KunleOshob:

I describe myself as non-denominational even though I fellowship with a group of believers who are sincerely seeking the truth. My christian beliefs are based purely on the direct teachings of our lord Jesus christ and the principles of Love he established. I also derive knowledge from the writings of the apostles for doctrine. I take the old terstament with a pinch of salt cos a lot of things in it are not relevant to christianity, it is an old way that has been replaced with a new covenant even though some preachers appeal to it when it favours them. In all I don't believe in church denominations becos it goes directly against clear scriptural instructions. I also believe that the overwhelming majority of churches today (at least in Nigeria) have deviated from true christianity to a man made variant of it which I consider as false religion.

well said! only brain washed du mb a s s e s will pick issue with the above line of thought

I am a Christian. As such, as a one off I am able to 'fellowship' at almost any gathering of professing Christians. When it comes to regular fellowship, my inclination is to attend the "church" most local to wherever I might be living or staying. However, in such event, my first preference will be a "church" in the Anglican tradition --- for various reasons and despite its shortcomings including debates over ordination of women, controversies over gay priests et al.


@InesQor

How bodi?

I'm pretty sure a Nairaland poster is your brother ---- and I think the same of another poster as well.

Enigma:

@InesQor

How bodi?

I'm pretty sure a Nairaland poster is your brother ---- and I think the same of another poster as well.

LOL I dey o, my brother! Howz the family? I havent been here in over a month now. SMH.

Err. . ., well, yes my brother is on NL. But no, not the one I spoke of above. And also, his account is very inactive at the moment. He was a regular NLer like two to three years ago; and he hardly ever came on the religion section. You are probably thinking about someone else. . .

Good to see you again, sir!

'Sup InesqQor

I'm pretty sure about the first one; I'm still hedging on the second poster. lol 

PS

Hope you are keeping well ---- don't get snowed under by work. A break from here does a lot of good sometimes. I stayed away once, just peeping in occasionally, for several months!

EDITED

Obviously, the True church is marching on and as it was said and written "The gates of hell will not prevail against it". That is an institution that is not known for numbers or popularity but for the choices made by its members.

What I find most amazing though about the concept of hell is that satan fights more against the church from within than from without. Jesus and the Apostles repeatedly informed us of such as "Satan is himself revealed as an angel of light", "false prophets and christs" etc.

Why is it so difficult for people to understand that it is insidious teachings and alternative gospels that will form the bulwark of such satanic activity inside religion and will be directed against the church. A warning as dire as Christ Himself saying "even the very elect will be almost deceived" and that "they will come saying we did great things in your name only to be told I never knew you" should be taken as extremely serious and to be kept in mind. Yet what people want is a "Superstar" who has oratory powers, can make them feel good, covers his lies and deceit with religious postulations, tells them to believe and they will prosper and thats it - they've found their solution and their Christ.

Crazy people arise saying they know more than Christ, are greater than Abraham, Moses and Elijah (who are watching them with 2B exercise books taking notes on how to live the kingdom life) and can actually say that some apostles knew very little/nothing. Where Christ lived a modest life, these live life to the full complete with all the trappings of wealth and excessive luxury.

Where the Word says "field based" missionaries (who have left ALL for His work) have right to live off the gospel, these sit in the finest seats in cities claiming they are busier than Christ, Paul, Peter and thus cannot do any work and thus live off the work of their congregations. What are they busy doing? Watching Beyonce and Shakira's "butts" and hoping to "do them" as one of them just informed us is a lifelong ambition he knows will not be realised. Well, at least, he has a 400 million Naira air-conditioning system!

Na wa O. But God's day is coming! And it won't be funny!

hmmmm so they are even adding to the scriptures now? God have mercy!

^^ why don't you go praise oyakilome on your night of bliss thread or buy a car or kabash or whatever it is of those things that matter that you use to re-assure yourself you are prospering in your VISION?

Your presence and actions here are giving too much away, you know - you're making it blatantly obvious true believers are a problem for you.

Born into a non-denominational family and i have been that way ever since. Throughout my teenage yrs i never truly considered salvation as anything important (of course i knew i didnt want to go to hell) perhaps because by the time i was 8 i knew the bible almost inside out and there was very little you could tell me that i wouldnt at least have an idea about. I went to church because daddy took us every sunday, i totally disliked midweek bible studies and would feign malaria just to get out of it, joined in family altar 2ce a day minimum . . .

By the time i became independent in college, i went the complete 360! But God has been faithful even when i havent, sometimes i wonder why He chooses to persist with an unstable creature such as me but i believe its because He has something precious in store for me. I dont conform to any particular church "doctrine" as i believe the bible should be dealt with in a no-holds-barred fashion. Any church i get into, so long as the LORD CHRIST is preached with all sincerity . . . count me in!

@Enigma: LOL thanks bro. I cant tell, but you may be right about my brother. If you want, sir, you can email me inesqor(at)yah00(dot)c0m.

InesQor:

@Enigma: LOL thanks bro. I cant tell, but you may be right about my brother. If you want, sir, you can email me [. . .]

^^Welcome back bro! Missed you. Now if only Viaro would return. . .

nuclearboy:

What I find most amazing though about the concept of hell is that satan fights more against the church from within than from without. Jesus and the Apostles repeatedly informed us of such as "Satan is himself revealed as an angel of light", "false prophets and christs" etc.

Why is it so difficult for people to understand that it is insidious teachings and alternative gospels that will form the bulwark of such satanic activity inside religion and will be directed against the church. A warning as dire as Christ Himself saying "even the very elect will be almost deceived" and that "they will come saying we did great things in your name only to be told I never knew you" should be taken as extremely serious and to be kept in mind.

^^^Sending over some stuff I came across in my research by email. You will find it interesting!

Will eagerly await the stuff. I hope twill be stuff that can illuminate some paths on NL

@aletheia: Brother!!! Hope you're good? Yes its been a while, truly. As for Viaro, he has really gotten very busy recently. Plus. . . he, just like myself, is conquering the NL addiction. hehehe. He will return soon but I dont know when!

@nuclearboy: Egbon, twale!. . . I throway salute o!

@Aletheia:

Got it thanks! Simon the Rock versus Simon the Priest. Interesting that nothing truly is new under the sun.

@Inesqor:

You know we all missed you. You guys ought not leave NL to the self acclaimed angels and gods O. Some claims have been made in your absence that will make you feel like you were tested by the electric chair for half a sec. Check "joagbaje come defend your paul james , " thread for a sampling

nuclearboy:

Got it thanks! Simon the Rock versus Simon the Priest. Interesting that nothing truly is new under the sun.

May l see it please.

Thanks
TV

Wad up?  What of me, you are not interested in my story? Don't you want to know how I became god?

TV01:


May l see it please.

Thanks
TV

@TV01

Excerpt! . . .

This is a great expose by the late Dr. E.L. Martin. It documents the true history of the Samaritans, the meaning of the word "peter" in the ancient world and the "church" that was established at Rome by Simon the Sorcerer.

---

Acts 8:9-24 NIV:
 
⁹Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,

¹⁰and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power."

¹¹They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic.

¹²But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

¹³Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

¹⁴When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.

¹⁵When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,

¹⁶because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁷Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money

¹⁹and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

²⁰Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!

²¹You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.

²²Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.

²³For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin."

²⁴Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me."

---

Right from the very beginning, Satan had his counterfeit "messiah" operating right in the true Messiah's backyard. His name was Simon Magus or Simon the Sorcerer and this man, and not Simon Peter the Apostle, went on to found the Universal Roman "church." His career was the history of Roman Catholicism in miniature. For a long time he bewitched the people with his false miracles. Since the year 800 A.D., Rome has bewitched the world with her false miracles of transubstantiation.

Simon believed and was baptized. Outwardly he was a Christian but his belief was only superficial and he was still a pagan at heart. He coveted the apostolic office and saw the opportunity of using  Christianity to make money — a business corporation masquerading as the church of Christ!!

From Simon Magus we get the word simony which means to buy a religious office with money.

After his encounter with St. Peter, this magician went to Rome and by tricks and false miracles established a "Christian church" in that city. This man can truly be considered as the first of the age long dynasty of Popes — many coming in Christ's name and deceiving many (Matt. 25:5) . . .

More?

Click link http://www.reformation.org/simon_peter_versus_simon_magus.html

Intresting. . . . So, 1.2 billion catholics are hell fire bound? ? . . . . . Chukwudi where art thou? ?

e36991:

@TV01

Excerpt! . . .

This is a great expose by the late Dr. E.L. Martin. It documents the true history of the Samaritans, the meaning of the word "peter" in the ancient world and the "church" that was established at Rome by Simon the Sorcerer.

---

[/size]

---

Right from the very beginning, Satan had his counterfeit "messiah" operating right in the true Messiah's backyard. His name was Simon Magus or Simon the Sorcerer and this man, and not Simon Peter the Apostle, went on to found the Universal Roman "church." His career was the history of Roman Catholicism in miniature. For a long time he bewitched the people with his false miracles. Since the year 800 A.D., Rome has bewitched the world with her false miracles of transubstantiation.

Simon believed and was baptized. Outwardly he was a Christian but his belief was only superficial and he was still a pagan at heart. He coveted the apostolic office and saw the opportunity of using  Christianity to make money — a business corporation masquerading as the church of Christ!!

From Simon Magus we get the word simony which means to buy a religious office with money.

After his encounter with St. Peter, this magician went to Rome and by tricks and false miracles established a "Christian church" in that city. This man can truly be considered as the first of the age long dynasty of Popes — many coming in Christ's name and deceiving many (Matt. 25:5) . . .

More?

Click link http://www.reformation.org/simon_peter_versus_simon_magus.html

TV01:

May l see it please.
Thanks
TV

^^e36991 has provided the link. Interesting and no doubt controversial.

Just passing by and wish to salute birds of the same feather and their posting in this thread led by nuclear the BOY. Laughs.

This is a great expose by the late Dr. E.L. Martin. It documents the true history of the Samaritans, the meaning of the word "peter" in the ancient world and the "church" that was established at Rome by Simon the Sorcerer.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[/size]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Right from the very beginning, Satan had his counterfeit "messiah" operating right in the true Messiah's backyard. His name was Simon Magus or Simon the Sorcerer and this man, and not Simon Peter the Apostle, went on to found the Universal Roman "church." His career was the history of Roman Catholicism in miniature. For a long time he bewitched the people with his false miracles. Since the year 800 A.D., Rome has bewitched the world with her false miracles of transubstantiation.

Simon believed and was baptized. Outwardly he was a Christian but his belief was only superficial and he was still a pagan at heart. He coveted the apostolic office and saw the opportunity of using  Christianity to make money — a business corporation masquerading as the church of Christ!!

From Simon Magus we get the word simony which means to buy a religious office with money.

After his encounter with St. Peter, this magician went to Rome and by tricks and false miracles established a "Christian church" in that city. This man can truly be considered as the first of the age long dynasty of Popes — many coming in Christ's name and deceiving many (Matt. 25:5) . . .

This post is so puerile that I don't even know how to attack it ?

It is far too late in this modern age of inormation technolgy to rewrite history.

The link even goes to quote from  a 2nd century Roman catholic saint Justin Matyr

When Justin Martyr wrote [152 A.D.] his Apology, the sect of the Simonians appears to have been formidable, for he speaks four times of their founder, Simon; and we need not doubt that he identified him with the Simon of the Acts. He states that he was a Samaritan, adding that his birthplace was a village called Gitta; he describes him as a formidable magician, and tells that he came to ROME in the days of Claudius Caesar (45 A.D.), and made such an impression by his magical powers, THAT HE WAS HONORED AS A GOD, a statue being erected to him on the Tiber, between the two bridges, bearing the inscription ‘Simoni deo Sancto’ (i.e., the holy god Simon)" Dictionary of Christian Biography,


for information on simon magnus see the link below

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Magus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simonians

chukwudi44:

The link even goes to quote from  a 2nd century Roman catholic saint Justin Matyr

When Justin Martyr wrote [152 A.D.] his Apology, the sect of the Simonians appears to have been formidable, for he speaks four times of their founder, Simon; and we need not doubt that he identified him with the Simon of the Acts. He states that he was a Samaritan, adding that his birthplace was a village called Gitta; he describes him as a formidable magician, and tells that he came to ROME in the days of Claudius Caesar (45 A.D.), and made such an impression by his magical powers, THAT HE WAS HONORED AS A GOD, a statue being erected to him on the Tiber, between the two bridges, bearing the inscription ‘Simoni deo Sancto’ (i.e., the holy god Simon)" Dictionary of Christian Biography,

^^I think you should have been just a little bit more patient before posting. The above post is in agreement with the article you claim to denounce so what are you actually saying?

chukwudi44:

for information on simon magnus see the link below

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Magus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simonians

^^Not sure you read the entries from wikipedia (not a very credible source any way in matters historical). Your first link after iterating various stories concerning Simon Magus then tries to identify him as Apostle Paul.

Wikipedia: Notably, Simon Magus is sometimes described in apocryphal legends in terms that would fit Paul, most significantly in the previously mentioned Clementine Recognitions and Homilies. It is contended that the common source of these documents may be as early as the 1st century, and must have consisted in a polemic against Paul, emanating from the Jewish side of Christianity. Paul being thus identified with Simon, it was argued that Simon's visit to Rome had no other basis than Paul's presence there, and, further, that the tradition of Peter's residence in Rome rests on the assumed necessity of his resisting the arch-enemy of Judaism there as elsewhere.

Astounding! Are you here claiming that is your view?

EDITED

MODAMO! ! ! ! ! !

@Chukwudi44:

As much as I respect your obvious grounding in the scriptures, this propensity to support the RCC no matter what is disconcerting. I personally do not believe any Christian "group" or denomination is all headed for hellfire or perdition or whatever. Christianity is an individual race, not a world cup where it becomes nations against themselves. I am a Nigerian but if a particular Nigerian is found crooked, so be it - his problem. And all of us regularly complain about the historical makeup of Nigeria - does that condemn it to hell? Why not ever accept that somethings could have gone wrong in the past concerning the RCC and CONCENTRATE on redeeming it now?

You'd do more good to your church thus plus I thought you were to worship Christ not the church!

@Ogoamaka:

The people here worship God, not pulpits. Don;t let the door hit you in the back on your way to worship "whoever's turn it is this week" amongst oyakilome, oyedepo, hinn, signboards etc

Hello Joagbaje:

Yes, twill be nice to know how you became God. Unfortunately, this thread is for us lowly Christians and not for "Gods" like you. I'm opening a thread for you to illuminate us on your Godship and how we may strive towards such.

Oh my days. . .

The stuff on this page is just plain disgusting. Especially the Simonian myths of Simon and Helen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Magus

Cc: Joagbaje and co. . . this is what eventually happens to power-hungry people who want to become gods by force o. A word is enough for the wise!

^^I think you should have been just a little bit more patient before posting. The above post is in agreement with the article you claim to denounce so what are you actually saying?

I know what I posted .

First Justin Matyr was one of the greatest defenders of the roman catholic faith in the second century.The quote was denouncing simonians and not roman catholics.There is no where in history where the catholics have claimed to be simonians and vice versa.

Notably, Simon Magus is sometimes described in apocryphal legends in terms that would fit Paul, most significantly in the previously mentioned Clementine Recognitions and Homilies. It is contended that the common source of these documents may be as early as the 1st century, and must have consisted in a polemic against Paul, emanating from the Jewish side of Christianity. Paul being thus identified with Simon, it was argued that Simon's visit to Rome had no other basis than Paul's presence there, and, further, that the tradition of Peter's residence in Rome rests on the assumed necessity of his resisting the arch-enemy of Judaism there as elsewhere.

Dont you understand english languge ? abi you don't know the meaning of the boldened portion

Not sure you read the entries from wikipedia (not a very credible source any way in matters historical).

Alethelia or what ever you call yourself,wikipedia still remains the most reliable online piece of information today since it is open to everyone with credible facts to edit and update.It is open to christians of all denominations,muslims,atheists,hindus e.t.c to contest it's information unlike anyother website in the world

As much as I respect your obvious grounding in the scriptures, this propensity to support the RCC no matter what is disconcerting. I personally do not believe any Christian "group" or denomination is all headed for hellfire or perdition or whatever. Christianity is an individual race, not a world cup where it becomes nations against themselves. I am a Nigerian but if a particular Nigerian is found crooked, so be it - his problem. And all of us regularly complain about the historical makeup of Nigeria - does that condemn it to hell? Why not ever accept that somethings could have gone wrong in the past concerning the RCC and CONCENTRATE on redeeming it now?

You'd do more good to your church thus plus I thought you were to worship Christ not the church!

I know that the RCC have done some evil in the past and I would never try to defend that.But I would never allow anyone to come and start telling shameless lies about the church .

How can anyone try to distort history so late in this age of information technology

e36991:

@TV01

Excerpt! . . .

This is a great expose by the late Dr. E.L. Martin. It documents the true history of the Samaritans, the meaning of the word "peter" in the ancient world and the "church" that was established at Rome by Simon the Sorcerer.

---

[/size]

---

Right from the very beginning, Satan had his counterfeit "messiah" operating right in the true Messiah's backyard. His name was Simon Magus or Simon the Sorcerer and this man, and not Simon Peter the Apostle, went on to found the Universal Roman "church." His career was the history of Roman Catholicism in miniature. For a long time he bewitched the people with his false miracles. Since the year 800 A.D., Rome has bewitched the world with her false miracles of transubstantiation.

Simon believed and was baptized. Outwardly he was a Christian but his belief was only superficial and he was still a pagan at heart. He coveted the apostolic office and saw the opportunity of using Christianity to make money — a business corporation masquerading as the church of Christ!!

From Simon Magus we get the word simony which means to buy a religious office with money.

After his encounter with St. Peter, this magician went to Rome and by tricks and false miracles established a "Christian church" in that city. This man can truly be considered as the first of the age long dynasty of Popes — many coming in Christ's name and deceiving many (Matt. 25:5) . . .

More?

Click link http://www.reformation.org/simon_peter_versus_simon_magus.html

Thanks @e36991 & Aletheia,

Had a good read. Came away with an intuitive sense of it being correct in essence. Quite insightful and adds depth and detail to stuff I've come across before. Nothing to make me change position or shift stance in anyway. If anything, it probably deepened my conviction.

Truth is, I don't actually think one needs to have an in-depth knowledge of antiquity, be it language, culture or history to have a very clear perception of what obtains. What we need to know and more, can be revealed to us in the here and now.

For a while now, I have been quite convinced as to who/what constitutes "her" who He heeds us to come out of. Right now I think "she" is too big and too obvious to those who truly seek Him, to remain amorphous as possibly may have been the case at certain points.

Now that would be worth discussing!

The Lord knows those who are His.
TV

Joagbaje:

Wad up? What of me, you are not interested in my story? Don't you want to know how I became god?

Yawn!

When the first of this ilk made an appearance, I shook my head, knowing what could have developed into a nice convo would potentially be thwarted. Not that I need to point it out, but a further hallmark of the religious is "attention seeking".

Stray sheep.

I ronically the roman ctholics and the simonians were in biter acrimony in the second,third and the fourth centuries until they went into extinction.

Besides St Justin matyr,Other catholic writers wrote about them ,men like St Ireneaus,Origen,St Hegessipus e.t.c


St Ireneaus writing in 175CE in his work against heresies


CHAP. XXIII.--DOCTRINES AND PRACTICES OF SIMON MAGUS AND MENANDER.

1. Simon the Samaritan was that magician of whom Luke, the disciple and follower of the apostles, says, "But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who beforetime used magical arts in that city, and led astray the people of Samaria, declaring that he himself was some great one, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This is the power of God, which is called great. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had driven them mad by his sorceries."(7) This Simon, then--who feigned faith, supposing that the apostles themselves performed their cures by the art of magic, and not by the power of God; and with respect to their filling with the Holy Ghost, through the imposition of hands, those that believed in God through Him who was preached by them, namely, Christ Jesus--suspecting that even this was done through a kind of greater knowledge of magic, and offering money to the apostles, thought he, too, might receive this power of bestowing the Holy Spirit on whomsoever he would,--was addressed in these words by Peter: "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God can be purchased with money: thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not fight in the sight of God; for I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity."( He, then, not putting faith in God a whit the more, set himself eagerly to contend against the apostles, in order that he himself might seem to be a wonderful being, and applied himself with still greater zeal to the study of the whole magic art, that he might the better bewilder and overpower multitudes of men. Such was his procedure in the reign of Claudius Caesar, by whom also he is said to have been honoured with a statue, on account of his magical power.(1) This man, then, was glorified by many as if he were a god; and he taught that it was himself who appeared among the Jews as the Son, but descended in Samaria as the Father while he came to other nations in the character of the Holy Spirit. He represented himself, in a word, as being the loftiest of all powers, that is, the Being who is the Father over all, and he allowed himself to be called by whatsoever title men were pleased to address him.

2. Now this Simon of Samaria, from whom all sorts of heresies derive their origin, formed his sect out of the following materials:--Having redeemed from slavery at Tyre, a city of Phoenicia, a certain woman named Helena, he was in the habit of carrying her about with him, declaring that this woman was the first conception of his mind, the mother of all, by whom, in the beginning, he conceived in his mind [the thought] of forming angels and archangels. For this Ennoea leaping forth from him, and comprehending the will of her father, descended to the lower regions [of space], and generated angels and powers, by whom also he declared this word was formed. But after she had produced them, she was detained by them through motives of jealousy, because they were unwilling to be looked upon as the progeny of any other being. As to himself, they had no knowledge of him whatever; but his Ennoea was detained by those powers and angels who had been produced by her. She suffered all kinds of contumely from them, so that she could not return upwards to her father, but was even shut up in a human body, and for ages passed in succession from one female body to another, as from vessel to vessel. She was, for example, in that Helen on whose account the Trojan war was undertaken; for whose sake also Stesichorus(2) was struck blind, because he had cursed her in his verses, but afterwards, repenting and writing what are called palinodes, in which he sang her praise, he was restored to sight. Thus she, passing from body to body, and suffering insults in every one of them, at last became a common prostitute; and she it was that was meant by the lost sheep.(3)

3. For this purpose, then, he had come that he might win her first, and free her from slavery, while he conferred salvation upon men, by making himself known to them. For since the angels ruled the world ill because each one of them coveted the principal power for himself, he had come to amend matters, and had descended, transfigured and assimilated to powers and principalities and angels, so that he might appear among men to be a man, while yet he was not a man; and that thus he was thought to have suffered in Judaea, when he had not suffered. Moreover, the prophets uttered their predictions under the inspiration of those angels who formed the world; for which reason those who place their trust in him and Helena no longer regarded them, but, as being free, live as they please; for men are saved through his grace, and not on account of their own righteous actions. For such deeds are not righteous in the nature of things, but by mere accident, just as those angels who made the world, have thought fit to constitute them, seeking, by means of such precepts, to bring men into bondage. On this account, he pledged himself that the world should be dissolved, and that those who are his should be freed from the rule of them who made the world.

4. Thus, then, the mystic priests belonging to this sect both lead profligate lives and practise magical arts, each one to the extent of his ability. They use exorcisms and incantations. Love-potions, too, and charms, as well as those beings who are called "Paredri" (familiars) and "Oniropompi" (dream-senders), and whatever other curious arts can be had recourse to, are eagerly pressed into their service. They also have an image of Simon fashioned after the likeness of Jupiter, and another of Helena in the shape of Minerva; and these they worship. In fine, they have a name derived from Simon, the author of these most impious doctrines, being called Simonians; and from them "knowledge, falsely so called,"(4) received its beginning, as one may learn even from their own assertions.


http://carm.org/irenaeus-heresies-16-31

Origen writing in 231 CE has this to say about the simonians

Also Simon the Samaritan, a magician, wished to filch away some by his magic. And at the time indeed he succeeded in his deception, but now I suppose it is not possible to find 30 Simonians altogether in the world; and perhaps I have put the number higher than it really is. But in Palestine there are very few, and in the rest of the world, in which he wished to spread his own glory, his name is nowhere mentioned. If it is, this is due to the Acts of the Apostles. It is the Christians who say what is said about him, and it has become plain as daylight that Simon was nothing divine.[