Early Christian Beliefs About Simon Magus

Justin Martyr, The First Apology Direct teaching

.... Not only were they not persecuted by you, but they were even honored. There was a Samaritan named Simon, from a village called Gitto, who, during the reign of Claudius Caesar, performed mighty acts of magic in your royal city of Rome, through the influence of devils working in him. He was regarded as a god and honored by you with a statue, which was erected on the River Tiber between the two bridges, bearing this inscription in the Roman language: "Simoni Deo Sancto," meaning "To Simon the holy God." Almost all the Samaritans and even a few people from other nations worship him and acknowledge him as the first god. A woman named Helena, who traveled with him at that time and was formerly a prostitute, is said to be the first idea generated by him. A man named Menander, also a Samaritan from the town of Capparetæa and a disciple of Simon, was inspired by devils and is known to have deceived many in Antioch with his magical arts. He convinced his followers that they would never die, and even now some people still hold his beliefs. Marcion, a man from Pontus, is alive today and teaches his disciples to believe in a god greater than the Creator. With the help of devils, he has led

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book I Direct teaching

...ll those who corrupt the truth and harm the preaching of the Church are followers and successors of Simon Magus of Samaria. Although they do not acknowledge their master’s name in order to deceive others more effectively, they still teach his doctrines. They present the name of Christ Jesus as a sort of lure, but in various ways, they introduce the impieties of Simon. By doing so, they destroy many, wickedly spreading their doctrines under a good name and, using its sweetness and beauty, extend to their listeners the bitter and harmful poison of the serpent, the great author of apostasy.

Origen, Commentary on John Direct teaching

Whence we know that Simon Magus, who gave himself the title of The power of God, which is called great, was consigned to perdition and destruction, he and his money with him.

Tertullian, Against All Heresies Direct teaching

Of these the first of all is Simon Magus, who in the Acts of the Apostles earned a condign and just sentence from the Apostle Peter.

Origen, Against Celsus Direct teaching

There was also Simon the Samaritan magician, who wished to draw away certain by his magical arts.

Justin Martyr, The First Apology Direct teaching

... nation, they again, as mentioned before, brought forward other men. These men were the Samaritans, Simon and Menander, who performed many mighty works through magic and deceived many people, continuing to keep them deceived. For even among your own people, as we said earlier, Simon was in the royal city of Rome during the reign of Claudius Caesar and astonished the sacred senate and people of the Romans so greatly that he was considered a god and honored, like the others whom you honor as gods, with a statue. Therefore, we pray that the sacred senate and your people, along with yourselves, may be judges of this our account. This is so if anyone is ensnared by that man’s doctrines, he may learn the truth and be able to escape error. As for the statue, if you wish, destroy it.

Justin Martyr, The First Apology Supporting witness

There was a Samaritan, Simon, a native of the village called Gitto, who in the reign of Claudius Cæsar, and in your royal city of Rome, did mighty acts of magic, by virtue of the art of the devils operating in him.

Justin Martyr, The First Apology Supporting witness

And a man, Menander, also a Samaritan, of the town Capparetæa, a disciple of Simon, and inspired by devils, we know to have deceived many while he was in Antioch by his magical art.

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book III Supporting witness

...and influenced by Satan, they have been drawn to the teachings of Simon Magus, and strayed in their beliefs from God, imagining they have discovered more than the apostles by finding another god; they claim that the apostles preached the Gospel still somewhat under Jewish influences, but that they themselves are purer in doctrine and more intelligent than the apostles. Thus, Marcion and his followers have resorted to altering the Scriptures, ignoring some books completely, and shortening the Gospel according to Luke and Paul's Epistles, claiming these are the only authentic texts, which they have edited. However, in another work, God willing, I will refute them using those texts they still accept. The rest, inflated by the false notion of "knowledge," do recognize the Scriptures but distort their interpretations, as I showed in the first book. The followers of Marcion directly blaspheme the Creator, claiming him to be the source of evils, while suggesting a more tolerable theory about his origin, maintaining that there are two beings, gods by nature, differing from each other—one good, and the other evil. Meanwhile, those from Valentinus, though using more respectful names and a

Irenaeus, Against Heresies: Book IV Supporting witness

[This spiritual man] shall also judge the vain speeches of the perverse Gnostics, by showing that they are the disciples of Simon Magus.

Tertullian, On Prescription Against Heretics Supporting witness

The doctrine, however, of Simon's sorcery, which inculcated the worship of angels, was itself actually reckoned among idolatries and condemned by the Apostle Peter in Simon's own person.

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Direct teaching

VII. Now the original of the new heresies began this way: the devil entered into one Simon, of a village called Gitthæ, a Samaritan, by profession a magician, and made him the minister of his wicked design.

Anonymous, Treatise on Re-Baptism Supporting witness

Who derive the origin of their notion from Simon Magus, practising it with manifold perversity through various errors;

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Supporting witness

But, again, those who become followers of this impostor— I mean Simon the sorcerer — indulge in similar practices, and irrationally allege the necessity of promiscuous intercourse.

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Supporting witness

This Simon, deceiving many in Samaria by his sorceries, was reproved by the Apostles, and was laid under a curse, as it has been written in the Acts.

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Supporting witness

But that very clever fellow Simon states his view like this: there is an indefinite power, and this is the root of the universe. And this indefinite power, he says, is fire. Yet in itself it is not something simple, as the crude mass of thinkers claim when they say there are four simple elements and suppose that fire, as one of them, is uncompounded. Simon, however, says that the nature of fire is twofold. One part of this twofold nature he calls secret, and the other manifest. And he says that the secret is hidden in the manifest parts of the fire, and that the manifest parts of the fire have been produced from the secret. He also says that all the parts of the fire, visible and invisible, were thought to have the power of perception. Therefore, he says, the world that is begotten was produced from the unbegotten fire. And it began to exist in this way: the Unbegotten One took from the principle of that fire six first roots of the principle of generation. For he says that these roots were generated from the fire in pairs, and he names them Mind and Intelligence, Voice and Name, Ratiocination and Reflection. And he says that in these six roots, at the same time, dwells the indefini

Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies Supporting witness

Now Simon, both foolishly and deceitfully twisting the law of Moses, speaks in this way: when Moses says that God is “a burning and consuming fire” in Deuteronomy 4:24, Simon takes what Moses said in the wrong sense and claims that fire is the first principle of the universe. But Simon does not consider what the statement actually says. It does not say that God is a fire, but that He is a burning and consuming fire. In this way, Simon not only forces a violent meaning onto the law of Moses itself, but even steals from Heraclitus the Obscure. And Simon calls the first principle of the universe an indefinite power, speaking in this way: “This is the treatise of a revelation of the voice and name, known by intellectual understanding of the Great Indefinite Power. Therefore it will be sealed, kept secret, hidden, and will rest in the dwelling place, at whose foundation lies the root of all things.” And he says that this man, who is born of blood, is that dwelling place, and that in him lives an indefinite power, which he says is the root of the universe.

Acts 8:9 Direct teaching

But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great.

Acts 8:13 Direct teaching

Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.

Acts 8:18 Direct teaching

Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,

Acts 8:24 Direct teaching

And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”

Anonymous, Treatise on Re-Baptism Direct teaching

...rupt, violate, and even make the baptism of holiness useless. They trace the origin of this idea to Simon Magus, and practice it with many kinds of perversity through various errors. To him Simon Peter said in the Acts of the Apostles, “May your money perish with you, because you thought that the grace of God could be obtained with money. You have neither part nor share in this matter, for your heart is not right with God” (Acts 8:20-21). Men like these do all these things because they want to deceive those who are more simple or more curious. Some of them try to argue that they alone administer a sound and perfect baptism, while we administer a mutilated and cut-down baptism. They are said to describe it in such a way that, as soon as they have gone down into the water, fire immediately appears on the water. Whether this can be done by some trick, since several tricks of this kind are said to exist, from Anaxilaus, or whether it is some natural thing by which this can happen, or whether they only think they see it, or whether the work and magical poison of some evil being can force fire out of the water, they still claim that such deception and trickery is a perfect baptism. If

Pamphilus, Exposition on the Acts of the Apostles Supporting witness

About Simon Magus, who believed and was baptized along with many others; also about Peter and John being sent to them, and their praying for the Holy Spirit to come down upon those who had been baptized.

Pamphilus, Exposition on the Acts of the Apostles Supporting witness

J. Of Simon Magus, who believed and was baptized with many others;

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Direct teaching

Now the beginning of the new heresies started in this way. The devil entered into a man named Simon, from a village called Gitthae. He was a Samaritan and, by trade, a magician. The devil made him the servant of his wicked purpose. Acts 8 For when Philip our fellow apostle, by the gift of the Lord and the power of His Spirit, performed miracles of healing in Samaria, the Samaritans were moved and accepted faith in the God of the universe and in the Lord Jesus, and were baptized into His name. Yes, even Simon himself, when he saw the signs and wonders that were done without any magical rituals, was amazed and believed, and was baptized, and continued in fasting and prayer. We heard of the grace of God that was among the Samaritans through Philip, and we came down to them. After speaking at length about the word of doctrine, we laid our hands on all who had been baptized, and we gave them a share in the Spirit. But when Simon saw that the Spirit was given to believers through the laying on of our hands, he brought money and offered it to us, saying, "Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hand may receive the Holy Spirit." Acts 8:19 He wanted, just as the devil depr

Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness

nay, and that Simon himself, when he saw the signs and wonders which were done without any magic ceremonies, fell into admiration, and believed, and was baptized, and continued in fasting and prayer — we heard of the grace of God which was among the Samaritans by Philip, and came down to them;

Anonymous, Treatise on Re-Baptism Supporting witness

to whom Simon Peter, in the Acts of the Apostles, said, Your money perish with you, because you have thought that the grace of God could be possessed by money;