on the last day and that the soul would return to its nature. They delight in their lusts and turn to evil ways. Others say that there are many gods. Some say that there are three orders, while others say that there are two orders.

6Others forbid marriage and command people not to drink wine. They regard marriage, the begetting of children, and the eating of fruits as impure and abhor them. They present themselves as pure, receive an evil wisdom, and pretend to be righteous and faithful. Some of them command people not to eat flesh and say of animals [that they have no reason or soul]. They also say that whoever injures an animal is like a murderer. Some say that the flesh of a clean swine is not clean but unclean, and that we ought to keep far away from every such thing, but that people may eat whatever was clean under the Law.

7Some practice circumcision and believe that Christ was a holy man or like one of the prophets. Some openly and shamelessly teach lust, pursue the pleasures of the flesh, and give themselves completely to every unclean deed. These are like instruments whom the devil has taken captive, and they are children of wrath.