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The text begins with Moses' proclamation that God is "a consuming fire" (Deuteronomy 4:24), Simon wove together this concept with Heraclitus' philosophy, which posited fire as the fundamental element of all existence. Simon referred to this foundational element as an "endless power" (δύνμις ἀπέραντος), and proposed that it resides within human beings, who are created of flesh and blood. However, Simon argued that fire was not as simple as commonly perceived, in a manner akin to the Stoics, and Zoroastrians, he imagined it as an entity with intelligence.
From this eternal entity emanated the created universe that we are familiar with, structured with six foundational elements or roots, each having an internal and external aspect, paired as such: mind and intention (νοῦς and ἐπίνοια) equating to heaven and earth; voice and name (φωνή and ὄνομα) to the sun and moon; reasoning and reflection (λογισμός and ἐνθύμησις) to air and water. These six roots were also termed as six powers. Interwoven with all was the supreme "endless power," which is described as "that which is, was, and will be." This power held the potential within every human being and could unfold to its vast extent. The insignificant could become significant, and the minute could expand endlessly.
Simon taught that this minute essence within the body, known only to the spiritually attuned, was akin to the Kingdom of Heaven, and comparable to the mustard seed's potential for growth. It is within our capacity to cultivate this essence, and it is this very potential that the phrase "that we may not be condemned with the world" (1 Corinthians 11:32) alludes to. For if one does not actualize this divine likeness within oneself, it perishes with the physical demise. Simon warned, echoing the biblical sentiment, that the unproductive tree is destined to be hewn down and cast into the flames.
Simon Magus would later be heavily opposed by the Orthodoxy that began to emerge in the latter half of the 2nd century, with writers like Irenaeus, Hippolytus and Justin Martyr claiming that Simon met his demise in a horrible way, however, these stories about his demise in the Church are conflicting and don't make a lot of sense.
For instance, a text known as "Acts of Peter" which was written around the 3rd century depicts Peter as the main protagonists leading the Church of Rome and being opposed by Simon Magus, who is depicted as the main antagonist. This text seems to be more reflective of a deeper layer that consists of the early Christian Schizm between the Gnostics and Orthodoxy of that time period. In this text, taking place during the reign of Nero, Simon Magus and Simon Peter have a magic deul in which Simon Magus shows he is capable of levitation and flies high into the sky. Peter, resonds with his own cast of magic as he strikes Simon Magus down from the sky and instantly kills him.
In another source by Hippolytus, Simon Magus was in Rome with both Paul and Peter and was very succesful in swaying people over by his magic arts. Peter and Paul both reject him and he then leaves Rome and goes back to Samaria, where he tried to prove to the Samaritans that he is the Christ, by having himself buried with the promise that he would be raised up on the 3rd day. Simon Magus never gets raised up and thus meets his end.
A 3rd century text called "Pseudo-Clementines", similar to the Acts of Peter, gives a legend about Clement of Rome and Peter as the main protagonists against Simon Magus. In this text, it is during the reign of Claudius that Simon Magus was opposed by Peter and after losing many magical duels, jumped off a tall building to his own death. This story can't even be true because Clement would of been less than 10 years old during the riegn of Claudius.
All 3 of these legends about his demise in Rome conflict with one another, and Justin Martyr relates that Simon Magus was rejected by Peter and Paul in Samaria, before ever going to Rome at all. If that was the case, why would Simon Magus be welcomed in Rome by the Church, let alone by Peter. The Book of Acts gives no such account of Simon's demise. The book of Acts leaves Simon Magus on a postiive note, as one of the earliest disciples to be baptized by Philp and attain the Holy Spirit by Peter Himself. That would be such a high degree of salvation that rendering him a heretic would make the Holy Spirit and baptism useless. Some Christians today might point to Simon's sorcery and his attempt to buy the Holy Spirit with money as a clear sign that he was always a heretic and should be rejected as such.
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