Sermon Tone Analysis

Good morning & Welcome to New Hope

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.

Paul & Silas, while traveling to a place of prayer encountered a woman who was a slave and had the gift of being able to tell the future.

Actually, she had a spirit (more specifically a demon) within her.

This special talent that she had made her very valuable to a few individuals who were taking advantage of her.

In fact, there were those (scriptures call them masters) who had taken her as a slave and were making bank off of her special ability.

She was able to tell people’s future - and there were those who were willing to cough up the cash for this service.

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.

Paul & Silas, while traveling to a place of prayer encountered a woman who was a slave and had the gift of being able to tell the future.

Actually, she had a spirit (more specifically a demon) within her.

This special talent that she had made her very valuable to a few individuals who were taking advantage of her.

In fact, there were those (scriptures call them masters) who had taken her as a slave and were making bank off of her special ability.

She was able to tell people’s future - and there were those who were willing to cough up the cash for this service.

She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”

Well, because she was able to tell the future, there were things that she knew about people.

She was aware of who Paul and Silas were and she would follow them around the area shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”

She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”

Well, because she was able to tell the future, there were things that she knew about people.

She was aware of who Paul and Silas were and she would follow them around the area shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”

Huh… Seems like this might be good advertising, right.

Who needs a commercial or billboard when you have a human megaphone following you around proclaiming who you are and why you’ve come.

But Paul knew something that we don’t really understand at face value.

You see, this demon-possessed slave girl was communicating a mixed message.

One commentator wrote, “Paul’s concern was that she was saying these things under the influence of an evil spirit and was confusing his non-Jesus following audience.

What she was saying could have been easily misunderstood.

Bystanders could have thought Paul & Silas were under the influence of a demon as well.”

The Greek word here for “shouting” is “to croak as a raven; scream; loud raucous voice”.

It doesn’t seem to indicate a nice-sounding tone coming from her voice that would be pleasant to hear.

But even beyond just the shear sound was the mixed messaging from someone demon-possessed trying to lead people to faith in Jesus.

But even beyond just the shear sound was the mixed messaging from someone demon-possessed trying to lead people to faith in Jesus.

This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.”

And instantly it left her.

She was doing this day after day.

Paul had had enough.

After displaying much patience, she’s following them, screaming in a loud shrill voice, and Paul turns to her and says to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” and instantly it left her.

Now we’re thinking - that’s great.

She’s been freed from this demon that’s been inhabiting her.

Life’s good, right?

This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.”

And instantly it left her.

She was doing this day after day.

Paul had had enough.

After displaying much patience, she’s following them, screaming in a loud shrill voice, and Paul turns to her and says to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” and instantly it left her.

Now we’re thinking - that’s great.

She’s been freed from this demon that’s been inhabiting her.

Life’s good, right?

Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace.

Imagine the anger her masters would have felt in this moment.

She’s their meal ticket, making them loads of money for doing very little.

It’s their retirement plan.

They’re going to grow old and sit by the pool while watching their net worth steadily climb.

Imagine the anger her masters would have felt in this moment.

She’s their meal ticket, making them loads of money for doing very little.

It’s their retirement plan.

They’re going to grow old and sit by the pool while watching their net worth steadily climb.

Here’s a funny play on words that you probably wouldn’t see, but the Greek word for “left” in verse 18 when it says the demon “instantly left her”, and in verse 19 when it says their “hopes of wealth were now shattered.”

The word “shattered” is the same word for left in the previous verse.

The writer of Acts, Dr. Luke, is using a funny play on words.

As the demon “got scarce”, so their hopes of wealth “got scarce”.

So what do they do?

They grab the two of them - literally, they laid hands on Paul & Silas, dragging them before the authorities at the marketplace.

The text seems to indicate that these masters worked quickly to form a mob and get the city in a frenzy in a short amount of time.

“The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials.

“They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”

20“The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials.

They were accused of “teaching customs that are illegal for Romans to practice.”

Interesting, given the fact that Paul and Silas are Roman citizens!

So obviously the accusations and charges brought against them are baseless.

In fact, if you look closely at the dialogue that was used - “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!

They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”

They were accused of “teaching customs that are illegal for Romans to practice.”

Interesting, given the fact that Paul and Silas are Roman citizens!

So obviously the accusations and charges brought against them are baseless.

In fact, if you look closely at the dialogue that was used - “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!

They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”

21“They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”

They were accused of “teaching customs that are illegal for Romans to practice.”

Interesting, given the fact that Paul and Silas are Roman citizens!

So obviously the accusations and charges brought against them are baseless.

In fact, if you look closely at the dialogue that was used - “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!

They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”

4 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods.

They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison.

The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape.

So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.

24So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.

22A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods.

And so those in authority did what only they could do in the face of an angry mob railing for justice.