Suffering at the Hands of the Romans!

​“Now she continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and he 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 suddenly gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities, and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men, Jews as they are, are causing our city trouble, and they are proclaiming customs that are not lawful for us to accept or to practice, since we are Romans.” The crowd joined in an attack against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭16:18-22‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/2692/act.16.18-22.NASB2020

Usually, Paul suffered at the hands of the Jewish leaders, but now in Philippi, he is suffering at the hands of the Romans. In verse 13 we find Paul and his entourage not going into the synagogue as usual but going out the riverbank where the Jews gathered and he spoke to the women there. I am guessing that there were no prominent men in the assembly because he spoke to the women. My commentary says for a synagogue to be established there had to be ten men in the congregation. 

But Paul found favor in the woman named Lydia and stayed at her house. But then the opposition found him through a slave girl who was possessed by the same kind of spirit that ruled the Jewish leadership. One that when Jesus shows up and tips the status quo away from the evil deeds toward the light they freak out. 

This same spirit is at work today. Whenever Jesus tips the status quo either in an individual’s life or the government Satan has to go on the defense. When things are tipped in his favor he continues in his lies taking down as many people as he can. But Jesus is after the health, well-being, and hearts as would welcome Him. 

In what areas are we letting the Devil lie to us? In what areas are we allowing Jesus to be the Truth?

“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.”

‭‭John‬ ‭8:44‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/2692/jhn.8.44.NASB2020

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14:6‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/2692/jhn.14.6.NASB2020