Saint Paul in Philippi

During Paul’s first missionary journey, he and Barnabas traveled through Cyprus and south-central Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Many Jews and Gentiles responded to their message, but others rejected it and persuaded many to turn against Paul. In one city, an angry mob stoned him. Nonetheless, churches were established, and Christian leaders were appointed to carry on the work. (Acts 13 and 14.)

After a major Church Council (Acts 15), Paul began his second journey, traveling west through Asia Minor and returning to the churches he had founded. While in Lystra, Paul and his friend Silas met a young man named Timothy, who became Paul’s protege (Acts 16).

Together they journeyed northwest, where they were prevented from entering Northern Asia Minor (Bithynia). In Troas, of the famed Trojan War, unsure where to go, Paul had a vision:

And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:9-10, ESV)

They sailed across the northern Aegean Sea, reaching Philippi, in Northern Greece. Philippi was a Roman city named after Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. It is the site of the consequential Battle of Philippi, where Octavian (eventually Caesar Augustus) defeated Brutus. In Paul’s day, the city included a Roman forum, commercial buildings, and a theater. Mountains nearby were mined for gold. And the town had become a retirement destination for Roman soldiers.

The ruins can be seen today. The video below shows the city center.

Nearby, Paul and his team met a woman named Lydia, who sold purple clothing to wealthy leaders. She became the first convert to Christianity in Europe, and her house the site of the first church (Acts 16:11-15).

Soon after, Paul confronted a demon-possessed slave and was imprisoned, where a most extraordinary thing happened:

As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination 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. And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.” The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed. (Acts 16:16-40, ESV)

Paul’s message was consequential and comprises much of the New Testament of the Bible. He spoke of God’s future judgement, the debt humans owe to God, Christ’s atonement for sin on the cross, and forgiveness and imputation of righteousness by faith in Christ. We are told that some believed it, while others rejected it (Acts 14). In Philippi, after being beaten and put in stocks, Paul’s unusual behavior and the earthquake caught the jailer’s attention, and he and his family became followers of Christ.

When the city officials let Paul go, he did not leave quietly. His rights as a Roman citizen had been violated, and he had been publicly humiliated. He compelled the city leaders to acknowledge this. Roman and Christian convictions of the importance, privileges, and responsibilities of citizenship would go on to impact the modern world.