Footsteps #81

As Paul and his companions were making their way through the streets of Philippi one day “One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes.” NLT (Acts.16:16) they were met by a demon-possessed slave girl. She began to follow them crying, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” (V17 NLT). This was actually a hindrance to their work as it made them look ridiculous, so out of a burst of pity and indignation, Paul suddenly turned around and addressing the spirit said,” I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her. (v18 NLT). 

Her masters saw that all hope of receiving income from her predictions and prophecies were at an end. Touched in their pockets they determined to have vengeance somehow. They stirred up a mob and had Paul and Silas dragged before the magistrate. They accused them of stirring up the city. After condemnation without trial, their garments were torn off, they were tied to the whipping post in the forum and flogged, and then cast into prison. 

This was the first of 3 such scourging’s that Paul was to endure from the Roman lashers, and 5 other times he endured the torments of this dangerous and lacerating anguish of the cat of 9 tails, at the hands of the Jews. This was a horror for even the strongest men, but Paul was a week and frail man standing (according to church history) at about 1.5m tall.  

They were placed in stocks (v24) which had 5 holes for the neck, arms, and legs. A position that made sleep almost impossible. They had been scourged but were not discouraged, because over all this complication of miseries the souls of Paul and Silas rose in triumph. With heroic cheerfulness, they laced the long black hours of the night with prayer and hymns. If only we would learn that lesson when the long sleepless nights envelop our joy in the Lord. The presence of anxiety is unavoidable, but the prison of anxiety is optional. It’s the life of perpetual anxiety that Paul addressed in Phil 4:6-9. TBC tomorrow.