Simon the sorceror

“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.’” Acts 8:18-19
In Acts 8 we see the work of God through Philip, and later Peter, in the city of Samaria. We also encounter a man called Simon, who was a prominent figure in the city because of his abilities as a sorceror. When Philip preached the gospel, many people believed, and we read that “Simon himself believed and was baptised. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw” (Acts 8:13). When the church in Jerusalem heard about all this, they sent Peter and John to them. They prayed for the people to receive the Holy Spirit, and when Simon saw this (the receiving of the Holy Spirit obviously being physically manifested somehow, perhaps through speaking in tongues), he offered them money so that he might be able to do the same thing.
But Peter rebuked him. What he was doing was sin. Peter clearly received some special insight from the Holy Spirit into what was in Simon’s heart, because he says, “For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin” (Acts 8:23).
It would make sense on a human level that Simon was jealous and bitter – he was no longer the star attraction. Those who had followed him, calling him “the Great Power” (Acts 8:10), were now following Philip and the other apostles. To try and get back into the limelight, Simon did what all magicians did, both then and now: he offered to buy this ‘trick’ from the apostles. But the gifts of the Spirit cannot be bought.
I don’t know whether Simon was saved or not. We read that he believed (Acts 8:13), but when Peter told him to repent of his wickedness (Acts 8:22), Simon asked Peter to pray for him – he didn’t pray for himself (Acts 8:24).