Description

Acts 16:16-24

16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her. 19 When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice. 22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to stripped and beaten. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. (NIV 84)

FROM THE LESSON

Spirit of a Python: in verse 16, Luke literally reports that this slave girl had the "spirit of a python." This is a reference to the young women who served as priestess at the Oracle at Delphi. These women were called Pythia, named after the Python dragon that the Greek god Apollo had defeated. 

Ventriloquism: in verse 16, the word translated as "fortune-telling" will also be used to describe the art of ventriloquism. This is how the Greeks would have thought about what was happening with this slave girl. The words she spoke would have been understood as the very words of the gods being spoken through her, just like a ventriloquist and his puppet. 

IJM: International Justice Mission is a Christian organization that partners with local authorities all around the world to combat human trafficking and slavery, particularly violence against women and the exploitation of children. You can check out the incredible work they do at www.ijm.org.

WHY SPEAK THE NAME OF JESUS?

• We speak the name of Jesus because we submit our lives to His authority.
• We speak the name of Jesus because we want to live without any ambiguity.
• We speak the name of Jesus because we desire to see His liberating activity.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. How many times did you speak the name of Jesus last week? Think about it and try to come up with a number. 
2. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:9 that "His name is above every name and at the name of Jesus every knee should bow." How can you speak the name of Jesus more in your day to day life as a way of submitting your life to His authority?
3. Peter spoke these words in Acts 4:12, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." Peter was crystal clear with his message. How can you speak the name of Jesus more in your day to day life as a way of living without any ambiguity?
4. The angel of the Lord told Joseph in Matthew 1:21, "You are to give him the name Jesus because he will set His people free from sin." How can you speak the name of Jesus more in your day to day life as a way of seeing His liberating activity?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcmqSfr1ENY