Acts 16:16

OLD TESTAMENTNEW TESTAMENT

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain maid possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

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Cyprian of Carthage

AD 258

And this also is done in the present day, in that the devil is scourged, and burned, and tortured by exorcists, by the human voice, and by divine power;

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George Leo Haydock

AD 1849

A pythonical spirit. A spirit pretending to divination, to tell secrets, and things to come. See 2 Kings xxviii; Isaias viii. 19. (Witham) A divining spirit, which pretended to foretell things to come. It is strictly forbidden every where throughout the old law to have any dealings with persons of this description. (Deuteronomy xviii. 10; Leviticus xx. 27;) Hence it would appear that these superstitions were of early practice among mankind. It is lamentable that the present age is still credulous enough to believe in such impostures. The ignorance of mankind, it appears, has always been made a source of emolument to the designing. (Haydock)

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Irenaeus of Lyons

AD 202

It appears probable enough that this man possesses a demon as his familiar spirit, by means of whom he seems able to prophesy,

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John Chrysostom

AD 407

Say, what is this demon? The god, as they call him, Python: from the place he is so called. Do you mark that Apollo also is a demon? And (the demon) wished to bring them into temptation: (therefore) to provoke them, the same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation.

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Richard Challoner

AD 1781

A pythonical spirit: That is, a spirit pretending to divine, and tell fortunes.

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Tertullian of Carthage

AD 220

Accordingly, when the unclean creature was upbraided with having dared to attack a believer, he firmly replied,

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Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation - 2 Peter 1:20