Well, let’s study that belief for a minute. If you look in Matthew, chapter 26, and verse 28—let me start in verse 27 just so you will understand the situation—Matthew 26:27-29: “Then He [Jesus] took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many FOR the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father’s kingdom.’” The phrase there that Jesus uses, “FOR the forgiveness of sins,” is the exact same phrase, even in the original Greek transcripts, to the phrase that Peter uses about baptism in Acts 2:38, that we are baptized “FOR the forgiveness of your sins.” How foolish would it be to read here in Matthew where Jesus is talking about dying, about shedding His blood FOR the forgiveness of sins, and to think, “Oh, He is just saying, ‘I’m going to shed My blood because you have already been forgiven.” [In other words, why would Jesus die FOR the forgiveness of the sins of people who are already forgiven?] That makes so little sense that it is hard to even think about, isn’t it? We are baptized FOR [to receive] the forgiveness of sins. And so, in our story about Simon, many people were being baptized FOR the forgiveness of sins. Simon himself was baptized FOR the forgiveness of sins.

And Simon the Sorcerer believes because he sees these true signs and miracles that are happening. He knows the difference between true signs and miracles that he sees the apostles doing, and his own “magic” and tricks. He is not easily fooled [because he already knows how to fool people with magic and sorcery]. We see in verse 13, “Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles that he saw.”

What were signs and miracles for? What was their purpose? Well, we’re told in at least two places [in the Scriptures] about the purpose of signs and miracles. First, in Mark 16, and verse 20, we’re told, “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and CONFIRMED His Word by the signs that accompanied it.” The signs and the wonders and the miracles were to CONFIRM THE WORD! Second, we are told in Acts 14, and verse 3,…Paul and Barnabas are in the city of Iconium…“So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who CONFIRMED the message of His grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.” And these signs and wonders had that effect, even on Simon—even on someone who made his living by “amazing the people.”

Well, we no longer need the signs, and the miracles and the wonders. We have the Word! The Word is finished [in its written form in the Bible]. As we read the Bible, we can look in history and see and read about the wonders and the miracles that happened. We can see that at times even enemies of Christ said that they couldn’t deny the fact that a miraculous sign or wonder had happened, [Acts 4:16].

And how was the power to perform signs and wonders and miracles given from one person to another? How did someone receive the power to do these things? Well, we’re told there in verse 18 of our story—this is Acts 8:18-19—“When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, ‘Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’” So the “laying on of the apostles’ hands” was how people got the ability to do the signs and the wonders.

But do we have apostles today? I guess there are some groups of people today who think that there are apostles today. Let’s study that from God’s Word. (I really like the fact that we are using the book of Acts for our Scripture readings on Sunday nights now. What a wonderful book to study.)

The last apostle to be added was Matthias. We read about him tonight [in our Scripture reading before the sermon began - Acts 1:23-26]. Well, why was he added? Why not just go on with the work with the remaining eleven apostles [Judas having hanged himself after betraying Jesus]? Well, he was added to fulfill Scripture. We’re told that in Acts 1, and verse 20. “‘For,’ said Peter, ‘it is written in the book of Psalms,

“‘May his place be deserted;
let there be no one to dwell in it,’
and,
‘May another take his place of leadership.’”

And so they decided that they needed to fill that position that Judas left vacant.

So, what are the qualifications for an apostle? Could you have an apostle today? Well, let’s read on. The next two verses tell us the qualifications for an apostle-Acts 1:21-22: “Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” Well, can you have a person today who has lived from the time of the baptism of John? Are there people today who got to see Jesus and be a witness to His resurrection? No, we don’t have anyone that old today! So we can’t have apostles today. And we can’t have these miraculous signs and wonders being passed on from person to person because they were only passed on from the apostles’ hands!