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Weekly Bible Study Resources
Bible Characters for Your Weekly Bible Study
Compiled by Lt Gen C. Norman Wood, USAF (Ret), Burke, VA 22015
For week of November 23 - 29, 2009
Howell, Mrs. Sharon Slaton (CS, Knoxville, TN), "Christ nullifies the necromancy of today,"
Christian Science Journal, Vol.114 (July 1996), p. 19.
--Power belongs to God alone. It does not belong to evil, not ever. And when you and I are convinced of
this unchangeable fact, we are able to resist aggressive mental interference, which would otherwise
temporarily obscure our responsibility as followers of Christ Jesus to destroy the supposed activity of
evil.
--It’s important to know what we are defending ourselves against. For example, do we ever feel
mentally burdened and wonder why?
--In our day, hidden evil includes black and white magic, demonology, Satanism, voodoo, and
palmistry. That such practices are not in harmony with divine law is made clear in the Bible in
Deuteronomy: "There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to
pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or
a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these
things are an abomination unto the Lord." (18:10-12)
--"The devils" are still subject to God's power.
SECTION I: Jehoshaphat Reaffirms His Trust in God (II Chron 20: 5, 6, 9, 30)
RELATED SCRIPTURE: I Kings 22: 41-49
TIME LINE AND AUTHOR: "Jewish tradition strongly favors Ezra the priest…as 'the chronicler'.
These records were most likely recorded c. 450-430 B.C." (MacArthur Bible Commentary) The event
took place during the reign of Jehoshaphat, 874-850 BC.
“Jehoshaphat stood in the redecorated center court [the new court, v.5] praying for the nation,
appealing to the promises, the glory, and the reputation of God which were at stake since He was
identified with Judah.” (MacArthur Bible Commentary)
King Jehoshaphat of Judah
[Jė hōsh’a făt] (“Jehovah hath judged”)
David
Solomon

King Asa of Judah (5th king of Davidic dynasty)
Jehoshaphat
Jehoram
Jehoshaphat was the son and successor of Asa, king of Judah. He succeeded to the throne 875
BC, when he was 35 years old as the fourth king of Judah, and reigned 25 years. “He was
contemporary with Ahab, Ahaziah, and Jehoram.” (Peloubet’s Dictionary) “His reign is given only
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — November 23 - 29, 2009
brief attention in Kings, but he is one of the Chronicler’s favorite monarchs.” (Oxford Guide to People
& Places)
After fortifying his kingdom against Israel, he set himself to cleanse the land of idolatry. In the
third year of his reign he sent out priests and Levites over the land to instruct the people in the law. He
enjoyed a great measure of peace and prosperity, the blessing of God resting on the people "in their
basket and their store."
"He…joined Jehoram, king of Israel," in a war against the Moabites, who were under tribute to
Israel." (Easton Dictionary)
The last most notable event of his reign was that recorded in II Chronicles 20. The Moabites
formed a great and powerful confederacy with the surrounding nations, and came against Jehoshaphat.
The allied forces were encamped at Engedi. The king and his people were filled with alarm, and betook
themselves to God in prayer. The king prayed in the court of the temple, "O our God, wilt thou not
judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us." Amid the silence
that followed, the voice of Jahaziel the Levite was heard announcing that on the morrow all this great
host would be overthrown. So it was, for they quarreled among themselves, and slew one another,
leaving to the people of Judah only to gather the rich spoils of the slain. This was recognized as a great
deliverance wrought for them by God (890 BC).
Soon after this Jehoshaphat died, after a reign of twenty-five years, being sixty years of age, and
was succeeded by his son Jehoram. He had this testimony, that "he sought the Lord with all his heart.”
The kingdom of Judah was never more prosperous than under his reign.
“Divine Spirit, fear, and the flu,” Christian Science Monitor (3 November 2005), p. 18.
--The Hebrew Scriptures, in Second Chronicles, narrate how, in a time of national threat, King
Jehoshaphat stood in Jerusalem before the temple and prayed.
• The Bible gives us the substance of his prayer in the words, "If, when evil cometh upon us, as
the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy
name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help" (II Chron.
20:9).
--This verse indicates to me that in the face of any threat, it is important to stand in God's presence.
• I think that this means more than just a bland assertion that God is everywhere; we need to
stand firmly and know that God is supreme, all-power, infinitely present.
---This prayer of affirmation of the awesome power of God should lift us into a greater
awareness of His omnipotence.
• This kind of prayer is not a mere recital of words; it confronts the specter of fear in our
thinking and destroys it. It calls upon the mighty power of God to confront and annul our affliction,
whether it be violence, disease, or famine.
Haw, Richard Claude, “Demonstrating the Unity of God’s Realm,” Christian Science Journal,
Vol.81 (April 1963), p. 200.
--Probably never before in history has there been such turmoil as there is today; yet paradoxically there
must surely never have been more desire for peace, more concern for others, and more evidence of the
brotherhood of mankind. We are going through a period in which the activity of Truth in human
consciousness is awakening evil to resist its destroyer. Christian Science is revealing God’s kingdom,
wherein one recognizes his brother and himself as spiritual children of God, governed, sustained, and
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — November 23 - 29, 2009
empowered by Him; hence today’s discord, since the base elements of mortal mind are being brought to
the surface and materialism is being overturned.
--Man is not divided into categories which war against each other.
--All sovereignty and majesty are in God’s hand and can never be challenged by any temporal power.
SECTION II: Daniel in the Lion’s Den (Dan 6: 1, 2 [to :], 4-7, 9, 11, 13, 15 Know, 16, 19-23 [to 1st
.], 25-27)
TIME LINE AND AUTHOR: Probably written by Daniel @530 BC.
“The sixth chapter opens with Darius the Mede’s reorganization of the kingdom.” (Eerdmans
Commentary) He “divides his kingdom into 120 satrapies, the whole being superintended by three
higher officials, of whom Daniel was one (vv.1,2)." (Dummelow Commentary)
“Daniel had lived over sixty years [is of the children of the captivity of Judah, v.13] in Babylon.
His loyalty to the rulers was well known (5:13); in spite of that loyalty, his consistent faithfulness to
God brought this threat.” (MacArthur Bible Commentary)
King Darius the Mede
[Duh ri'uhs] (Per. "he who upholds the good")
"Darius, of uncertain lineage, came to the throne of Persia through suspect circumstances."
(Eerdmans Dictionary) “Darius the Mede is mentioned only in the book of Daniel, where he is
identified as the king who overthrew Babylon (Dan 5:31). This claim is historically inaccurate, and
there is some question as to the actual identity of Darius the Mede. “ (All the People in the Bible)
"For the postexilic community of Yehud, the Persian administrative district surrounding
Jerusalem, Darius served as a supportive figure in efforts to rebuild the temple. Ezra recounts how,
despite returning to Jerusalem under Cyrus, work on the temple in Jerusalem did not begin in earnest
until the second year of Darius' reign, ca. 520 (Ezra 4:24). During that year, the prophets Haggai and
Zechariah, working with Zerubbabel the governor and Jeshua the high priest, initiated a successful
community effort to rebuild the temple which had been in ruins since the Babylonian conquest of 587."
(Ibid)
Daniel
[Dan’yuhl] (Heb. “God is my judge/Judge of God”)
(Abbreviated)
Daniel is the hero of the Book of Daniel, represented as a Jew in the Babylonian exile who is
skilled in the interpretation of dreams and is miraculously preserved in the lions’ den. He was
descended from one of the noble families of Judah, and was probably born in Jerusalem about 623 BC,
during the reign of Josiah. "Although some stories about Daniel might date to earlier centuries, the
book of Daniel was completed in the 2nd century BC." (Eerdmans Dictionary)….
Years later, Darius made Daniel once more one of the most powerful men in the kingdom.
Those who were jealous of his position tried to discredit him, but were unable to find any fault in his
public service. Hoping to hit at him through his faith, they persuaded Darius to issue an edict whereby
for thirty days everyone was to worship the king alone, on penalty of being thrown to the lions. “The
best known of all the Daniel stories, of course, is that of the lion’s den.” (All the People of the Bible) As
the story goes, Daniel disobeyed; the king reluctantly threw him in the lions’ den; the king fasted all
night; Daniel prayed to his God for protection; and to the king’s delight, Daniel emerged unscathed….
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — November 23 - 29, 2009
Moore, Elise L. (CSB and Lecturer; Nashville, TN), “The healing power of the Scriptures,”
SPIRITUALITY & HEALING, Christian Science Journal, Vol.121 (June 2003), p. 44.
--Whenever I faced a perplexing problem, often my first prayer was to ask which Bible character had
faced a similar situation.
• I looked for the spiritual ideas that helped that individual, and then tried to see how those same
inspired thoughts would help me.
---For example, when I was being sexually harassed at work after I reached adulthood, I
thought of how Daniel was safe even in the lions’ den.
• Daniel felt there was power and strength in innocence.
---His conviction in the power of good protected him.
• And so he could say, “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they
have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king,
have I done no hurt.” [Dan 6:22]
Hackett, Eloise, “Darius Keeps His Vigil,” POEM, Christian Science Sentinel, Vol.52 (18 November
1950), p. 2001.
Pride was my sin,
pride in the power of the signet ring
that made my mandates permanent,
changeless forever, according to the law.
And for this pride, I sacrificed my friend,
Daniel, my right hand.
Even now my signet seals the lions’ den
wherein I cast him.
But this God, whom Daniel serveth,
surely He will deliver him.
I will humble myself before this God
If He will prove His might.
All night I have fasted,
and now that dawn is come I break open the seal.
Daniel, O Daniel!
He answereth me!
Truly his God is a strong God;
His power is greater than that of my ring.
Quinn, Doris Kerns, “Daniel and the Lions,” POEM, Christian Science Sentinel, Vol.69 (25 February
1967), p. 326.
Deep in the den, blocked by a massive stone,
Daniel and the lions passed the night.
Among these beasts he might have seemed alone
And in a pitiful and hopeless plight.
But he was ready for the awful hour;
For many a God-close year he had prepared
Till there was nothing left in him to cower
And cry, “Oh, tell me, why was I not spared
This harsh ordeal?” Daniel trusted God.
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — November 23 - 29, 2009
Innocency kept him free from harm;
His courage ruled the lions like a rod;
His love subdued them like a circling arm;
He must have known that Love was there before
He entered through that dark, forbidding door.
Hooper, E. Howard, “’Where shall the gaze rest?,’” Christian Science Journal, Vol.56 (March 1938),
p. 645.
--In a well-known painting of Daniel in the lions’ dens, known as “Daniel’s Answer to the King,” this
true, courageous soldier of God is shown standing near the opening of the den.
• It is interesting to note that Daniel is pictured, not as looking at the lions, or terrified by their
presence, but as standing erect, fearless, his face toward the light, looking upward, confidently awaiting
his release.
---This is evident in his reply to the king’s inquiry as to whether his God had been able to
deliver him: “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me:
forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no
hurt.”
--One might easily surmise what would have been Daniel’s fate had he, upon being cast into the den,
allowed his thought to descend to the low level of resentment, indignation, doubt, and fear.
SECTION III: The Temptation of Jesus by the Devil (Matt 4: 1-4, 8-11)
PARALLEL GOSPELS: Mark 1: 12,13; Luke 4: 1-13
RELATED SCRIPTURE: Ps 91: 11,12; Heb 2: 18; 4:15
TIME LINE: January-February, 27 AD, the preparation period in the wilderness of Judea
“The narrative which can only have come from our Lord’s own lips, describes an actual
historical fact, the great temptation which He underwent at the very beginning of His ministry.”
(Dummelow Commentary) “In the brief Markan account [Mark 1:12,13] available to Matthew, the
confrontation between Jesus and Satan is a test of strength, not a moral temptation, and no words are
exchanged.” (People’s NT Commentary)
V.1: “God Himself is never the agent of temptation (James 1:13), but here—as in the Book of
Job—God uses even satanic tempting to serve His sovereign purposes.” (MacArthur Commentary)
"Although the forty days of temptation [v.2] are the typological equivalent of Israel's forty years
of wandering, they also have rightly reminded…others of Moses' fast of forty days and forty nights (Ex
24:18)." (Oxford Bible Commentary)
"The urgency to turn the stones into bread [v.3] appealed to Jesus' most basic human need in
light of the extensive fast." (King James Bible Commentary)
V.4: "The victory in each aspect of the temptation is related to Jesus' use of Scripture: It is
written. (Ibid)
V.5: "The holy city, Jerusalem. The pinnacle mentioned in the next clause most likely
overlooked the temple courts and the deep valley of the Kidron below." (New Oxford Annotated Bible)
“The ‘high mountain’ [v.8] is Matthew’s addition, which he seems to have adopted from Mark
9:2….It strengthens the allusion to Moses.” (People’s NT Commentary)
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — November 23 - 29, 2009
V.11: "The verse [Ps 91: 11,12] Satan tried to twist—is thus fulfilled in God's way and in God's
perfect timing." (MacArthur Bible Commentary)
Devil/Satan
[Dev’uhl] (Gr. diabolis “accuser” or “slanderer”)
“DEVIL. Evil; a lie; error; neither corporeality nor mind; the opposite of Truth; a belief
in sin, sickness, and death; animal magnetism or hypnotism; the lust of the flesh, which
saith: ‘I am life and intelligence in matter. There is more than one mind, for I am mind, —
a wicked mind, self-made or created by a tribal god and put into the opposite of mind,
termed matter, thence to reproduce a mortal universe, including man, not after the image
and likeness of Spirit, but after its own image.’" (S&H 584:17)
(Abbreviated)
The word devil is “used in the Septuagint to translate the Hebrew ‘Satan’ and in the NT as a
virtual synonym for the same term. In the KJV, it is also regularly employed as a translation of another
Greek word (daimón), which, however, in the RSV is translated as 'demon.'” (HarperCollins
Dictionary)
The devil is “the personal dimension of that which opposes God’s purposes in His world. For
some people, belief in a personal Satan is part of mankind's nursery furniture.” (Holman Dictionary) He
is portrayed as a slanderer, the arch-enemy of man's spiritual interest in Job, Zechariah, and Revelation.
The devil is called also "the accuser of the brethren" in Revelation….
“By the time the New Testament books were written, God had led their authors to a clear-cut
doctrine of Satan.” (Ibid) In the narratives of the Gospels regarding the "casting out of devils"
the Greek word (daimón) is used. "[The devil] is the great enemy of God and man (I Peter 5:8; I
John 3:8), who tempted Christ and incites men to sin (Matt 4:1; John 13:2)." (Westminster
Dictionary) In the time of our Lord there were frequent cases of demoniacal possession in
Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
Campbell, Margaret T., “Forty Days or Forty Nights?,” Christian Science Journal, Vol.42 (May
1924), p. 78.
--It is recorded of Jesus, in the gospel of Matthew, that he was “led up of the spirit into the wilderness,”
and that he was there for forty days.
• At the end of the forty days, he had completed a wonderful demonstration.
---He had had a sharp encounter with “Satan,” in which he had been the victor, refusing
evil’s suggestions of material bread and power, and remaining loyal to God.
• Jesus met the suggestions of material sense, silencing them in his own consciousness, with the
affirmations of Truth.
--Jesus’ battles with error were always short and sharp.
• This was because he was obedient.
---His spiritual armor, which was always on, rendered him invulnerable.
Correll, William Milford (CSB and Editor), “And the Devil Came Too,” EDITORIAL, Christian
Science Journal, Vol.87 (April 1969), p. 205.
--Mrs. Eddy says, “Matter and its effects — sin, sickness, and death — are states of mortal mind which
act, react, and then come to a stop.” [S&H p.283]
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• One must find out that his progress does not rest on the basis of mortal mind, or mortal will,
and is not subject to the belief of reaction.
--Another aspect of the problem is the belief in dualism, that both good and evil are real and that there
are opposing and antagonistic powers in real being.
• It is on the basis of the allness and onliness of God, good, that one can come free from any
belief of reversal.
---“Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” [Matt 4:10]
This was the basis of Jesus’ effective handling of the devil’s claims, and it is the basis of our ability too.
--If we keep free of personal sense, we will feel the direction of divine intelligence; and our progress
will show a steady and uninterrupted forward motion.
SECTION IV: Jesus Preaches in Galilee, and Heals the Man with the “unclean devil” (Luke 4: 14 [to
:], 23, 24, 28-36)
RELATED SCRIPTURE: Isa 53: 3
PARALLEL GOSPELS: Matt 4: 12-17, 23-25; Mark 1: 14, 15, 38, 39; John 4: 1-3, 43-45
TIME LINE: At the crossover of the Year of Inauguration (Jesus’ 1st year of ministry) in the synagogue
at Nazareth to the Year of Popularity and Fundamental Principles (Jesus’ 2nd year of ministry) in
Capernaum.
“a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil”
"The synoptic Gospels are largely silent about Jesus' ministry between His baptism and His
return to Galilee, but John recorded a fairly extensive ministry in Jerusalem and Judea (John 2:12-4:1).
Because of this, news of Him quickly spread [Luke v.14]." (MacArthur Commentary)
"Luke pictures Jesus attending ("as was his custom") the synagogue ([Luke] 4:16) and reading
scripture: "The Spirit…has anointed me to bring good news to the poor" (…quoting Isa 61:1-2)."
(Eerdmans Commentary)
"Jesus' pronouncement is a fulfillment of prophecy." (Ibid) His references to the Old Testament
prophets, using the Greek names of the New Testament, illustrate this fulfillment.
"This [v.28 filled with wrath] is Luke's first mention of hostile opposition to Christ's ministry.
What seems to have sparked the Nazarenes' fury was Christ's suggestion that divine grace might be
withheld from them, yet extended to Gentiles." (MacArthur Bible Commentary)
“Demon possession was prevalent in [Jesus’] time, and on numerous occasions [he] cast out
these fallen angels. In the synagogue at Nazareth one such demon spoke to [Jesus] from out of his
human captive’s body [vv.33-37].” (King James Commentary)
"Jesus refuses to settle down and let people come to him [v.43 for therefore am I sent]. He
represents the mission of God to the whole world (see [Luke] 24:44-49; Acts 1:8) and is a model for the
later church, which must not settle down and try to attract the world, but is always en route in carrying
out its mission to the world ([Luke] 24:47-48)." (People's NT Commentary)
Student, A, “Modus Operandi of Demonology,” ANIMAL MAGNETISM, Christian Science Journal,
Vol.6 (September 1888), p. 301.
--Hypnotism would filch from us, while asleep, our refuge in Truth, so that we shall be disarmed when
awake.
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• It would wring from us, with fierce hate, the love of our Cause and its Discoverer, and
impiously defraud us of our enlightened understanding.
• It would crush out the higher healing, or pervert and falsify and subvert it to a base use.
---Every move which makes for the advancement and security of our Cause, it seeks to
destroy.
---Every rule and precept, every pamphlet which gives enlightenment to our members, it
seeks to subvert.
• Against such enmity we must energize our dispositions with unconquerable firmness, blended
with piety, love, and an indefatigable determination to resist this malign influence.
Mattox, Willard S., “Physician, Heal Thyself,” Christian Science Sentinel, Vol.6 (23 January 1904),
p. 323.
--Jesus had to meet this pitiless lie: "He saved others; himself he cannot save."
• The diabolism which had pursued this Godlike man to the very finish, was capable of a last
refinement of cruelty. It was the distilled essence of all that was evil which uttered itself in those words.
--The design of this lie is to paralyze the natural recuperative effort which immediately follows the
suggestion of suffering. It assumes that the pain is real, that there is something about you which can be
pained, and that you are afraid of pain. Hoping that you will believe these untruths, it then suggests that
you need help, that you cannot heal yourself, that somebody else can bring you relief much quicker than
you can do the same thing for yourself.
--At the root of this lie, is the belief that pain is personal, that some specific pain is the property of some
particular person. The truth is, disease, like all error, is impersonal and nothing. Science and Health tells
us plainly that "Evil has no reality. It is neither person, place, nor thing, but is simply a belief, an
illusion of material sense" (p. 71).
SECTION V: Paul Bitten By the Poisonous Snake (Acts 28: 3,5)
TIME LINE AND AUTHOR: Written by Luke @ 62 AD. The event occurred during Paul’s voyage to
Rome on the island of Malta, 60-61 AD.
Malta [Melita, v.1] is “an island, seventeen miles long and nine miles wide, about sixty miles
south of Sicily. None of the sailors had previously been to the bay (known today as St. Paul’s Bay)
where they were shipwrecked.” (MacArthur Bible Commentary)
"As Paul was arranging the [bundle of sticks] on the fire [v.3], the viper, feeling the heat, glided
out of the [sticks] and bit the Apostle's hand." (Dummelow Commentary) [See Mark 16:18]
Paul
[Pawl]
(Abbreviated)
After Jesus himself, Paul is the most important figure in the history of Christianity. Although a
Jew, in Tarsus [south central Turkey], an important city of Cilicia, Paul, whose original name was
Saul, was born a Roman citizen. He was a tentmaker. All the influences about him from the
beginning—Jewish, Greek, Roman—contributed, apart from any consciousness or intention on his part
to fit him for the work of his life….
Second Missionary Journey (50-52 AD)). At the beginning of the next journey came the memorable
difference of opinion between Paul and Barnabas. Barnabas and Mark went to Cyprus. So, on Paul’s
second missionary journey, from Antioch [Syria] through what we know today as southeastern
Turkey, he journeyed to the Roman colony of Philippi [today’s Greek coast on the Aegean Sea]
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accompanied by Luke and Silas. "On this trip he planted churches in Galatia and in several cities in
Greece and Macedonia, including Corinth, Philippi, and Thessalonica, to whom he later wrote letters."
(All the People in the Bible)
The Vision at Troas [W coast, Turkey],
The text and meaning of Acts 16 are both in dispute. According to the “North Galatian” view,
Paul, Luke, and Silas now passed through the Phrygian and Galatic [Western Turkey] country after
and because he was hindered by the Holy Spirit from going west into Asia to Ephesus [Izmir,Turkey].
This would be the occasion on which he first visited Galatia, and the Galatia now visited would be part
of Asia Minor ethnographically as well as politically entitled to the name. “They instead turned north
and northwest, reaching the seaport of Troas. Here Paul was told in a vision to cross the north Aegean
Sea and preach the gospel in Macedonia. This Paul and his companions did.” (Who Was Who in the
Bible)
At Philippi [Greece], Lydia and jailor converted
It was here that Lydia was baptized, and invited Paul to come into her house. Paul continued to
preach in Philippi and was jailed with Silas by the magistrates for teaching customs which were not
lawful. They "were arrested, beaten and put in prison, having cast out the spirit of divination from a
female slave who had brought her masters much gain by her power." Peloubet's Dictionary) Paul and
Silas prayed and sang praises unto God, and a great earthquake shook the foundations of the prison, and
all the doors were opened and the prisoners’ bands loosed. After converting the jailor, they continued
their journey to Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens [all cities in Greece]….
Voyage to Rome (@61 AD)
“After appearing before the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem, and before Felix and Festus at Cæsarea, he
was compelled to protest against injustice and delay (he had been a prisoner fully two years) by
exercising his right as a Roman citizen to appeal to the Emperor. The voyage to Rome is told by an
eye-witness.” (Funk & Wagnalls Bible Dictionary)
“Paul’s voyage to Rome was long and perilous, involving storms, shipwrecks, and encounters
with enemies.” (People’s NT Commentary)
The Storm
The Vision
The Shipwreck
On the island of Melita [Malta]
"Like the Lycaonians of [Acts]14:11, they [the Maltese] are portrayed as kindly but superstitious folk,
taking Paul's imperviousness to snakebite as an indication of divine status (v.6)." (Oxford Bible
Commentary)
It was here that he healed Publius’ father of a fever….
Whitewater, Barbara Beth, “Divine law prevails over human opinion—and heals,” PRAYER,
Christian Science Journal, Vol.117 (June 1999), 44.
--In the Bible, we find an experience of Paul’s on the island of Melita, that proved the powerlessness of
mortal opinion and material beliefs to cause harm. [Acts 28:1-6]
• Paul was putting sticks on a fire when a viper fastened itself on his hand.
---The natives of the island expected that he would die from this attack.
• Paul just shook the viper off and was not only unharmed, but was able to go on to heal others
through his understanding of the supremacy of divine law.
---The saving Christ, Truth, revealing man’s divine origin and sonship with God,
governed Paul’s experience and was the authority ensuring his safety.
• It made no difference what others thought.
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Leishman, Thomas L., “Imprisonment at Caesarea and Voyage to Rome,” THE CONTINUITY OF
THE BIBLE: Paul the Missionary Apostle, Christian Science Journal, Vol.94 (October 1976), p. 571.
--…sailing became dangerous around the southern shore of Crete, “because the fast was now already
past” ([Acts 27]v.9)—that is, the autumnal equinox, which is usually followed by severe gales.
--As the storm continued, Paul encouraged the distraught crew, reporting his revelation that their lives
would be spared.
• This proved true in the famous shipwreck off the shore of Melita (Malta).
---Melitan islanders received the shipwrecked refugees, 276 in all, who made it safely to
shore. (The islanders’ “barbarous” character need only indicate they were not Greeks.)
--After three months Julius’ men and prisoners boarded an Alexandrian ship headed for Italy, landing
eventually in Puteoli, where Christians warmly received the apostle.
SECTION VI: The Healing of a Demon-possessed Slave Girl, and the Arrest, Beating, and
Imprisonment of Paul and Silas (Acts 16: 16-21, 23, 25, 26)
TIME LINE AND AUTHOR: Written by Luke @62 AD. The event occurred 50-52 AD during Paul’s
2nd missionary journey.
"The beginning of this story took place before the meeting with Lydia. 'Spirit of divination':
literally 'Python,' a name derived from the serpent slain by Apollo at Delphi. Since the Delphic princess
was inspired to give oracles, a 'python spirit' meant a spirit of soothsaying." [v.16] (Peake's
Commentary)
The damsel or “girl, belonged to the class of ‘clairvoyants’ or ‘mediums,’ and really believed
herself to be possessed by a spirit. Her recognition of the divine mission of Paul indicates a
considerable degree of spiritual discernment. The expulsion of the ‘spirit’ need not have been a
miracle. The girl recognized in Paul a minister of ‘the supreme God,’ supreme, therefore over the spirit
which possessed her. Hence the command to the spirit to come forth was (in her belief) authoritative,
and consequently effectual.” (Dummelow Commentary)
“Although the testimony of the girl was true, Paul would not receive it because it emanated, as
he supposed, from an evil spirit. Similarly Jesus would not receive the testimony of demons to his
divine Sonship and Messiahship (Mark 1: 25, etc.)” (Ibid)
With reference to v.21, “It was technically true that Roman citizens were not to engage in any
foreign religion that had not been sanctioned by the state. But it was a false charge that they were
creating chaos.” (MacArthur Bible Commentary)
Praying and singing hymns (v.25) “not because they felt cheerful or religious, but as an
expression of praise to God who continues with them in their mission and allows them to suffer for his
name (see 5:41).” (People’s NT Commentary)
"damsel possessed with a spirit of divination"
"This anonymous 'slave girl' (Greek paidiskē, diminutive of pais, "girl') may be the most
marginalized person in the New Testament: a demon-possessed, exploited, 'pagan,' female slave.
Possibly because of a physical disorder that produced notable internal noises, her owners have presented
this person as the source of oracles, which the reader is to imagine, they alone can interpret." (Women
in Scripture)
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — November 23 - 29, 2009
“This girl was not a mere ventriloquist or sheer imposter, nor a somnambulist or lunatic as some
have supposed. She was a demoniac who, when she was possessed by the evil spirit, was looked upon
as having power to divine and predict.” (All of the Women of the Bible)
Paul
(See Section V above)
Silas
[Sī’las] (“person of the woods”)
Silas was a prominent and distinguished member of the early Christian church at Jerusalem,
often referred to as Silvanus in Paul’s epistles. He first appears as one of the leaders of the church in
Jerusalem holding the office of an inspired teacher. He was probably a Hellenistic Jew, and a Roman
citizen.
"He, and Judas (surnamed Barsabas), were appointed as delegates to accompany Paul and
Barnabas on their return to Antioch" to report the decision of the Council of Jerusalem to accept Gentile
Christians into the church (Acts 15:22). (Easton Dictionary) He remained in Antioch after the others
had returned to Jerusalem.
“When Paul declined to take John Mark with him on the second missionary journey, and parted with
Barnabas, he chose Silas as his companion ([Acts 15] v.40).” (Westminster Dictionary) “During their
travels, Paul and Silas were imprisoned at Philippi (Acts 16: 19,25,29). Silas and Paul were also
together during the riot at Thessalonica (Acts 17:4)." (Who Was Who in the Bible)
"Both letters to the Thessalonians begin, 'Paul, Silas (Silvanus) and Timothy, to the church of
the Thessalonians' (I:1)." (All the People of the Bible)
At Berea he was left behind with Timothy while Paul proceeded to Athens, and we hear nothing
more of his movements until he rejoined the apostle at Corinth. "Silas (Silvanus) was apparently later
at Rome, where he assisted Peter with his first letter (I Pet. 5:12), either as Peter's amanuensis or
courier." (Eerdmans Dictionary) He is not mentioned again. The time, place, and manner of his death
are unknown.
Campbell, Frederick Starr, “Paul and Silas,” POEM, Christian Science Sentinel, Vol.30 (3
December 1927), P. 267.
How clear your vision; how serene your trust,
Brave gospel messenger! Though basely served,
Afflicted sore; in loathsome dungeon thrust;
By cruel stocks confined—all undeserved—
Yet, at black midnight’s hour, united voice
Uplifting gratefully, ye waited not
The moment of deliverance to rejoice.
Full well ye knew such ruthless, unjust lot
No part of governance of Love divine,
Hence but a passing phase of human sense.
In answer swift the quaking earth gave sign
The wrath of man yields to omnipotence.
I, too, would learn this lesson—to sing praise
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — November 23 - 29, 2009
When error’s bondage claims to hold me fast.
For, as above the seeming ill I raise
Truth-lighted thought, and wholly from me cast
False mortal evidence, true freedom waits
My praiseful affirmations, just at hand.
Then, howsoe'er entangled in dire straits,
I'll hymn my gratitude and firmly stand
In Christly liberty, assured no wrong—
Since baseless and unreal—can outstay
God's nearness realized. The night-time song,
Is sure forerunner of glad freedom's day!
Watson, Jean McGeorge, “Casting Out Demons,” Christian Science Journal, Vol.76 (February
1958), p. 89.
--“For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” (I
John 3: 8)
• All who spiritually understand the Son of God, or Christ, can prove Truth’s liberating power in
overcoming the various claims of evil which confront mankind.
---As we learn in Christian Science the facts of harmonious being and understand that
the delusions of material sense have no real entity or existence, we prove invalid the false suggestions
of the so-called carnal mind.
• The glorious realization of God’s allness causes the belief of life in matter, and the attendant
fear of disease and death, to disappear before the ever-presence of the Christ.
--Christ Jesus’ teachings disclose the spiritual nature of all true mental practice.
--In the cross and crown emblem used on the published writings of Mary baker Eddy and on most other
Christian Science publications is included the command, "Cast out demons," and the Christian Science
textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, teaches one how to cast out
demons or false beliefs.
Cheney, Anne Cleveland, “’The prisoners heard them,’” POEM, Christian Science Sentinel, Vol.27
(18 October 1924),137.
The prisoners heard them singing,-Oh, song above all songs!
Down through the ages ringing,
The prison doors wide flinging;
While wakened human throngs
Pass, wondering, into freedom,
Hearing that song of songs.
Foundations all are shaking,-Oh, song above all songs!
Shackles are loosed, are breaking;
Dreamers are waking, waking;
The quickened, urging throngs,
To-day, pass into freedom,
Hearing that song of songs.
“The Need for Persistence in Prayer,” Christian Science Monitor (10 April 2008), p. 18.
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Bible Characters for your weekly Bible study — November 23 - 29, 2009
--Turning from material sense to what is spiritual is actually natural to us, and the resistance to doing so
is foreign and imposed.
• A favorite example of this natural, persistent prayer to God is when Paul and Silas were held in
stocks in prison and sang praises to God.
---That doesn't necessarily imply that they sang in order to escape prison, but that they did so
just because they knew God was there with them to be praised.
• This pure prayer, of course, resulted in their release (see Acts 16:19-40).
--So, next time you're ready to declare, "It's not working!" you can remind yourself that the goodness
and love of God are ever at work, and your role is to agree, and agree again, and then again with the
spiritual facts that confirm this, as Christianity teaches.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
The Bibliography is provided only in the notes of the first Sunday of the month.
*The weekly Bible Lessons are made up of selections from the King James Version of the Bible
and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy,
the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science.
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