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Acts 8:20

Made Simple — Modern English Translation

Translated by Verse Made Simple Editorial
KJV ORIGINAL
But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE

But Peter was like, 'Keep your money and lose it all, because you actually thought you could buy God's gifts with cash.'

⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE

God's gifts aren't for sale, you can't Venmo your way into his blessings.

📚 Historical Context

In the Book of Acts, the early church was growing rapidly as apostles like Philip preached the gospel in regions like Samaria, where people were converting to Christianity. Simon, a magician who had previously dazzled crowds with his sorcery, became a believer but then tried to buy the ability to confer the Holy Spirit from Peter and John, who had come to Samaria to pray for new believers. Peter's strong rebuke reflects the cultural context of the time, where magic and spiritual manipulation were common, and emphasizes that God's gifts cannot be commodified.

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