The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, who show unto us the way of salvation.
All Commentaries on Acts 16:17 Go To Acts 16
John Chrysostom
AD 407
What may be the reason that both the demon spoke these words, and Paul forbade him? Both the one acted maliciously, and the other wisely: the demon wished in fact to make himself credible. For if Paul had admitted his testimony, he would have deceived many of the believers, as being received by him: therefore he endures to speak what made against himself, that he may establish what made for himself: and so the demon himself uses accommodation (συγκαταβάσει) in order to destruction. At first then, Paul would not admit it, but scorned it, not wishing to cast himself all at once upon miracles; but when it continued to do this, and pointed to their work (καὶ τὸ ἔργον ἐδείκνυ) who preach unto us the way of salvation, then he commanded it to come out. For it says, Paul being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. (a) And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains had gone, they caught Paul and Silas.
