Read the text here: Acts 16:16-40.
Paul and Timothy, along with their traveling companions spend some time in Philippi. Paul becomes irritated with a slave girl, possessed by an evil spirit, who keeps pointing at them and yelling, “These men are servants of the Most High God…” Now perhaps Paul simply saw the slave girl as a nuisance, but more than likely he is annoyed by the connection between their ministry and the evil spirit. Her possession is characterized as “pythian,” a term connecting her spirit of divination with the inspiration of the famous oracles of Delphi.
She is an interesting character in the story–a slave girl prophesying to the coming of God’s salvation just as the quote from the prophet Joel in Acts 2:18 describes. Her repeated announcements are disregarded, and she is ultimately silenced, with no word of her fate after the spirit is cast out. This act of healing (whether of kindness or expediency) creates new opponents for Paul, the owners of the slave girl who are now deprived of her fortune-telling income.
Before too long Paul and his traveling companion, Silas, are imprisoned for disturbing the peace. Thus the stage is set for one of the most familiar Sunday School lessons of all time–Paul and Silas singing in jail!
They are in the “innermost prison,” with no possible means of escape, and yet we who have been reading along know that this will not be the end of the story. Jail walls have not stopped the work of spreading the gospel. An earthquake frees all the prisoners, but they remain in their cells, to the visible relief of the jailer (who would have been killed for such a grievous error). The witness of Paul and Silas extends to their fellow prisoners, to their jailer, the jailer’s household.
By morning’s light the city magistrates send word that Paul and Silas should be released and allowed to “go in peace,” no small bit of irony considering the public beating the two had received the day before, not to mention the fact that they have been cared for by the jailer not in prison, but in his own home. Paul throws a monkey wrench into the city leaders’ efforts to quietly resolve the situation when he claims his Roman citizenship and demands recognition of his legal status. The magistrates apologize in person to Paul and Silas. And one must suspect, this time politely ask the two missionaries to leave the city.
Paul’s Roman citizenship will continue to be a prominent theme in Acts until the end of the story. With his dual identity as a Jew and a Roman, Paul successfully bridges two worlds and brings the good news to the far reaches of the empire.
June 19, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Greetings I have been developing a sermon on this passage. I want to point out something critical to the text. Paul was not irritated withthe woman but was concerned that the demon working through her may lead others to think that what he had to say about the Gospel was in league with the cultic beliefs that she represented. Therefore when he acted Paul did this for two reasons. First, he was interested in setting this woman free that she may come to know the only true God. And, second, he was concerned for all those hwo heard him preach. He wanted them to know the truth and not be led astray.
August 26, 2007 at 5:25 pm
Thanks for your comments. Sorry to be so delayed in responding to you, but I’ve been away on sabbatical this summer.
I am certainly familiar with the interpretation that Paul healed the girl out of concern for her. Unfortunately, a close reading of the text does not reveal any motivation for Paul’s action other than annoyance or displeasure. In verse 18 the greek word translated as “annoyed” is “diaponeomai” with the meaning of troubled, offended, displeased, or pained–as in, worked up).
The text says nothing of Paul’s concern for the girl’s spiritual state, and there is no indication that either Paul or Silas had anything more to do with her. Certainly we have no record of this nameless slave girl becoming a convert to Christianity. So any argument that Paul works out of compassion is reading into the text (perhaps even a bit of wishful thinking!).
Paul’s annoyance may have been directed at the spirit speaking through the girl or the girl herself, that at least, seems unclear from the text. I would lean toward his annoyance being directed at the girl, because it is her continued action that leads Paul to address the spirit (also in verse 18).
I will submit again, as I did in my original post, that most likely Paul’s irritation is with the potential connection between his ministry and the evil spirit–I would see that as being compatible with your second reason stated.
All this is much too later for your sermon prep, but thanks again for your comments, and good preaching!
Nancy
July 29, 2009 at 4:26 pm
where can i find out about apostle paul’s death on the cross?
-thank you, nancy quick
Nqick1102@yahoo.com