Snoopy Approaches Acts

[BetteTheRed]

I'm going to say, once more, that I'm bowing out, @paradox3 . I don't feel like there's much possibility for conversation with the endless AI interpretations, the use of the AMP translation.

Just leaving no room for interesting conversation.

These threads could be more like "what if" conversations. They are like endless long AI says...

 

[paradox3]

@BetteTheRed
Your contributions will be missed here. I enjoy your astute observations and pithy questions.

 

[paradox3]

Acts 16: 16-24

Bible Gateway passage: Acts 16:16-24 - New English Translation

Paul and Silas Are Thrown Into Prison - Now as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means. She brought her owners a great profit by fortune-telling. She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out...

www.biblegateway.com

Paul and his companions are met by a slave girl who has a spirit enabling her to tell the future by supernatural means. Her fortune telling has brought great profit to her owners.

The girl follows them and keeps crying out that these men are servants of the Most High God. They proclaim the way of salvation!

The slave girl does this for many days and Paul becomes very annoyed. He commands the spirit to come out of her in the name of Jesus Christ. When the spirit leaves her, her owners see that their hope of profit is gone.

The owners seize Paul and Silas and bring them before the magistrates. The crowd joins the protest against them because they are Jews and advocating for customs not lawful for the Romans.

Paul and Silas have their clothes removed and are beaten severely. They are thrown in prison and their feet are put in stocks.

 

[paradox3]

Why was Paul so annoyed with the slave girl? She seems to speak with a prophetic voice.

Is there a story anywhere else in the Bible about possession by a benevolent spirit? I can't think of one.

 

[unsafe]

Is there a story anywhere else in the Bible about possession by a benevolent spirt? I can't think of one.

Well I think you need to understand what the Bible definition is of Benevolent ----
and
in Strong;s concordance --it means

goodness

as relating to believers, the goodness that comes from God (Souter) and showing itself in spiritual, moral excellence (virtue).

So to answer your Question here --

Is there a story anywhere else in the Bible about possession by a benevolent spirt?

I say -------I think there are lots of examples of people with a benevolent Spirit ----

Ruth ---Boaz ---Moses ----Enoch --Noah ----Paul and his group ------and more -----


So what does it say about this salve Girl ----in today's scripture

slave-girl who had a spirit of divination----so it tells you what spirit she has -----

Greek word for divination
Lexical Summary
manteuomai: to practice divination, to prophesy falsely

Topical Lexicon
Overview
Strong’s Greek 3132 appears once in the New Testament and describes the activity of obtaining supernatural knowledge by occult means.

Whereas biblical prophecy flows from the Spirit of God (2 Peter 1:21),

this practice relies on alien spiritual powers and is therefore sharply distinguished from genuine revelation.

Again ---Spiritual understanding is needed as well as Spiritual Discernment so you can determine what Spirit is speaking ------

Spiritual Discernment is one of the 9 gits given to believers by the Holy Spirit -and is very important to have ----as we can see here ----many can be fooled if they do not have this gift of discernment of spirits ----

I say -----So the Girl does not have a benevolent spirit --she has a demonic spirit ------

 

[GordW]

Why was Paul so annoyed with the slave girl? She seems to speak with a prophetic voice.

Is there a story anywhere else in the Bible about possession by a benevolent spirit? I can't think of one.

Well having someone following you all the time and yelling could indeed be annoying at the best of times....particularly if it was in fact disrupting what you were trying to do.

I seem to remember seeing an interpretation that Paul knew the girl was being used to make money for her owners and so the casting out of the spirit was a way of setting her free from that situation.

 

[unsafe]

So today we see that Paul --Silas and Timothy were on their way to pray when they meet a slave girl who had a spirit of divination -----

She followed Paul and kept screaming and shouting ----that they were claiming a way to salvation ----- she kept this for days and Paul gets fed up and Calls the demon out of her---and it expels from her immediately ------

So in essence --she does seemingly look like she is preaching for Paul --free advertising for the group --LOL -so I say ----she is giving a domonic testimony to their Christian credentials and their divine message ---

I don't think Paul like all her free demon advertising though ----as he got rid of it ----

i say -
This is interesting to note here From Strong's =====because ---this spirit was known as the spirit of Python in earlier times ----

Historical Background of Greco-Roman Divination

In the wider Greco-Roman world, divination was both religious and commercial. Oracles such as Delphi, itinerant seers, and household mediums promised insight regarding health, travel, warfare, and finance. The mention of a “python” spirit—a term connected to the Delphic oracle—underscores that the girl in Philippi was part of this established network. Earnings for her owners indicate that fortune-telling could be lucrative, intertwining spiritual bondage with economic exploitation.


Verse 19 ---tells us that the owners had her to gain Profit of wealth from her being able to spout of Prophecy ----and now that was gone ----So they get angry and take them to
authorities and they in turn bring them before the chief magistrates

and say ----- “These men, who are Jews, are throwing our city into confusion and causing trouble.They are publicly teaching customs which are unlawful for us, as Romans, to accept or observe.”

So now we see that they are in trouble and will be persecuted -------

The crowd joins in on the fun ---- the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and ordered that Paul and Silas be beaten with rods.

After they had a sever beating they through them into prison ----and commanded the guard to guard them securely ----so the Guard put them in the dungeon and bound their feet in the stocks ---

I say --this would certainly limit your movement ---and after a while would be agonizing I would think ------

 

[unsafe]

I seem to remember seeing an interpretation that Paul knew the girl was being used to make money for her owners and so the casting out of the spirit was a way of setting her free from that situation

I agree with this -----I think Paul did know and while the words she was speaking were the truth ---I think Paul knew that what was possessing her would not be helpful for his missions work --as it was coming from the wrong source --and needed it gone ----and it definitely did set her free from the Bondage she was in ------

This would be an example of a benevolent Spirit --here in Paul in my view -----

 

[paradox3]

I hadn't thought of the slave girl's gift as coming from an untrustworthy source. But this explanation makes sense. Could very well be.

I also like the idea that Paul wanted to put an end to the profit the girl's owners were receiving from her gift.

And maybe she was causing a distraction from the mission by calling out continuously.

Or all of the above? Perhaps this is simply a parable about doing the right thing for the wrong reason? Or not going about it correctly?

Thanks for your input @unsafe and @GordW

 

[paradox3]

Everyone anticipating another miraculous jailbreak in tomorrow's text?

 

[unsafe]

Everyone anticipating another miraculous jailbreak in tomorrow's text?

Shows Earthly obstacles cannot stop God's Divine Plan -----and this gives way for us to trust in God when we are faced with Difficult situations ----no human force or opposition can prevent God's will from being Successful in what He wants to happen ----

 

[paradox3]

Acts 25-34

Bible Gateway passage: Acts 16:25-34 - New English Translation

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the rest of the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds of all the prisoners came loose...

www.biblegateway.com

About midnight Paul and Silas are praying and singing hymns to God. The other prisoners are listening.

Suddenly an earthquake shakes the foundations of the prison and all the bonds of the prisoners come loose. The jailer is about to kill himself until Paul reassures him no one has escaped.

The jailer asks Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved. They reply that he and his household must believe in Jesus.

The jailer washes their wounds and is immediately baptised along with his household. He takes them into his house and sets food before them.

 

[paradox3]

It seems that the jailer recognized the supernatural nature of the earthquake and looked to Paul and Silas for guidance. He was receptive to their teaching and later rejoiced in his newfound faith.

 

[Mendalla]

Suddenly an earthquake shakes the foundations of the prison and all the bonds of the prisoners come loose.

So metaphorical it hurts. Resurrection, release from the bonds of sin. Even the jailer's conversion kind of fits with that. It is one of those stories where the meaning probably matters more than whether there was any historical truth to it. Like the physical manifestations ascribed to the moment of Jesus' death in the Gospels, it seems like something meant to focus on the meaning of the moment.

 

[paradox3]

We studied this passage in a small group bible study a few years ago. I don't recall any discussion about release from the bonds of sin but it would certainly fit the text.

What I remember is a LOT of discussion about all the things that imprison us in various ways. And a LOT of talk about metaphorical earthquakes.

Thinking about it now, it could also be a parable about the leadership qualities of Paul and Silas.

 

[Mendalla]

Thinking about it now, it could also be a parable about the leadership qualities of Paul and Silas.

Indeed. There's lots to unpack with strong imagery like that.

 

[paradox3]

Indeed. There's lots to unpack with strong imagery like that.

Yes there sure is. What happened to the other prisoners, I wonder? We know they were awake listening to the prayers and hymns. They would have felt the impact of the earthquake and seen their own bonds loosened.

It's an interesting little loose end, isn't it?

 

[unsafe]

In this first line of today's Scripture ---we see what Paul and his companion is doing ---and we see what the prisoners were doing -----

This is important to NOTE here----AMP

25 But about midnight when Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

So before the earthquake happens ----they pray and praise God -----Prayer and Praise is very powerful when the righteous are in a bad situation -----and you see that even with the beatings and the terrible treatment they endured ---they are filled with joy as they understand that God is with them ---Joy comers from within and is available to all God's Children at all times ----instead of being full of anger and fear and cursing their enemies ---they Bless God through Prayer and Praise ----Powerful achievement ---Folks

James 5:16 ----



So verse 26 ---tells us what happened

26 suddenly there was a great earthquake, so [powerful] that the very foundations of the prison were shaken and at once all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened

I say -----We see the Jailer was asleep and was awaken suddenly and saw the Jail empty --(I assume )as he drew his sword and was ready to kill himself --cause remember the jailer must take the Prisoners place if they escape under his watch ------

Paul saves this person from hurting himself -----as he shouts out ---We are here ----
and the jailer who was consumed with fear ----falls down before Paul and Silas and asked what he has to do to be saved -----

Notice ------ the Repentance here of the Jailer ----he fell down before Paul and Silas --he humbled himself ---

From Strong's Concordance
to prostrate oneself before, in homage or supplication: with the dative of a person, at one's feet, Acts 16:29


I say -----So notice to that Paul and Silas do not just run off and save themselves --they stay and make sure the jailer is OK -----they were guided by their compassion and love ------not by their circumstance ----and the Jailer was effected by the Agape and compassion that was being shown to him by the very people he put in that lower deeper dungeon so they couldn't escape ---

So the Jailer wants to be saved ----Paul tells he that he must believe (have Faith ) in the Lord Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour ---and you and your household if they also believe can be saved ---

We see Paul and Silas spoke God's word about salvation to the Jailer and his household -and God's the Father had to have changed their hardened heart to an acceptable heart to receive in their heart what Paul was preaching to them ------

We see that the Jailer attended to the bloody wounds of Paul and Silas ---this is showing True Repentance and his Following of the Agape that Paul and Silas had shown to him at the prison ----when he was going to kill himself ----

and immediately he and his household were Baptised --and saved -----and they all rejoiced by breaking bread together ---

So this jailer went from the fear of having to kill himself to experiencing great Joy -----

Quite the ending --Folks

 

[paradox3]

Quite the turnaround @unsafe.

 

[unsafe]

And the change in the Jailer's Heart ----Sight and Character is a good example of what Happens to the person who becomes Spiritually Born Again ----your hostility towards God turns to Love for God ---and your desire is to do what pleases God's will for your life ----

Your whole demeanor changes ---