Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.
No man will repent unless he believes God will have mercy on him; despair drives men to boldness, not contrition. Peter throws Simon down with rebuke, then sets him on his feet with hope of pardon, for we must snatch even the most wicked from the brink until they prove themselves reprobate. The word "perhaps" stirs him to earnestness in prayer, not leaves him in doubt.
AI summary
God had wonderfully owned Philip in his work as an evangelist at Samaria, but he could do no more than an evangelist; there were some peculiar powers reserved to the apostles, for the keeping up of the dignity of their office, and here we have an account of what was done by two of them there - Peter and John.
Commenting on Acts 8:14-25
You are nothing but a mass of bitter gall and a bundle of sin, held fast in the bonds of iniquity. The root of the matter is not in you; instead of grace, there is only the poisonous root of sin, bearing gall and wormwood, nauseous and disagreeable in every way.
AI summary