Acts 16:16

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

Cross-reference

Acts 16:18 Historical context

Acts 16:18 records Paul's command driving out the same spirit, showing the confrontation's immediate resolution.

Acts 19:24 Parallel

Acts 19:24 shows Demetrius making profit from silver shrines of Artemis — parallel greed from religious exploitation, just as the girl’s owners profited from her fortune-telling.

Acts 8:9-11 describes Simon's sorcery, another form of occult practice in the early church, paralleling this divination spirit.

Isaiah 8:19 Parallel

Isaiah 8:19 rebukes those who seek mediums and spiritists, directly condemning the practice of divination seen in this girl's fortune-telling.

Revelation 18:11-13 lists human bodies and souls as merchandise — the slave girl here is similarly treated as a commodity for profit.

1 Timothy 6:10 states love of money is a root of evil — this explains the owners’ motive for exploiting the girl’s divination.

1 Chronicles 10:13 states that Saul died for consulting a medium, underscoring the grave sin of divination that this girl's activity represents.

1 Samuel 28:7 recounts Saul consulting a medium, a similar forbidden practice to this girl's fortune-telling by a spirit of divination.

Deuteronomy 18:9-11 explicitly forbids divination and fortune-telling, the very practice this slave girl is engaged in, showing continuity of God's stance.

Deuteronomy 13:1-3 warns that even true signs can come from false prophets, testing loyalty to God—a key principle for discerning this accurate divination spirit.

2 Kings 17:17 Related theme

In 2 Kings 17:17, Israel practices divination and sorcery, mirroring the slave girl's spirit of divination—both condemned practices.

In 2 Kings 21:6, Manasseh's divination and mediums parallel the slave girl's spirit of divination—both forbidden in Israel.

In 2 Kings 23:24, Josiah removed mediums and spiritists, directly connecting to the slave girl's divination spirit—a practice to be purged.

Daniel 5:11 Contrast

In Daniel 5:11, Daniel has a spirit of the holy gods (true insight), contrasting sharply with the girl's spirit of divination (false).

Mark 1:34 Parallel

In Mark 1:34, Jesus cast out demons and silenced them, similar to Paul commanding the spirit to leave the girl—both show authority over evil spirits.

Luke 8:28 Parallel

In Luke 8:28, the demon-possessed man recognizes Jesus as Son of the Most High God, just as the slave girl's spirit declares the men servants of the Most High God.

Leviticus 19:31 forbids turning to mediums or necromancers — the slave girl functions as a medium, violating this OT command.

Exodus 22:18 commands death for sorceresses — the girl’s spirit of divination falls under that category, showing the OT prohibition of such practices.

2 Peter 2:3 Parallel

2 Peter 2:3 describes false teachers exploiting with greed — mirrored by the owners who exploited the girl for financial gain.

Exodus 7:11 Parallel

Exodus 7:11 shows Egyptian magicians mimicking God's power, echoing the counterfeit spiritual power seen in this fortune-telling spirit.

Ezekiel 21:21 Related theme

In Ezekiel 21:21, the king uses divination (arrows, teraphim), similar to the fortune-telling spirit in the girl—both seek knowledge through forbidden means.

Galatians 5:20 lists sorcery as a work of the flesh, categorizing the occult activity in this verse as sinful behavior contrary to the Spirit.

Exodus 7:12 Parallel

Exodus 7:12 depicts Aaron's rod swallowing the magicians' rods, illustrating God's supremacy over counterfeit power—a theme that resonates with this divination encounter.