<p>8:19 <em>Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit</em>- Simon didn't ask for the Holy Spirit himself, but rather the authority &quot;power&quot; to give it to others. He had been used to being perceived as the power of God (:10), and despite his new religious milieu as a Christian, he wanted that to continue. This kind of thing is observable amongst power hungry pastors today, who clearly do not see personal spirituality as significant, so drunk are they on power.</p>