The Second Missionary Journey
Persecution at Philippi
Acts 16:16-24 KJV 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.
Introduction
We have seen that Paul and his company have been in Philippi for several days. During those days they have met with a group of women who have gathered at the river side for prayer. The gospel was presented to this group and a woman from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple named Lydia.
Lydia was saved as well as her household and they all were baptized. Lydia insisted that the company reside at her home as they continue to spread the gospel. Trouble, however, is just around the corner.
The Demon Possessed Girl
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After a few days of preaching and teaching the gospel, certain matters finally came to a head. We find in verse sixteen that a certain damsel who was demon possessed had been following them around. As they went to pray, the girl began, again, to shout with a loud voice that, “These men are
the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of
salvation. ” Being demon possessed allowed her to be able to engage in soothsaying or the magic arts. This ability was quite lucrative for her handlers. They were not going to be please with what was about to happen.
For several days she followed Paul and his company around shouting her message. Just a quick look at what she was saying, in the English language, seems to indicate that what she was saying was correct in its content.
However, an in depth look at the statement in the Greek language will reveal to us that she was actually saying, “These are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us a way of salvation.” Albert Garner explains it this way: “Who announce or herald to you all a way of salvation," a way of deliverance, which was as "a way" also "the way" besides or apart from which there is none other,... This seems to have been the alternating testimony of a slave-girl whose conscious, frustrated soul alternated between sanity and insanity, fear and hope.”1
Finally, Paul had had enough of the situation. "Then this she did day after day," or day upon day, continuing many days, repeatedly - witnessing of the salvation that Paul and Silas preached to deliver her from the python-like venom of the spirit of the devil.”2
Paul, becoming greatly troubled with her, turned, and spoke directly to the demon who was possessing her. He commanded the demon to come out of the girl. Please note that he did not give the command out of his personal authority but in the name, or by the authority of Jesus Christ. There was an immediate reaction; the demon obeyed the command and came out of the girl.
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This may have been the only time that Paul commended demons to come out of someone, but he was definitely known by the Demonic Realm as an individual who had the power to make it happen.
Acts 19:13-16 KJV 13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took
upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord
Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. 14 And
there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which
did so. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I
know; but who are ye? 16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped
on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled
out of that house naked and wounded.
I am not certain if Paul ever did cast out demons again, but the demons all knew that he had the power and authority to do so.
The girl’s handlers soon found that she had lost her ability to do what they needed for her to so that they could continue to profit from her.
“"They seized (having seized) Paul and Silas," leaders of the worshipping mission band or party. Luke and Timothy were
spared, perhaps because they were thought to be
Greeks…."They
boisterously
dragged
(them)
unceremoniously into the marketplace," before the masses of the public, probably dragging them by their feet. For here the local magistrates would sit in public judgement similar
to the Roman forum in open hearing in examination of the
accused…. "Before the rulers," for a stacked, prejudicial judgement, and quick condemnation, without fair and due process of Roman law, because they recognized them to be
Jews.”3
“"And leading them with a strong arm to the magistrates they alleged," to the examining council known in Roman colonies as praetors," alleging as follows:… "These men (Paul and Silas) being (as is apparent) Jews," persons of dislike, 104
suspicion, and even contempt by the Romans, were charged,
and as was thereafter charged against messengers of God…
"Are greatly troubling (disturbing) our city," Truth was that their preaching was not troubling "the city," of which were:
“1. The Philippian jailer and his household.
“2. Lydia and her household.
“3. And many church brethren in Philippi.
“So much as it had troubled these covetous former slave holders of the once devil possessed damsel who had lost their profiteering from her, after she had been saved, See? It was
their loss of "money that cankers" that troubled them most, much as it was when the city oi Ephesus was so disturbed
over the possibility of loss of prestige of the goddess Diana and her profiteering trade,…yet the word declares that silver satisfies not.”4
They continued on to say that Paul and Silas were teaching
customs that were against the law for the Romans to receive
or even to observe.
“"And advocate customs or ethics," a code of conduct they espouse, that believers should follow the morals, ethics, and doctrines of Christ in separated living,…"Which is not lawful (existing) for us to embrace," a standard of conduct that is just not for us to emulate or espouse. This charge was pure hypocrisy- they really cared not what, they preached or
how they worshipped, so long as it did not dry up the source
of their silver or gold, demonstrating that the "love of money is the root of all (all kinds of) evil,"…. "Not at all to do as Romans," to hold our reputation as Romans. Why? Because
their code of conduct was one of sensual behavior, patterned
after the philosophy that truth and good for each was to do
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what brought each the greatest degree of pleasure or sensual
gratification, without regards for moral consequences. This
was the "humanism" concept of many that day, as it still is of many today. These "losers of gain" from the healed damsel, their major investment, sought to hide their religion, law, and good order….
“CUSTOMS - - - NOT LAWFUL
“Every city had its own special protecting deities; to bring
into it a new worship was an invasion which the people were
as ready to resent as the magistrates to punish. Observe that in the superstitious city of Philippi these prejudices were easily aroused, but not in the philosophical and skeptical city of Athens, nor in the commercial city of Corinth (Ac 17:1-18:28). "How often in the ages of our fathers was it given in charge to the magistrates, to prohibit the performance of any foreign religious rites; to banish strolling sacrificers and soothsayers from the forum, the circus, and the city; to search for, and burn, books of divination; and to abolish every mode of sacrificing that was not conformable to the Roman practice."”5
Acts 16:22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the
magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
“"And the motley crowd rose up in arms in colleague against them," against Paul, Silas, in particular, and those praying, believing church brethren, followers of Jesus Christ in Philippi, as in other places,…"And the magistrates unceremoniously tearing and roughly ripping off their
clothes," (from Paul and Silas) to humiliate them publicly, to incite the sensual pleasure of the motley sensual crowd,
and to expose their naked bodies to the beating rods, or whips,… "Ordered, gave instructions to flog them," to whip 106
or beat them up, publicly, there in the open marketplace in
Philippi; without any trial, to satisfy the popular anger and rage of the "losing, covetous, former stockholders" of their once gain-bearing demon possessed damsel-slave girl. It appears that this public beating was repeated; Three times he was beaten with the lictor rods….”6
Acts 16:23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast
them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
“"Then when they the (Roman soldiers, magistrates and crowd) had put many stripes on them," on both Paul and Silas, perhaps no less than 39 stripes to each, … The stripes were open gashes that ran blood and it was not washed off
until after midnight, by the Philippian jailer, after he was saved… "They tossed him uncompassionately into prison,"
known thereafter as the Philippian jail, much as Paul had once beaten and unceremoniously imprisoned followers of
Jesus Christ,…. Paul once was a zealous, persecuting,
religious, profiteer of the perverted Jewish religion, but after he was redeemed, he "reaped what he sowed,"….
"Specifically, repeatedly, or explicitly ordering the jailer to guard them securely," to keep them safely in custody from escape or any outside help or relief from their suffering and anguish, …. Satan is a cruel master, delighting in the suffering of his slaves, using and abusing them with glee, as he did the damsel there in Philippi and the Gadarene demoniac, bound in the open field among the tombs,
isolated, quarantined from his family, cutting himself upon
the stones, with wounds long untreated, scar tissues upon his body…”6
Acts 16:24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner
prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
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“"Who after having received such an accountable charge or mandate," to keep them in secure custody from any possible escape,… "Brusquely tossed them into the inner prison," into solitary confinement, bruised, bleeding, faint, untreated medically. It was a remote cell, perhaps dark and cold, though not necessarily underground; the chains often rusted
on the prisoners…. "And secured their feet (fastened them securely) into the wooden stocks," stocks made of wood, that were anchored securely, and fastened around their feet at, and just above the ankle bone. The "ksulon" might be either an iron or wooden bar that, after being secured around the
ankle bones, could be pulled and locked far apart to spread
their legs to torture the prisoners, with repeated torture, at the will of the prison keepers; Such are to be remembered in
prayer….7
1 Albert Garner, Power Bible CD, comments on Acts 16:16-24
2-7 IBID
Conclusion
The story is not over. As the result of this incident, more would come to know the Lord. Paul and Silas present an excellent of how to act when being persecuted. They were truly suffering directly because of their continued service to the Lord.
1 Peter 4:14-16 KJV 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy
are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part
he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 15 But let none of you
suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in
other men's matters. 16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not
be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
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