Acts 16:16-21
Summary for Acts 16:16-18: 16:16-18 a The second portrait of a changed life in Philippi is of a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future.• Even though the demon within her was stating the truth, Paul, like Jesus, did not permit it to proclaim the Christian message (cp. Mark 1:25 b, 34 c; 3:11-12 d; Luke 4:35 e, 41 f). The Lord had commanded that the gospel be proclaimed by his disciples, not by opponents (Acts 1:8 g; 9:15 h; 26:15-18 i; Matt 28:18-20 j; Luke 24:46-49 k; John 20:21 l; see Acts 22:15 m).
Summary for Acts 16:19-21: 16:19-21 n As in the ministry of Jesus, sometimes the Good News threatened established commercial interests (see also 19:25-27 o; Mark 5:1-20 p). The slave girl’s exploiters viciously attacked the missionaries and dragged them before the authorities as criminals, blamed them for fomenting a disturbance, resorted to racial bias (these Jews), and appealed to the Philippians’ pride (us Romans; the Philippians prided themselves on being Roman citizens of a Roman colony).
• customs that are illegal: By law, Jews were not permitted to make converts of Romans.
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