For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The "loud voice" of the unclean spirits isn't just a scream of pain; it signifies their fierce, unwilling acknowledgment of a power greater than their own as they are expelled. This detail highlights that even demonic forces were compelled to testify to Christ's authority through Philip's ministry, contrasting sharply with the physical healing of the paralyzed and lame.
For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Philip is powerfully proclaiming Christ in Samaria, a city that had a history of sorcery and idolatry. As people listen and see the signs Philip performs, many are being drawn to faith, and this verse describes the dramatic, undeniable evidence of God's power at work, showcasing both deliverance from spiritual oppression and physical healing. This display of divine authority stands in stark contrast to the magic of Simon, who had previously deceived the people.
Imagine the scene: a crowd, a healer, and then... a piercing cry. What does this dramatic detail tell us about spiritual warfare and freedom?
The verse describes unclean spirits coming out of people, 'crying with a loud voice.' This isn't just a passive exit; it's a violent, often painful expulsion for the spirits.
A Spiritual Battle
This loud cry signifies the intense struggle between the demonic realm and the power of God. These spirits recognized the authority of Jesus' name, wielded by Philip, and resisted their forced departure. It highlights that spiritual liberation is not always gentle or easy, especially for the forces being expelled.
The Cost of Freedom
For the individuals, the 'loud cry' could represent the agony of being torn away from a long-held torment, or perhaps the sudden shock of lucidity and freedom after being controlled. It underscores that while the result is healing and restoration, the process of deliverance can be dramatic and overwhelming.
In Samaria, miracles weren't just random acts of power; they served a critical purpose. What role did healing play in Philip's ministry?
The verse pairs the expulsion of unclean spirits with the healing of the paralyzed and lame. These were not just random occurrences but tangible signs demonstrating God's power at work through Philip.
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Evidence of Divine Authority
These miracles served as powerful evidence, validating Philip's message about Jesus Christ. In a place like Samaria, where spiritual deception had taken hold (as seen with Simon the sorcerer), these clear displays of God's power were crucial for drawing attention and credibility to the Gospel.
A Glimpse of God's Kingdom
The healing of the sick and the casting out of demons were direct manifestations of God's kingdom breaking into the present reality. They offered a tangible foretaste of the new creation where suffering, sickness, and demonic oppression would be no more.
Understand the original words
akathartos pneuma · Greek Noun Phrase
Spiritual beings under the authority of the devil who oppose God, dwell in humanity, and cause moral or physical impurity. Their presence is marked by their submission to the superior power of Jesus Christ.
therapeuō · Greek Verb
A state of being cured of physical infirmity or restored to spiritual wholeness. It is often a sign of God's mercy and the arrival of the Messianic age.
c. 30 AD
Jesus' Ministry and Ascension
Jesus' earthly ministry, including casting out demons and healing the sick, concludes with his ascension. This sets the stage for the disciples continuing his work through the power of the Holy Spirit.
c. 33 AD
The Coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
The Holy Spirit descends upon the apostles in Jerusalem, empowering them to preach the gospel and perform miracles, including healing and deliverance from spiritual oppression.
c. 34-35 AD
Stephen's Martyrdom and the Scattering of Believers
Stephen, a Hellenistic Jewish Christian, is martyred in Jerusalem, leading to a widespread persecution of the early church and the scattering of believers throughout Judea and Samaria.
c. 34-35 AD— this verse
Philip's Ministry in Samaria
Philip, one of the seven deacons, travels to Samaria and preaches the gospel, experiencing significant success. His ministry includes casting out unclean spirits and healing the sick and lame.
c. 34-35 AD
Simon the Sorcerer's Influence
In Samaria, Simon, a sorcerer who had captivated the populace with his magic, witnesses Philip's powerful miracles, creating a backdrop against which the divine power is demonstrated.
This passage shows a similar dramatic expulsion of an unclean spirit, which cries out in terror, highlighting the powerful and often vocal nature of demonic influence and deliverance.
Luke 4:33Here, an unclean spirit also cries out with a loud voice upon being cast out by Jesus, mirroring the events in Acts and demonstrating a consistent pattern of demonic reaction to divine authority.
Matthew 10:8Jesus instructs His disciples to 'heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons,' directly paralleling the kinds of miraculous acts, including healing the lame and casting out spirits, that Philip performs in Samaria.
Acts 19:11-12This later account of Philip's ministry shows God performing extraordinary miracles through him, including the healing of the sick and the deliverance of those oppressed by evil spirits, underscoring the continuity of such powerful works in the early church.
1 John 3:8This verse explains that the Son of God appeared to 'destroy the works of the devil,' providing the theological context for why these acts of deliverance from unclean spirits and healing were a visible manifestation of Christ's victory.
ellicottActs 8:7: "For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed."
(7) For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice. —The MSS. present several variations in the structure of the sentence, but they do not affect its meaning. The character of the “signs” agrees with those that are recorded in the Gospels. The “great cry,” partly, it may be, of agony, partly of exultation at deliverance, agrees with…
vincentActs 8:7: "For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed."
Taken with palsies (παραλελυμένοι)Rev., more neatly, palsied. See on Luke 5:18.Were healedSee on Luke 5:15.
The "loud voice" of the unclean spirits isn't just a scream of pain; it signifies their fierce, unwilling acknowledgment of a power greater than their own as they are expelled. This detail highlights that even demonic forces were compelled to testify to Christ's authority through Philip's ministry, contrasting sharply with the physical healing of the paralyzed and lame.
Philip is powerfully proclaiming Christ in Samaria, a city that had a history of sorcery and idolatry. As people listen and see the signs Philip performs, many are being drawn to faith, and this verse describes the dramatic, undeniable evidence of God's power at work, showcasing both deliverance from spiritual oppression and physical healing. This display of divine authority stands in stark contrast to the magic of Simon, who had previously deceived the people.
Philip is powerfully proclaiming Christ in Samaria, a city that had a history of sorcery and idolatry. As people listen and see the signs Philip performs, many are being drawn to faith, and this verse describes the dramatic, undeniable evidence of God's power at work, showcasing both deliverance from spiritual oppression and physical healing. This display of divine authority stands in stark contrast to the magic of Simon, who had previously deceived the people.
"For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed." — The "loud voice" of the unclean spirits isn't just a scream of pain; it signifies their fierce, unwilling acknowledgment of a power greater than their own as they are expelled. This detail highlights…
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Last reviewed October 2026