Discovery BoxActs 8:9-13 
Context8:9 Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic 1 and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. 8:10 All the people, 2 from the least to the greatest, paid close attention to him, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called ‘Great.’” 3 8:11 And they paid close attention to him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God 4 and the name of Jesus Christ, 5 they began to be baptized, 6 both men and women. 8:13 Even Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed close to 7 Philip constantly, and when he saw the signs and great miracles that were occurring, he was amazed. 8
1 tn On the idiom προϋπῆρχεν μαγεύων (prouphrcen mageuwn) meaning “had been practicing magic” see BDAG 889 s.v. προϋπάρχω.
2 tn Grk “all of them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3 tn Or “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.” The translation “what is called the Great Power of God” is given by BDAG 263 s.v. δύναμις 5, but the repetition of the article before καλουμένη μεγάλη (kaloumenh megalh) suggests the translation “the power of God that is called ‘Great.’”
4 sn The kingdom of God is also what Jesus preached: Acts 1:3. The term reappears in 14:22; 19:8; 28:23, 31.
5 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
6 tn The imperfect verb ἐβαπτίζοντο (ebaptizonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
7 tn Or “he kept close company with.”
8 sn He was amazed. Now Simon, the one who amazed others, is himself amazed, showing the superiority of Philip’s connection to God. Christ is better than anything the culture has to offer.
