1Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.2Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him.3But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison 4Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.

5Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them.6The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing.

 7For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed.8So there was much rejoicing in that city.

9Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great;10and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, "This man is what is called the Great Power of God."11And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts.12But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.

Ferguson on Magic__The word magic (mageia; Acts 8:11; cf 8:9) is derived from the name of a Persian priestly tribe and was borrowed as a loanword in Greek (magos). We recognize the word as used in "magi" or even Simon Magus.

13Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed.

From Ferguson__The church fathers traced Gnostic heresies back to Simon Magus in Samaria. However, there were non-Christian ideas about Gnosticism so the question becomes did the Christians borrow those ideas. Nevertheless, many of the new texts can be interpreted in a manner consistent with the church fathers view of Gnosticism as a Christian heresy with roots in speculative thought, even if not a "Hellenization" of Christianity. In dealing with the genesis of Gnostic origins it is perhaps well to observe a distinction between Gnosis and Gnosticism. If we take Gnosis to be the wider atmosphere of ideas, we then reserved Gnosticism for the developed systems of the 2nd century and later__even modern Evangelical thought.

Ferguson__The false teachings in the NT books bear similarities to the Gnosticism combated in the 2nd century. As stated above, Simon Magus in Acts the 8th chapter was made by later church writers the arch-heretic from which all later heresy derived. Acts presents nothing distinctively Gnostic about him, but may not tell the whole story. If the church fathers claim is not totally artificial, Simon's followers may have moved in a Gnostic direction, or later church writers may have confused him with a gnostic Simon. Colossians and the Pastoral Epistles oppose errorists who served angelic mediators, practiced asceticism, had secret teachings and claimed a knowledge and denied Christian doctrine on creation and the resurrection. 1st Tim. 6:20 even refers to "gnosis" falsely so-called. In almost every NT book we find the inspired writers opposed Gnostic thought.

 14Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John,15who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.16For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.17Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit."25So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

18Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,19saying, "Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."20But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!21"You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.22"Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you.23"For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity."24But Simon answered and said, "Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.

μετα-νοέω (meta-noeō, 3340), -ῶ; fut. μετανοήσω; 1 aor.μετενόησα; fr. [Antipho], Xen. down; Sept. several times forנִחַם; to change one's mind, i. e. to repent (to feel sorry that one has done this or that, Jon. iii. 9), of having offended some one, Lk. xvii. 3 sq.; with ἐπί τινι added (dat. of the wrong, Hebr. עַל,Am. vii. 3; Joel ii. 13; Jon. iii. 10; iv. 2), of (on account of) something (so Lat. me paenitet alicujus rei), 2 Co. xii. 21; used esp. of those who, conscious of their sins and with manifest tokens of sorrow, are intent on obtaining God's pardon; to repent (Lat. paenitentiam agere): μετανοῶ ἐν σάκκῳ καὶσποδῷ, clothed in sackcloth and besprinkled with ashes, Mt. xi. 21; Lk. x. 13. to change one's mind for the better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins: Mt. iii. 2; iv. 17; Mk. i. 15, (cf. Mt. iii. 6 ἐξομολογούμενοι. τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν; ib. 8 and Lk. iii. 8 καρποὺς ἀξίους τῆς μετανοίας, i. e. conduct worthy of a heart changed and abhorring sin); [Mt. xi. 20; Mk. vi. 12]; Lk. xiii. 3, 5; xv. 7, 10; xvi. 30; Acts ii. 38; iii. 19; xvii. 30; Rev. ii. 5, 16; iii. 3, 19; on the phrase μετανοεῖν εἰς τὸ κήρυγμά τινος, Mt. xii. 41 and Lk. xi. 32, see εἰς, Β. II. 2 d.; [W. 397 (371)]. Since τὸ μετανοεῖν expresses mental direction, the termini from which and to which may be specified:ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας, to withdraw or turn one's soul from, etc. [cf. W. 622 (577); esp. B. 322 (277)], Acts viii. 22; ἔκ τινος, Rev. ii. 21 sq.; ix. 20 sq.; xvi. 11 (see ἐκ, I. 6; [cf. B. 327 (281), and W. u. s.]); μετανοεῖν κ. ἐπιστρέφειν ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν, Acts xxvi. 20; foll. by an inf. indicating purpose [W. 318 (298)], Rev. xvi. 9. [Syn. see μεταμέλομαι.] [This definition cites every instance of this word in the Greek NT.]

26But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.)

27So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.

 29Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot."

 30Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

 31And he said, "Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

 32Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:
         "HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER;
         AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT,
         SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH. 

  33"IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY;
         WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION?
         FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH."

 34The eunuch answered Philip and said, "Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?"

 35Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.

 36As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?"

 37[And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."]

 38And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.

 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.40But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea