Charles Ellicott Commentary Acts 8:13

"And Simon also himself believed: and being baptized, he continued with Philip; and beholding signs and great miracles wrought, he was amazed." — Acts 8:13 (ASV)

Then Simon himself believed also.—Endless questions have been raised regarding the nature of such a faith and the effect of such a baptism. It is probable enough that he was impressed by the signs that Philip performed; that he felt himself in the presence of a Power above his own; that he accepted Philip’s statements concerning the death and resurrection of the Christ.

It was such a faith as that of which James speaks (James 2:14; James 2:19). If we are to use the definite language of theological science, it would be true to say that he had the fides informis, faith not preceded by repentance and not perfected by love. And baptism, in such a case, the expressed or implied conditions being absent, brought with it no new birth to a higher life. He remained still in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity (Acts 8:23).

But even for him, it bore its witness of the readiness of God to forgive and to regenerate. The subsequent fulfillment of the conditions which were then absent would have activated the potential into an actual grace, and no second baptism would have been needed to supplement the shortcomings of the first. Peter calls on him (Acts 8:22) to repent and pray for forgiveness. He does not tell him that he must be baptized again.

And wondered.—The verb is the same as that translated “bewitched” in Acts 8:9; Acts 8:11. The tables were turned. The magician yielded to a spell more powerful than his own and was, in his turn, overcome with amazement. The difference between Simon and the believing Samaritans is, in this matter, suggestive. His faith rested on outward miracles. With them, the miracles only served to confirm a faith which rested on the prophetic word as spoken by the Son of Man (John 4:42).