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Acts 16

Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:

Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.

Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.

And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.

And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.

And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.

And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;

And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.

And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

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 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.

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.

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,

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

And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.

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

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

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

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

And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.

And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.

But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.

And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.

And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.

But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.

And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.

And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.

And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

What does Acts 16:17 mean?

Explanation

Acts 16:17 presents an incident that occurred during Paul's missionary journey, as told by Luke, the author of the Book of Acts.

A slave girl with a spirit of divination followed Paul and his companions, proclaiming them as "servants of the most high God," who were proclaiming "the way of salvation." While her words were true, they came from a spirit that Paul would later cast out.

The verse emphasizes the conflict between the Christian message and the spirit of divination - a common practice in ancient times, which was at odds with the teachings of Christianity.

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Historical Context

The incident takes place in the city of Philippi, a Roman colony in Macedonia, during Paul's second missionary journey around 49-51 A.D.

The slave girl possessed with a "spirit of Python" refers to a spirit of divination associated with the Oracle of Delphi in Greek mythology, where the Pythia, a priestess, was said to be possessed by Apollo and could predict the future.

Her owners made a profit from her abilities, making her proclamation an economically and socially relevant event for Philippi.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, this verse reinforces the sovereignty of God, as even the demonic spirit recognizes Paul and his companions as God's servants. It can be seen as an affirmation of the truth of Paul’s gospel message.

Some theological interpretations might argue about the significance of her confession and whether it was intended to disrupt or unintentionally endorse their ministry.

Additionally, it presents the Christian doctrine as supreme over other spiritual or occult beliefs, emphasizing a clear discernment between spirits.

Practical Applications

The practical applications of this verse can involve recognizing the importance of discernment in spiritual matters. Just because a statement sounds religious or true does not mean it comes from a holy source.

Christians are called to test the spirits and to stand firm in the face of spiritual deception. This may apply to areas in modern life where religious and secular beliefs intersect or where the profiting from spiritual gifts is discouraged.

Cross-References

1 John 4:1: "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."
Acts 19:15: "And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?"
2 Corinthians 11:14: "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."

Language Study

The key terms in the original Greek language of this verse include:

"Python" (πύθωνα): Referring to the spirit the slave girl had, which is related to a python, a serpent in Greek mythology that guarded the Oracle of Delphi.
"Sōtērian" (σωτηρίαν): Translated as "salvation," which in the Christian context refers to deliverance from sin and its consequences, obtained through Jesus Christ.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In comparing to other ancient myths, the python spirit is directly related to the Oracle of Delphi.

Other religions around that time had various forms of divination and prophecy, which often involved spirits or deities speaking through individuals.

Early Christian teachings directly challenged these practices by asserting the supremacy of the Christian God and the falsehood of idols and false prophets.

Scientific Perspectives

From a scientific perspective, divination and claims of spirit possession lack empirical evidence.

These phenomena are generally regarded as originating from cultural and psychological sources rather than external supernatural entities.

Nonetheless, the historical acknowledgments of these practices reflect their impact and significance on ancient societies.

Commentaries

Biblical scholars and commentators have varied perspectives on this verse.

Some argue that the spirit's proclamation could have been disruptive by associating Paul's work with pagan divination, thus undermining its credibility.

Others note the strategic move by Paul to exorcize the spirit, thereby asserting the power of the Christian God over pagan deities and local superstitions.

The consensus among commentaries is that the episode establishes the conflict between Christian theology and pagan practices of the time.

Acts 16

Acts 16

What does Acts 16:17 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Acts 16:17 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?