Act 16:16-21 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Acts 16:16-18: 16:16-18 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 , 34 ; 3:11-12 ; Luke 4:35 , 41 ). The Lord had commanded that the gospel be proclaimed by his disciples, not by opponents (Acts 1:8 ; 9:15 ; 26:15-18 ; Matt 28:18-20 ; Luke 24:46-49 ; John 20:21 ; see Acts 22:15 ).

a16:16-18►

bMark 1:25►

c34►

d3:11-12►

eLuke 4:35►

f41►

gActs 1:8►

h9:15►

i26:15-18►

jMatt 28:18-20►

kLuke 24:46-49►

lJohn 20:21►

mActs 22:15►

n16:19-21►

o19:25-27►

pMark 5:1-20►

‏ 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.