True Transformation

Jesus told the disciples that they would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Acts 8:5 states, “Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there.” Philip was, in effect, the first evangelist and missionary of the Church. As a result of Philip’s ministry, Peter and John (who in Luke 9:51-56 wanted to call down fire from heaven on a Samaritan village) came to Samaria to pray for the people to receive the Holy Spirit and then preached the gospel in many Samaritan villages. There was a true transformation in the attitude and ministry of the apostles. Acts 8 also describes the supposed transformation of Simon the sorcerer. Simon’s subsequent behavior and Peter’s rebuke of him provide a warning to us about the motivations and condition of our hearts.