¹⁸ Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, ¹⁹ saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” ²⁰ But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! ²¹ You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. ²² Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. ²³ For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” ²⁴ And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.” (Acts 8:18-24, Emphasis added)

We don’t have magicians today. We’re too sophisticated. We’re scientifically minded. So, we have no need to worry about modern day Simons! Or do we? Are there people today who would attempt to use monetary power to gain the ability to impart the gifts of God?

If we learn nothing else from Simon’s wickedness, we should learn that the desire for power, transcendent power, runs deep and is corrupting. Simon thought he might purchase such power; that it could be obtained by trading what represents human power for it. Simon attempted to commodify the gifts of God. Commodification is the act of turning something into a commodity so it can be bought or sold. Human trafficking is the commodification of human life. Simon wanted to buy the power to impart the Spirit of life to people.

Are there people today who would attempt to use monetary power to gain the ability to impart the gifts of God?

In the Medieval Church

One of the ways this has been done in the church historically eventually led to the Protestant Reformation. The “Church” had begun selling indulgences. This allowed people to “purchase” repentance and hence forgiveness.

As heirs of the Protestant Reformation, most of us see the problems with the practice of selling indulgences. To be clear, though, Catholic church leaders were careful not to explicitly say that people were buying deliverance from purgatory, but it was understood they could exchange money or lands for deliverance, salvation from suffering after death. In its earlier forms, it was more mercenary. In order to recruit soldiers to go take Jerusalem away from the Muslims and Jews, people were guaranteed that if they died on crusade, they would be granted immediate entrance into heaven.[1]

I wonder if we protestants have gone down similar paths.

As heirs of the Protestant Reformation, most of us see the problems with the practice of selling indulgences. But I wonder if we protestants have gone down similar paths.

Modern Indulgences

There is little difference between the selling of indulgences and a more modern practice of sending prayer clothes or sending your prayer request with your donation to be prayed for by the special minister (who is evidently closer to God than the donor). Less obvious are the spiritual blessings promised if you go on a trip to the Holy Land (minus the mercenary killing of course). All the while you are also paying for the trip organizer’s trip as their incentive to recruit you. Of course, there is nothing wrong with going to Israel (not a holy land) motivated by a variety of interests. But the hawking of spiritual blessings or implied experiences by those selling the opportunity is wrong.

The problems with these are hopefully obvious. But what about the less obvious ways in which charismatic leaders such as Simon attempt to commodify the things of God? I fear there may be far more enticing ways in which religion in general and the Gospel itself might be commodified: turned into a product to be traded.

I fear there may be far more enticing ways in which religion in general and the Gospel itself might be commodified: turned into a product to be traded.

Universal Yearning for Transcendence

J.H. Bavinck, a Dutch pastor, missionary, and theologian wrote at length about what is often called the universal religious experience. In its simplest form, it states that religion is a universal constant across every culture. Bavinck helpfully gives much more clarity to what we know about cultures and civilizations by describing what he calls five magnetic points of this universal religious consciousness:

• a sense of belonging to a whole or an awareness of a cosmic relationship,
• a sense of transcendent norms,
• a sense of being governed by a providential or destining power,
• a recognition for a need for deliverance,
• a sense of relatedness to a superior or supreme power.

One word that captures the essence (or at least an essence) of all of these is transcendence. More specifically, a yearning to connect with the transcendent.

Bavinck recognized that in our modern, scientific and technological age, this yearning for the transcendent was changing. He thought T.S. Elliott was at least partly correct to say that “Men have left God not for other gods, …but for no God: and this has never happened before.”[2]

On the other hand, as G. K. Chesterton quipped, “When men stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing; they believe in anything.” In other words, they haven’t stopped yearning for the transcendent, they’ve simply begun searching for it in even the most absurd places: in existential experiences often made possible by modern technology, or in a human greatness made possible by mass media communications or social media. Examples could abound.

“When men stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing; they believe in anything.” – G. K. Chesterton

Commodifying Transcendence

What does this have to do with the commodification of the Gospel? After all, those who have rejected God aren’t buying into a commodified Gospel. True enough. However, those in the church, those still openly seeking to connect with the transcendent, even the truly Transcendent One in Jesus Christ, might still be duped into counterfeit versions of transcendence. Modern day Simon’s still try to buy the ability to offer such transcendence to people.

What might such counterfeit versions look like today? How have technology and media enabled people, even those using the Gospel, to forsake the humble ways of the cross, personal sacrifice, visiting the sick or those in prison, clothing the naked and feeding the hungry, and still achieve a sense of connection to the transcendent? Have mood lighting, smoke machines, and sound systems replaced hearts bowed humbly before God in Christ and speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs? Have conferences with nationally known speakers replaced local churches with humble servants as ways for the Gospel to transform one’s life? Is Gospel transformation now a commodity for those with the means to travel, obtain lodging, and enough leisure?

As long as churches can continue to offer satisfaction (whether real or false) to quench the human longing for transcendence, they will continue to grow. Despite this, those who are raised with transcendent experiences produced by human means will likely find that such commodified transcendence is also available in various other means. And these alternative means require little or no religion at all and certainly have no moral requirements.

In an age when people are increasingly disconnected from relationships (despite virtually universal access to communication devices) and starved for authentic relationships, one wonders why believers and seekers flock to “mega-churches”. Maybe it’s because they offer a more tangible sense of the transcendent, whether authentic or manufactured.

How have technology and media enabled people, even those using the Gospel, to forsake the humble ways of the cross and still achieve a sense of connection to the transcendent?

Conclusion

One of three reasons young people raised in the church cite for leaving the church is a lack of authentic relationships. As long as the transcendence which the church offers is no different than that offered by the world (whether a concert or someone famous who has achieved a seemingly superhuman status), then what the church offers can be easily replaced by the world. But if we have authentic relationships, complete with offenses and forgiveness, offering a real family to the lonely, we won’t have to compete on the playing field of technology (a competition we are sure to lose).

All the while, the authentic, non-commodified Gospel will continue to draw His people to know God from the least to the greatest (Heb. 8:11); to know and be known.

[1] Diarmaid MacCulloch. Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years. 384.

[2] This quote and the above content is from the Introduction to The J. H. Bavinck Reader. For those desiring a significantly deeper dive into the subject, that reader is a very worthwhile investment of time and resources.

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