The Problem With Free Advertising

  It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling.  Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, "These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation."  She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out at that very moment.
  But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities, and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans."  The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods.  When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. (Acts 16:16-24 NASB)

So there's Paul and Silas moving about the Roman colony of Philippi sharing the good news that Jesus died for all reconciling all to God, and having a rough go of it.  There's a lot of competing religious views, and due to the glut of differences, there's also a lot of jaded "religious consumers".  One competitor seems to be very helpful.  This slave-girl with a "python spirit".  What this means is that she is considered to be an "oracle", able to tell fortunes and futures by means of a possessing spirit.  Such people were thought by historians to be ecstatic in their pronouncements, which means customers got a show along with their fortune.

This particular oracle is following Paul and Silas about the city claiming that they were servants of God Most High (El Elyon in Hebrew) proclaiming the way of salvation.  The claim was true, that's who they were and what they were doing.  Perhaps Paul and Silas were gaining some traction from her "free advertising", but it seems that a few days of this and Paul has had it with the spirit.  He casts it out in the name of Jesus Christ, and she is freed from the possession of the oracle.  We never find out what she thinks of this.  We do find out what her employers/owners think of it.  Paul and Silas wind up in jail.

While Luke isn't clear on why Paul was annoyed, I did find a possibility.  Remember it takes a few days for his annoyance to reach an action point.  Well, the definite article on "way" is actually supplied in most English translations.  In Greek, this isn't that big a deal, but leaves some ambiguity about how to be saved.  So, when there's a lot of competition in a place, and they are said to be one of possible others, the advertising may have been more detrimental than helpful.  The ambiguity may be why it took Paul a few days.  If the results started reflecting an interpretation of them as part of the "religious cafeteria" then it has to go.

The other result was they they were thrown into prison without trial.  That may not surprise us with low expectations of fair treatment in those days, but it wasn't the norm.  The words of the girl's owners gives a clue as to what caused such harsh treatment.  But the clue needs to be combined with the other element that there was no synagogue in Philippi.  The customs of the Jews were not "illegal" in Roman society, it was the conversion or proselytizing that was a problem.  Even that wasn't illegal, but Jews held themselves apart from many of the Roman customs and legal requirements.  They had a special "legal right" to practice their faith when others did not.  This surely grated on people.  Some embraced their position, others were offended or jealous.  In this city, it seems they were not welcome.

A Roman colony has a special legal status as well.  They were exempt from certain taxes (a poll tax) and the surrounding fields were exempt from property taxes.  Colonies were bastions of Roman culture among barbarian peoples; or so they thought.  The last thing this colony wanted was Jewish elements "coloring" their Roman life.  So, they reacted strongly to the accusation that Paul and Silas were Jews teaching illegal practices.  Paul and Silas may have been surprised by the treatment since being both Jewish and Roman citizens, they usually were able to move about without incident.  And all this happened because Paul frees a girl possessed by both a fortune-telling spirit and money-hungry slave-owners.

What is interesting is that Paul and Silas don't protest.  Even in the jail, they're singing praises to God (and have pretty good voices because the other inmates are listening to them at midnight).  There's no protest, no call for a lawyer, no claim of Roman citizenship before the magistrates or jailer, nothing.  They allow themselves to be beaten and jailed.  It's possible that they did protest, but couldn't be heard over the crowd, it's further possible that they weren't conscious when jailed and couldn't protest then.  But even so, they woke up and praised God from the stocks rather than complained that they were ill-treated Romans.  Even to God they didn't complain that they received this treatment after doing good to the slave girl.

I learn a few lessons here.  First I learn that not everything that is cheap or free is from my Master.  Second I learn that doing good does not guarantee good treatment from others, even the ones to whom I do the good.  And third, I learn that in all things, good and bad, it is always appropriate to praise my Master.  He remains God and on His throne regardless of my circumstances.  Perhaps it is once again an acceptance that heaven makes all suffering here well compensated.  I suppose that could be it, but there is more.  Having been jailed, these two reach the jailer, a significant person in Philippi.  It wasn't easy to endure the beating, but they finally achieved traction in Philippi.  And if the letter Paul writes later is any indication, the church does pretty well after he leaves. 

So was it worth it?  Was the free advertising worth it?  Was the beating and prison time worth it?  The embarrassment of punishment without a trial, was that worth it?  How about my own difficulties?  Well, mine don't really compare to all this, but any I do face from doing the right thing, are they worth it?  If the Kingdom of my King grows and my King is honored, then, yes, it's worth it.  If what I suffer is from serving my King as my King directs, then, yes, it's worth it.  If I am obedient to my King, I must also accept the consequences of such service, whether they're comfortable consequences or not.  Fun.  Well, at least it keeps life interesting.