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(5) At the separation of the church from the synagogue, we read that, `certain of the vagabond Jews,
exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus'. These men
were overpowered and wounded (Acts 19:13-16).
There is no reason to doubt that `Python' was simply another name for `that old Serpent, the Devil', and the
apostle was not going beyond his experience when he spoke the comforting words of Romans 16:20: `The God of
peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly'.
We observe here - for our learning and warning - that this demon-possessed woman spoke words of truth. No
fault can be found with her statement: `These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the
way of salvation' (Acts 16:17).
This was certainly true, and the God Who sent them is given His true place and title. `The Most High ...' is a
title used elsewhere in the Acts by Stephen (Acts 7:48). They were also truly described as `servants' on their own
confession, for Paul uses the same word (doulos) again and again to define his own position as `a servant of Jesus
Christ' (Rom. 1:1). There are but five words used in the original for the phrase: `Which show unto us the way of
salvation', and we believe it would be difficult for the wisest Christian to express in five words a truer and fuller
synopsis of apostolic witness. The word `show' here is kataggello, used in Acts 13:5,38 and 15:36 and elsewhere
for Paul's `preaching'. Also, the use of the word `Way' as a symbol of the gospel is masterly; the same word is used
elsewhere in Acts 9:2; 13:10; 18:26; 19:9,23; 22:4 and 24:14. Here, then, we have a perfect presentation of truth.
The apostle and his companions are `servants', the One they serve is `The Most High God', and their great work is
`to shew unto us the way of salvation'. Yet we read that the apostle was grieved and commanded the spirit, in the
name of Jesus Christ, to come out of the woman - `And he came out the same hour'. Satan has no conscience and
no honour. He will persecute, imprison, and kill, or, on the other hand, he will quote Scripture and utter the most
irreproachable commendation of the gospel and its messengers, but he has but one end - to deceive, to corrupt, to
keep the Son of God, if possible, from His rightful throne.
As servants of the most high God, we must look deeper than the surface before we allow anyone to involve our
ministry with theirs. They may give an unimpeachable testimony to the Truth, they may appear to be ministers of
righteousness, and yet, all the time, they may be like the false apostles and emissaries of him who, for his own ends,
comes as an `angel of light'. The apostle here was evidently sensible of `Satan's devices' and would not allow his
ministry to be thus compromised. We are not, of course, endowed with any supernatural gift of infallibility, and
there is a possibility that, at times, our concern for the sacred trust committed to us, may have caused us to refuse
some proffered fellowship that would have been helpful. If this should have been so, He Who judges the thoughts
and intents of the heart will deal with us both righteously and in mercy.
Paul and Silas, and the Philippian Jailor
(Acts 16:19-40)
In Acts 16:16 we read that the damsel possessed by the spirit of Python `brought her masters much gain by
sooth- saying'. The word ergasia, `gain' occurs four times in the Acts, and in each case we find it to be the motive
behind the persecution of the apostle (Acts 16:16,19; 19:24, 25). The flame of persecution, which was fanned by the
Evil One, was directed to one end - to destroy the testimony of the gospel. The kind of instrument used to this end
was immaterial so long as the end itself was achieved, and so we find him using both Jews and Gentiles. At one
time it was Saul of Tarsus, a Hebrew and a Pharisee, whose moral uprightness was such that he could write of that
period of his life: `touching the righteousness of the law blameless'. Saul would have scorned to have followed the
rabble, or to have been moved by the desire for gain; nevertheless he persecuted the Church. The Jews, either by
their religious leaders, or because of their own fanatical adherence to the tradition of their fathers, persecuted the
Church. But we find that the Gentiles also persecuted the Church, moved by the fact that the Christian faith, by
supplanting their idolatries, robbed them of their gains, and at length, Rome, the protector of the apostle during the
Acts, became the great persecutor of the Church under the awful rule of Nero and his successors.
During the period covered by the first fifteen chapters of the Acts we read of persecution arising from the
following causes: