What does Acts 8:21 reveal about the condition of Simon's heart?

Text of Acts 8:21

“You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.”

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Immediate Context

• Simon the former sorcerer had professed belief and was baptized (8:13).

• Seeing the apostles impart the Spirit through laying on of hands, he offered them money for that ability (8:18-19).

• Peter rebuked him sharply in vv. 20-23, exposing the true state of his inner life.

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Key Phrases and Their Meaning

• “No part or share” – total exclusion from apostolic fellowship and divine work (cf. Deuteronomy 12:12; Psalm 50:16-17).

• “This ministry” – the Spirit-empowered service of the gospel, not merely a human office.

• “Your heart is not right” – literally “straight” or “straightforward”; his motives were crooked, self-seeking, and therefore unacceptable to God (Proverbs 21:2).

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What We Learn About Simon’s Heart

• Unsurrendered Motive

– He sought spiritual power for personal glory and profit (Matthew 6:24; 1 Timothy 6:10).

• Hypocrisy Behind Profession

– Though baptized, his inner life remained unchanged (Matthew 15:8; Ezekiel 33:31).

• Spiritual Blindness

– He valued the gift above the Giver, revealing a heart still darkened (Ephesians 4:18).

• Bondage to Iniquity

– Peter later says he is “in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity” (8:23), confirming ongoing captivity to sin (Romans 6:16).

• Need for Repentance, Not Ritual

– External acts never substitute for genuine heart repentance (Psalm 51:16-17; Acts 3:19).

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Why This Matters for Us Today

• God discerns the heart, not merely the outward confession (1 Samuel 16:7; Hebrews 4:13).

• Desire for position, power, or recognition in ministry still exposes an unconverted or wayward heart (Jeremiah 17:9; James 3:14-16).

• True participation in gospel work flows from a cleansed, humble, Spirit-filled heart (Psalm 51:10; Acts 15:9).

• The passage warns believers to guard motivation and pursue continual repentance so our service remains “right before God” (Proverbs 4:23; 2 Corinthians 7:1).