Thursday Night Worship, May 30, 2019, Acts 16:16-34

Here in the writings of the Author of Luke & Acts, we read about a "Battle of the Gods" if you will.  The slave girl is imbued with a spirit believed to be aligned with the Greek god Apollos.  This spirit of Apollo is cast out with ease by Paul with a command in the name of Christ.  This can easily be interpreted as a sign that Christ is superior to Apollo.  And to take it further if this spirit aligned with Apollo is proclaiming Paul's God as the "most High God" then that means that the Emperor (remember the cult of the Emperor in Roman culture) is not the highest god but rather the God of Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac is the "most High God".  This would be treasonist language in the Roman culture and thus the people say:
20 When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, “These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews 21 and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.”

Once Paul and Silas are in jail then we have the miracle of the earthquake that frees them... to learn more about that take a listen to the sermon.

Have a blessed week and remember to...

Be a blessing to someone today!

In Christ,
Roy

2Acts 16:16-34 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Paul and Silas in Prison
16 One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. 17 While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you[a] a way of salvation.” 18 She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

19 But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. 20 When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, “These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews 21 and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23 After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 The jailer[b] called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 They spoke the word of the Lord[c] to him and to all who were in his house. 33 At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. 34 He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.

Footnotes:
a) Acts 16:17 Other ancient authorities read to us
b) Acts 16:29 Gk He
c) Acts 16:32 Other ancient authorities read word of God