Simon the sorcerer

Marcia,
I think you make a great point!

 

Thanks, atestring!

 

From the 1689 confession:

In various ways-the temptations of Satan and of the world, the striving of indwelling sin to get the upper hand, the neglect of the means appointed for their preservation-saints may fall into fearful sins, and may even continue in them for a time. In this way they incur God's displeasure, grieve His Holy Spirit, do injury to their graces, diminish their comforts, experience hardness of heart and accusations of conscience, hurt and scandalize others, and bring God's chastisements on themselves. Yet being saints their repentance will be renewed, and through faith they will be preserved in Christ Jesus to the end.

Phil 1:6
being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ:

2Tim 2:19
Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his: and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.

1John 2:19
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us.

 

And calling in some more back up from John Gill:

Acts 8
Ver. 13. Then Simon himself believed also,.... With an historical and temporary faith, as that Jesus was the Messiah, &c. or at least he pretended, to believe this, and professed that he did believe, what others did, and Philip preached:

and when he was baptized; upon profession of his faith, which he so artfully made, that Philip could not discover his hypocrisy: but taking him to be a sincere believer, admitted him to baptism: after which,

he continued with Philip; kept close to him, and got into a familiar acquaintance with him; and constantly attended on his ministry, as if he had been a sincere disciple and follower of Christ:

 

James P. Boice chimes in on this:

Fortunately, however, we have sufficient teaching to show what is the true faith.

There is the case of Simon Magus, Acts 8:13-24. Manifestly he had historical faith, and yet the Apostle is led to say of him, verse 21, "Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God." The case of Judas also is one of bare historical faith.

That faith, however, is a work of the heart, is manifest from the following passages:

Acts 2:37. "They were pricked in their heart."

Rom. 10:8-10. "Shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, * * * with the heart man believeth unto righteousness."

See an illustration of the difference between historical faith and hearty acceptance of the truth in John 12:42, 43 and Rom. 10:16-21.

 

JD,

Nice quotes all. I read Gill a good bit. Do not recall that I have anything by J.P. Boice, though I do read J.M. some. As far as adding up expositors who hold your position, you have done well. Yet, I am sure you agree that no commentator is beyond the possibility of error. All of us must continually hold up our positions against the search light of God's Word.

As far as responding to the text of 1Cor 11, you haven't.

I fully agree that the Lord knoweth them that are his. As far as the 1689 confession, the saints at Corinth are clearly stated to have died in a state of unrepentance.

While creeds and confessions have much to offer and should never be lightly discarded, they must yield to clear wording of Scripture, you must yeild this whether or not we agree on Simon? YES? or NO?

Let’s try to resolve this issue, before returning to Simon.

Do you or do you not acknowledge that the believers in 1Cor 11 were true saints, some of whom had been chastised with sickness and some of whom had even been chastised with death? Yes? or No? or Explain...

 

O.K. rj you've got me on the ropes on that issue. "and many sleep" has been on my mind for a long time. I'll have to give it some study and get back to you.

But I think the issue on Simon is fairly settled.