Acts 8:13

And Simon also himself believed; and being baptized, he continued with Philip; and beholding signs and great miracles wrought, he was amazed.

There is absolutely nothing in this passage to suggest that Simon's "believing" was any different from that of others who became Christians, or that his "baptism" came about from impure motives. On the contrary, we have already seen that his conduct was utterly unlike that of Elymas (Acts 13:8), thus making it clear that he proved his sincerity by accepting Philip's preaching, an act that repudiated his sorceries, destroyed his long sustained influence over the city, and identified him absolutely with forces clearly opposed to all he had been and done in the past. This was no small thing that Simon did. The thesis that Simon merely joined a movement with a design of procuring the powers manifested by Philip is refuted by the fact that such an intention would have been defeated by what he did. Those who allege such a proposition make a fool out of Simon; and, whatever he was, he was no fool. On this basis, therefore, we reject such notions as the following:

(Simon) believed in the genuineness of Philip's miracles, but did not believe in God with a spiritual and saving faith.[22]

Simon himself also believed, but it was not a sincere belief in Jesus Christ.[23]

It would be true to say that he had the "fides informis," faith not preceded by repentance and not perfected by love.[24]

Such views, of course, are merely human opinion. It should be remembered that this narrative was written, not from the standpoint of Philip, but from that of Luke; and it is simply incredible that if Simon's faith and baptism had not been fully sufficient, Luke would have said so here. Luke was inspired; and, when it is considered that inspiration says that Simon "believed and was baptized," there is no way to set aside his conversion as inadequate or hypocritical. Inspiration also says that "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16); and the statement here proves that Simon was truly saved. The theological device of postulating different kinds of faith, such as true faith, and "fides informis," etc., has no scriptural basis. As DeWelt said:

There is as much reason to discount the conversion of the rest of the Samaritans as that of Simon, for their acceptance is described in the same words as that of Simon. Indeed, Simon is said to have "continued with Philip."[25]

[22] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 829.

[23] John William Russell, Compact Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1964), p. 301.

[24] E. H. Plumptre, op. cit., p. 49.

[25] Don DeWelt, Acts Made Actual (Joplin, Missouri: College Press, 1958), p. 108.