Fortune Teller Confronts the Apostle Paul
We find a New Testament story of a fortune telling business profiting greatly from predicting the future through a slave girl helped by a demon..
Acts 16:16-19 (ESV) “As we [Paul and Silas] were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination [predicting the future] and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.’ And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And it came out that very hour. But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.”
What is interesting here is that she lost her ability to tell fortunes after Paul cast out of her the evil spirit. Therefore, her ability to tell fortunes came from a demon. This ability did NOT come from some internal, independent and personal psychic ability.
Notice that the owners were angry because “their hope of gain was gone.” The demon-possessed fortune teller was a cash cow for the owners, bringing in money to them daily (vs 19). Their motive was profit — not to help people.
Today, many people seek the guidance of psychics and astrologers, not only for life decisions, but also for advice on investments and insight into future events that may impact their lives. According to an IBISWorld industry report updated in May of 2023, the U.S. psychic industry has grown 52% since 2005 to reach $2.2 billion in revenue in 2018 and the number of psychic services professions rose from 78,874 in 2005 to 89,394 in 2018.
These services are for-profit businesses, not benevolent efforts to help people at no cost. How many people do you know who have gotten rich by following the guidance of a psychic or astrologer? Even if and when this were possible through the knowledge of the demon or spirit guide, God does not want our success in life to be with the aid of these forbidden agents of Satan.
Remember in verse 17, the slave girl cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” The fortune teller had a good message. She was letting the people know that Paul and Silas were servants of God. So, why would Paul stop her? In this case, the demon acting against God’s permission knew he could NOT overcome Paul’s influence in preaching the gospel. By pretending to be in favor of Paul the demon could retain his influence and deceive the people in other ways.
The Apostle Paul Condemns Sorcerers
2 Timothy 3:8 (NKJV) “Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith.”
These two whom Paul describes as “men of corrupt mind” who “resist the truth” were magicians who opposed Moses in Egypt. We find this story in Exodus 7:8-12 (NKJV) where we read, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, “Show a miracle for yourselves,” then you shall say to Aaron, “Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.”’ So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the LORD commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.”
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed God’s servant Moses, so do sorcerers and witches, aided by demons, in modern times oppose the plans and purposes of God.
When the Apostle Paul and Barnabas were preaching the gospel in Cyprus, the governor, Sergius Paulus, called for them to explain to him the word of God. However, Elymas, a sorcerer or magician sought to turn the governor away from the faith (Acts 13:5-8). The Apostle Paul’s response was harsh:
Acts 13:10-12 (NKJV) Paul said, “’O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.’ And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul [governor] believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.”
The First Christian Sorcerer - Really?!
The church has experienced witchcraft attempting to enter it since its early roots. In Acts 8:9-24, we find Simon the Sorcerer, also known as Simon Magus, a male version of a witch and baptized as a Christian.
Acts 8:9 (Rotherham Emphasized Bible) “But, a certain man named Simon, was already in the city, practicing magical arts, and astonishing the nation of Samaria,—saying that himself was someone great.”
“Magical arts” is from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance #3096 and is often translated “sorcery.”
Acts 8:10-24 (NKJV) “to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, ‘This man is the great power of God.’ And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the holy spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the holy spirit. And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the holy spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, ‘Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the holy spirit.’ But Peter said to him, ‘Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.’ Then Simon answered and said, ‘Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.’”
The Apostle Peter condemns Simon’s character using a well-known Jewish idiom – “gall of bitterness” or “bitter poison” - derived from Deuteronomy 29:18 (Septuagint χολὴ καὶ πικρία).
Deuteronomy 29:18 (Amplified Version): “Beware lest there should be among you a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose [mind and heart] turns away this day from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a [poisonous] root that bears gall and wormwood.”
The “poisonous root that bears gall and wormwood” is referring to idolatry among God’s people. Of the sin of someone corrupting the church, the Apostle Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 5:6 (Weymouth) “…Do you not know that a little yeast corrupts the whole of the dough?”
In Acts 8:24, an American Standard Version footnote says, “or, wilt become gall.” Peter foresaw the future onslaught of a ravaging legacy of poisonous doctrine which would carry through this sorcerer of Samaria desiring the power of the apostolic office. Simon in response asks Peter to pray that none of these evils would come upon him - even though Peter had demanded of Simon that he should both repent and pray for forgiveness. Rather than feeling guilt and shame, instead Simon was alarmed solely by the consequences of sin, not feeling a sense of his own moral guilt and baseness. He asks Peter to pray for him, betraying that his heart was not truly contrite and that he still entertained superstitious views, since he expected miraculous results from the intercessory prayer of another.
It is noted in several historical writings that Simon Magus moved to Rome to create a universal church religion. Early Christian writers have documented much about this man who has been called ‘the Great Heretic’ and ‘Father of Gnosticism’ with the adverse effects of his hybrid religion of the Babylonian Mysteries blended with elements of the Christian faith. Second century writers like Irenæus, Tertullian, and Clement of Alexandria indicate that the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2:6,15) were of the Gnostic movement, which connects them to Simon Magus. The Bible compares the Nicolaitans to Balaam. Below are references to some scriptures and other ancient writings that provide this testimony.
Revelation 2:14-15(NET) “But I have a few things against you: you have some people there who follow the teaching of Balaam, who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. In the same way, there are also some among you who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans” (see also Numbers 31:16). Nicolaitans can mean “conquerors of the people” (Lange’s Commentary) or “destruction of people” (Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon). Hence, the legacy of Balaam is continued by the Nicolaitans and Simon Magus, but with an updated Christian twist.
Balaam (Numbers 22 and 24:1) lived long before the New Testament era, but we see his legacy of seducing God’s people into idolatry and sexual immorality continues on to serve as a “gall of bitterness” within Christianity. The Gnostic movement was just that. It is well documented how this movement spread like wildfire, originating with Simon Magus, who made his headquarters at Rome and was revered as a god, and thus elevated his teachings above those of Christ and the apostles.
Justin Martyr mentions Simon Magus twice in his writings. In his First Apology we read, “There was a Samaritan, Simon…who in the reign of Claudius Caesar, and in your royal city of Rome, did mighty acts of magic, by virtue of the art of the devils operating in him. He was considered a god, and as a god was honored by you with a statue, which statue was erected on the river Tiber, between the two bridges, and bore this inscription, in the language of Rome:—‘Simoni Deo Sancto,’ meaning ‘To Simon the holy God.’” Tertullian, a late second century/early third century apologist wrote, “you install in your Pantheon Simon Magus, giving him a statue and the title of Holy God.” Hippolytus wrote, “they have an image of Simon (fashioned) into the figure of Jupiter, and (an image) of Helen in the form of Minerva; and they pay adoration to these."
In the fourth century, Marcellus of Ancyra wrote, “Again those of Simon's school, called 'gnostics,'…invented newer ideas…Now all of these derived the starting points of their impiety from the philosophers Hermes, Plato and Aristotle…with the heresy of the Ariomaniacs, which has corrupted the Church of God...These then teach three hypostases, just as Valentinus the heresiarch first invented in the book entitled by him ‘On the Three Natures’. For he was the first to invent three hypostases and three persons of the Father, Son and holy spirit, and he is discovered to have filched this from Hermes and Plato.” (Logan A. Marcellus of Ancyra (Pseudo-Anthimus), 'On the Holy Church': Text, Translation and Commentary. Verses 8-9. Journal of Theological Studies, NS, Volume 51, Pt. 1, April 2000, pp.94-95).
Early church writers have chronicled much more regarding the influence and damage Simon Magus caused in the churches. This introduction is sufficient to demonstrate the dangers of witchcraft and magic corrupting Christians and churches through infiltration. Many writers assert that in later centuries, Simon Magus’ identity was falsely claimed to be the Apostle Peter who is purported to be the first Bishop of Rome. There is no reliable historical evidence that the Apostle Peter himself ever traveled to Rome.
Regarding infiltration of the church, the Apostle Paul warns in Acts 20:28-30 (RSV) “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the holy spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.”
