Acts 16:19

"But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they laid hold on Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers"Saw that the hope of their gain was gone" Which proves that the girl was not. willing participant in the business. They had been exploiting her sad condition, and not using some natural or learned skill that he had acquired. In that such. case, she could have always re-learned it, but this is something that was gone for good, or something that was clearly beyond their power to retrieve. "Luke makes. play on words, which is lost to the English reader. He says that when the evil spirit 'went out' (exelthen), the masters saw that their hope of profit 'went out' (exelthen)" (Reese p. 583). Or as Bruce expresses it, "for when Paul exorcised the spirit that possessed her he exorcised their source of income as well" (p. 335).

Consider the motives of these men. "The one thing that these men felt was not joy at. fellow-creature's restoration to health and sanity but fury that their source of revenue was gone" (Barclay pp. 134-135). Note that there is absolutely no compassion on their part for the young lady who had already brought them. good living, and people question the concept of hell! Erdman notes, "there are men today who are willing to acquire wealth by the degradation of womanhood, and who resent as impertinent intrusion every attempt to deliver their victims from the power of sin" (p. 133). Those people today who try to hide behind the Constitution and oppose all attempts to restrict pornography, and so-called adult businesses are manifesting the same attitude as the owners of this slave-girl. At this point we should note that nothing is said concerning whether this girl became. Christian."Laid hold on Paul and Silas" "In that day men could do their own arresting" (Reese p. 583). We do not know why Luke and Timothy were not also arrested at this time. Possibly they were not viewed as the leaders of this group, or they might not have been present, but rather preaching in. different part of the community. "Dragged them" Indicating rough treatment. "Into the marketplace" "Luke's account of what happened in Philippi accurately reflects the situation in. Roman colony. The slave owners dragged Paul and Silas into the agora, which was not only the market-place but the center of. city's public life" (Stott p. 266). "The judgment-seat, on which the authorities sat to administer justice, and from orators made speeches, would have been located there" (Reese p. 583). "Rulers" The Greek term here is archon, "as Philippi was. Roman colony, its municipal administration was in the hands of two collegiate magistrates" (Bruce p. 335).