Jesus' Words Only

Why does Luke add "for days" Paul accepted demonic Python seer's support? Why God wants us to read.

Jul 7, 2022

Video Description

Why did Luke include story of the Python Priestess who for many days endorsed the "way of salvation" taught by Paul. (Acts 16:16-19.) Clearly because his Acts was addressed to Theophilus, a magistrate at Rome involved in the upcoming hearing at Rome before Nero on the charges against Paul. (He was accused of causing Theophilus -- a Gentile from Ephesus -- to violate the Temple of Jerusaem's holy area where uncircumcised Gentiles were by Torah and Roman law prohibited to enter.)

The reason Luke uses is because Acts is part of a defense trial brief. These facts about the Python's endorsement will cause pagans to strongy favor Paul, and hopefully exonerate him. (Paul was acquitted in this trial before Nero.) Luke did not intend Acts for Christians because Christians would see this adverse to Paul --- a demon's endorsement for "many days" of Paul's "way of salvation" -- for this casts doubt on Paul's message.

Acts was not intended for Christians to regard Paul as an important missionary, as Mauck in his 2001 book demonstrates, entitled Defense of Christianity. The church was compelled to come to Paul's defense in the pending trial at Rome by Nero because Christianity could be outlawed if Paul is found guilty of bringing Trophimus into the Temple holy area where uncircumcised gentiles cannot enter. Up to then, Christianity grew as a recognized sect within Judaism, as far as Rome was concerned.

In the passage at issue, Luke records that a woman with "spirit of Python" followed Paul for "many days," saying "these are servants of the Most High God teach us a way of salvation." (Acts 16:17.) She likely meant Paul was servant of Zeus -- the "most high God" of paganism. And she endorsed Paul's "way of salvation," but not necessarily Jesus.

The manuscript evidence is that :Python" is in the Alexandrian copy, and the Latin Vulgate. The Alexandrian line is the most authoritative line. The Latin Vulgate confirms it.

We highlight an article by Pastor Curtis where he tries to equate to how Jesus stopped a demon at the Capernaum synagogue from affirming he was "the Holy One of God." See https://www.bereanbiblechurch.org/tra... entitled

But in the passage in Mark he had in mind, Jesus rebuked the demon immediately, and it came out. Jesus did not wait around for days to seek an advantage from delay to exorcise the demon.

The use of this Python Priestess today is for us to pass the text that false prophets who teach apostasy from the Mosaic law, in Deut 13:1-10, quoted and / or paraphrased in material part in Matt 7:21-23. It proves Paul's ally was the demons, and he took advantage of it -- perhaps just out of strategy. He cast it out only likely because Christian people began to wonder why a demon endorsed Paul's "way of salvation."

 

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