Acts 16:16-25 Bible Teaching

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SILENCE

Okay, I made a blunder two weeks ago and sent us into a study that was out of chronological order. We are now back on track.

So two weeks ago we read that Paul and Silas were directed to go to Macedonia through a night vision Paul had.

We read how while by a riverside they met a woman who dealt in purple who was baptized with her whole family after hearing Paul, Silas and now Luke preach.

This brings us to verse 16. So let’s read. Now remember, Luke is now speaking in the plural, and so he is including himself in the narrative of all that occurs.

Acts 16.16-25
January 29th 2017
Milk

Acts 16:16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

All right, verse 16

Acts 16:16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

The Greek better read is, “As we went to the place of prayer,” which indicates travel to a location. Now whether this was on the same day as the conversion of Lydia we don’t know but as they were traveling to the place of prayer they met a “certain damsel’ a young maiden.

And this damsel was unique as she was
“possessed with a spirit of divination.”

We read the word possession and automatically think BLEAHHH but the word means “have and with” as in

We have Abraham as our Father.
And she was with Child.

What’s interesting is the Greek echo (for possessed) is only used twice in the Bible to describe devils but is used over 600 times to mean “has” or “is with.”

Nevertheless, context tells us that she had a spirit of divination. Now, we are presented with two terms here which only occur once in all of the New Testament – the Greek word translated divination and the Greek word translated soothsaying.

The word translated divination is POOTH-ONAY and the word translated to soothsaying is MANT-YOO-OM-AHEE.

The first word POOTH-ONAY is sort of a peculiar translation because it actually refers to one of the names given to Apollos because as soon as he was born he destroyed a serpent (where we get the word Python) sent by Juno to persecute his mother. Therefore his name was Pythian Apollo.

Now there were temples located in his name on Mount Parnassus, at Delphi, Delos, Claros, Tenedos, etc., and worship of him was almost universal.

At Delphi, a priestess of Apollo pretended to be inspired and became violently agitated during these periods of inspiration and was supposed to give answers to inquiries.

This practice was carried on by many in the ancient world and apparently this young maiden was in the thick of it all by and through the Spirit of Divination which she possessed or which possessed her.

So apparently, this young woman had the skills similar to the oracles of Delphi “which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying.”

The term for soothsaying best means to divine, to utter spells, and to foretell the future – like a prophetess.

The gains for someone skilled in the arts could be considerable and apparently this maiden brought her masters some real money.

Are such things possible today? I tend to think so. They are as much of a reality as heavenly spirits so to me if you believe in angels its only reasonable to believe in demons.

I don’t want to get too deep into the demon haunted world personally but I have had too many personal experiences with the dark to believe them fictions.

So, this maiden was skilled at soothsaying by the power of divination which she possessed. (Verse 17)

17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, “These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.”

Now this is fascinating on a number of levels. First, she was led of a spirit that was not good.

Nevertheless the spirit led or at least allowed her to profess both the true nature of these believers AND not only that but it also proclaimed that they possessed the way to salvation!

Wild stuff – something I can’t really get my head around. We know that the demonic spirits in Jesus day had a similar response to Him as we read in Matthew 8:28:

And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Why this maiden did this, or what prompted her (or, again, allowed her to do it) remains a mystery) but various conjectures have been put forth of which we’ll consider a few.

First, she did, in fact, prophesied for gain, so perhaps she thought that Paul and Silas would reward her if she publicly proclaimed that they were the servants of God. I mean, if you make your living prophesying and you are able to speak the truth why not?

Or,

Maybe the evil spirit feared being dispossessed of its home and it prompted her to speak the truth hoping to gain favor of those who had the power to boot it out!

onscious that an evil spirit possessed her, and that she feared that Paul and Silas would expel that spirit; and that, by proclaiming them to be the servants of God, she hoped to conciliate their favour.

Or,

Perhaps she knew they had been sent from God and this was an attempt to get their attention and to have them exorcize the demon out of her so as to be free.

They’re all possible. In any case this demon possessed woman was on a crusade to witness for these men and their purpose. But according to what we read next Paul got sick of it. (verse 18)

18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

The Greek word for grieved is tied to “being worn out through labor,” and so her act was wearing him down, and he was troubled by it.

It’s an interesting response because when we think about it, it makes sense. Here is an Apostles of Jesus sharing the truth and he has the constant unsolicited promotion coming from someone from the community whose reputation is really not all so hot relative to dealing in the truth.

So her presence was troublesome to him – maybe he didn’t want people to think that they were in an alliance – you know that the work he was doing for the Lord would be thrown into the same camp as hers (fraud) or maybe people would think that they were preaching for money too.

Maybe he just knew she was in bondage and decided it was time to set her free.

Whatever the reason Paul turned and said to the spirit

“I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out the same hour.

Jesus told his disciples in Mark 16:17-18

“These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils, etc.–they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

To a Jew the expression means, “by his authority or by virtue of the power derived from Him. “

We can’t help but note that when Jesus walked the earth He healed. Period. Boom. It was done by His touch, by His words, by His actions and sometimes just be His promise.

He did not say, “in the name of my Father I cast you out” but had within Him the power to do all things. We have to include this in our on-going assessment of Jesus. He could and did command and cause miraculous things to occur that only God could do.

When people move Him down from the deity within Him, when they remove the fact that He came from above, they almost always remove His ability to do miracles.

If God was not His father, if He was not the Word of God made flesh, this inability would be understandable. But if He was the Word made flesh then there was nothing outside of His reach – He not only could but we would EXPECT Him to calm the sea, reign over demons and devils, heal those born with defects, and raise the dead.

The apostles had no power in and of themselves. All that they did was by and through Him and His power – which was over all things at this point in the narrative.

So to say, in the name of Jesus Christ, was akin to saying, by His power and His authority . . . come out of her, or be healed or rise from the dead. And being His select witnesses they possessed His authority to perform such things.

To believe this is a matter of faith. To believe Jesus performed the miracles described is a matter of faith. I believe them – without any hesitation – and ascribe them all to God with us.

So using Jesus name, Paul commands the spirit to come out of her and Luke informs us that he came out the same hour.

If I’m not mistaken the better translation of the gender of “the spirit” should be “it” and not “he.”

One of the criticisms of the healings Jesus did in the New Testament is that scripture calls those afflicted possessed when all indications are that some are merely suffering from medical ailments like BiPolar, schitzophrenia, mania or other medical conditions like epilepsy.

This observations may be true – in part. What we aren’t certain of is what causes what we have labeled epilepsy or bi-polar syndrome.

If we step back to the origin of all illness the Christian stance points to the fall, and in that fall everything became corrupted by dark forces which were intended to remain in the light.

To me, if all disease originates at the fall then all disease (note the word DIS-EASE – “ill at ease,” “not at ease” OR shall we say, “no longer in paradise”) is demonic and Jesus was not wrong.

But we push away from this today because it doesn’t fit with our “advanced gains in science and the like.”

Since moving downtown we live right on the corner of perhaps the most heavily traveled homeless intersection in the state.

We have not had a night where there has not been at least one emergency vehicle sirens blazing passing through this intersection, or at least one individual screaming to the top of their lungs out on the street.

Whenever I look out at the screamers they are almost always alone and just yelling at the top of their lungs and almost always profanities.

To show you how weird we are our family doesn’t mind. In any case last Sunday I was out on the street at 545 AM and a woman was doing her bit – screaming her bloody head off repeated threats and vulgarities.

Curiosity got the best of me and I drove to where she stood and she motioned to me to stop and roll my window down.

Now understand just 30 seconds earlier she was cussing out the skies. She walked up to the passengers side of my car and said in a very sweet voice:

“Excuse me sir, but could you spare a couple dollars so I can get a cup of coffee?”

I had no cash and told her so then said, “but I do have a question for you?”

“Yeah,” she replied. And I pointed to our building and said, “Did you know that people live in that building across the street?”

She said, “I’ve seen people go in and out of there.”

I said, very kindly, “did you know that they are sleeping?”

She stepped back and very apologetically said, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m not angry at them. I’m just yelling at the voices in my ear.”

I wish I had a hundred bucks – I would have given them to her. Or the faith to command in Jesus name that the demon leave her – whatever form it was in.

Okay, so the maiden, the soothsayer, has had her source of information booted out of her by Paul. (verse 19)

19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

Notice that they could have regarded the healing or exorcism as a great miracle in the maiden’s life they only saw it as a loss of income – and it apparently enraged them.

The Good News is all about liberating people from things that hold them bound. Jesus came, as Isaiah and others remarked (including Himself) to set the captives free and open the prison doors of those who are contained therein.

If this liberation threatens the power or income or stability of external elements or sources those elements and sources will typically reject, mock or detest the Gospel in the lives they hold bound.

Why would liquor companies or drug dealers perpetuate the Gospel – it steals their clients.

Why would the fashion industry, Hollywood, or merchandizers love Jesus – He sets people free of their wares and ways.

But the real irony, and this may seem incongruent, but even religions don’t want their congregates to be sold out for Jesus? Because true followers of Jesus follow Him and Him alone and would not put up with the shenanigans they are known to set forth.

Instead of desiring people to be sold out to Christ they insinuate themselves in between Him and the absolute liberty He provides by claiming to represent Him and His church!

Remember, it was a religion and the very best of that religion that killed Him.

So these men, who earned money off the back of this poor possessed girl would rather see her possessed and in their employment than free.

That is sinister.

Over the course of ministry I have on no less than a thousand occasions heard or known parents of one faith who would rather have their child remain on the rolls and just be drug and g addicted, alcoholic, depressed member of their church on record than to discover Jesus and take their name off the roles.

To me this is the same sinister spirit. And it travels down a two-way street because I have also known Christian parents who would rather have their kids reject God all-together than convert to Mormonism or Catholicism.

Oh well.

These guys, having lost their source of income, drew Paul and Silas to “the marketplace.”

The word for drew is helkuo and it best means dragged, so we are probably talking about a mob-like mentality aggressively laying hands of the men and dragging them to the center of town where court or forums were often held anciently. (verse 20)

20 And brought to the magistrates, saying, “These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,”

Philippi was a Roman colony and the word for Magistrates relates to military rulers so they probably took them before men who both regulated civil affairs while being military leaders for the Romans.

The complaint?

“These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city.”

Now, understand that these complainers were not Jews too, they were in all probability Greeks, and pagan worshippers, and were ticked off that Paul put an end to their little prophetess bringing them money.

Was she skilled at forecasting the future?
Did the demon give her powers? We cannot say. But what probably was the case is she lost interest in the practice – feigned or not – due to the emancipation from the spirit dwelling with her.

So these men were ticked. And they told the Romans (at verse 21) that these Jews trouble the city by . . .

21 . . . teaching customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

Of course it is doubtful that these complainers cared one whit about the Romans ways or especially the ways of the Jews.

But they had to sound concerned for the standards set by the Romans which was there could be no unauthorized religion introduced into Roman culture.

So, as Romans citizens, the complaint was smart.

In Virgil’s, AEnead, it says, “Care was taken among the Athenians and the Romans, that no one should introduce new religions. It was on this account that Socrates was condemned, and the Chaldeans or Jews were banished from the city.”

And Cicero (de Legibus ii. 8) wrote,

“No person shall have any separate gods, or new ones; nor shall he privately worship any strange gods, unless they be publicly allowed.”

22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.

Apparently this was done through an uprising and without even the form of law with the exception of the Magistrates, who were supposed to protect them and their rights, jumping in, tearing off their clothes and ordering them to be beaten.

As we will soon see Paul will use his Roman citizenship to complain about this abuse of power and lawbreaking against him and his brothers.

Interesting how their accusers first appealed to the Law then immediately turned around and broke it.

In 2nd Corinthians 11:25 Paul wrote,

“Thrice was I beaten with rods,” and this seems to be referring to one of those three occasions. (verse 23).

23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

Now, we know that the Jews could not, according to their law, deliver more than 40 stripes to the back of a person sentenced so they typically gave thirty-nine just to be safe but the Romans could give as many as they wanted.

It may have been the case here as later Paul will write in 2nd Corinthians 11:24 that regarding “stripes” received he got them “above measure” (meaning more than usual.)

And after scourging them they “cast them into prison,” charging the jailor to retain them or “keep them safely.” The verse 24, speaking of the jailer says:

24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

Obviously the jails were constructed in such a manner that there were places that escape would be far easier – like cells along the perimeter and exposed to the outside world – so conversely the cells that were deep into the prison – located in the inner prison – were far more secure.

And they were not only placed there but were also places in stocks. Traditionally – and there is no reason to think this was any different – stocks were two pieces of wood – one fastened to the front of the legs at the ankles and one at the back – that were fastened together forcing the legs apart and making walking very difficult.

If we take the elements all together this was brutal mistreatment at best. For what? Sending a spirit out of a young maiden.

We’re talking about one messed up world and I don’t think we, in our day, can really understand how bad it was. They were beaten by stripes – scourged by the Romans – then placed in the deepest cells and then put in stocks where normal positions for rest – especially with a ripped open back and torso – was impossible.

When I allow myself to really reflect upon this information I get really ashamed of myself over the trials I personally face as a believer today – they were NOTHING by comparison to these men.

And so how did they respond – verse 25:

“And Paul and Silas gotteth angry with God, and questionethed Him and His ways, and wondereth if the Jesus was even real. And Paul sayeth, “I have given my all to your service God and this is howeth youeth repayeth me–eth? I don’t trusteth youeth any moreth.”

(beat) No – eth?

No. (Verse 25)

25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

Why it was at midnight we can only guess and mine is they couldn’t sleep due to pain.

So they did what Christians do when they find themselves in pain – they prayed – and then they sought the sustaining grace of God by praising Him in the storm.

How? By singing praises. His praises.

The Psalms of the Old Testament are songs – written for the COI as music. In Psalm 47 verse 1 we read:

Psalm 47:1 “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.”

Then at verses 6-7
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.

Now I am well aware of the value and biblical import of this practice. Songs of praise to God are like love letters to Him – especially when delivered in the storms of our lives – and I am forever supportive of them.

When I am alone I sing praises to God – typically my own words of gratitude and thanks.

Years ago after a show I was driving home and was praising God in this manner when I heard shouting from a far away place. I soon realized that I had pocket dialed a friend (named Millie – some of you may know her) and was somewhat embarrassed that she had a front row seat to my bellowing.

In time I realized that I had nothing to be ashamed of – He is God and to Him I will sing praises to Him.

We sing His word here to help get it in our heads but this approach in no way ought to be seen as an indictment against individuals praising God – especially – especially in the storms of our lives as I have found few things better suited to alleviating pain and discouragement than when we praise Him amidst pain, trial and woe.

So there in the dank prison, ripped open and bleeding, bound in stocks, Paul and Silas (and possibly others) prayed and sang praises to God – a sound probably not often heard in prisons of this sort – and without question one of the most beautiful sounds to ever reach the ears of God.

And from this we are reminded that our joy comes from within, not from without.

A true Christian in stocks, broken and bleeding and sentenced to death can have more joy and inner light than a rock star or a King on a throne.

This being the case enemies of the faith cannot destroy our peace from external means – though they may try.

In the end this is often the result of a good conscience before God, made possible by receiving the life and shed blood of His Son.

Those who receive Him truly stand rightly before their maker and the peace of this reality transcends all external forces working against us.

Praise Him in the loss.
Praise Him in the gain.
Praise Him in the fear.
Praise Him in the pain.

And Luke adds,

“and the prisoners heard them.”

We’re going to end with this line as it has application to our lives as believers today.

In our Nation it is still unlikely that Christians will be beaten with stripes, placed in stocks and sent to prison for healing a person possessed with a demon.

But it is more than probable that Christians sold out for Christ will suffer as a direct result of their faith.

Maybe a loss of friends, or by injustice, or persecution. In these circumstances we want those imprisoned by the world to hear our songs of praise, not our demands for justice, or our condemnations of the powers that be, or our desires for revenge.

For in and through these praises amidst the storm, when we hold our tongues that wag against our oppressors but sing His praises, everyone within the sound of our voice will benefit –

Our enemies will have heaps of fiery coals heaped upon their heads, those around us will respect our devotions to God, we will be elevated in the trial and God will be honored.

In His plan to overcome and win all by and through love He knows what He is doing.

If you have never tried this approach to the faith give it a whirl. Hold your tongue if all it can do is complain, or accuse, or whine, or demand but let it fly if it can praise Him in the trials of life.

Let’s stop here.

Q and A

Prayer