Acts 7:13

13. Simon himself believed Simon was aware both of the falsehood existing in his own juggleries, and of the strange appearances of truth sometimes disclosing itself in his magical practices. He supposed that there was the same mixture of juggle and mysterious supernaturalism in Christianity, with a yet higher theurgic power. Christ was a daemon of more powerful name than he had known, and the miracles sprung from a deeper magic; and baptism was the method of induction into the new art. He continued with Philip, in hopes of acquiring the doctrines he preached; and, wondering at the signs, he hoped to acquire the power to perform. He might become himself a deacon, a wonder-worker, even an apostle!

Was baptized But why did not Philip, with the gift of discerning spirits, detect and reject the hypocrite from baptism? Gifts, we reply, were not at the absolute command of those endowed, so as to be used at will. Philip may have perceived tokens of wrong in Simon, not sufficient to exclude him from baptism, but quite sufficient to need an apostle’s skill and power to deal with.