As preparation for our study of Philippians, we are going to read some background on the City and on the Church to get a good understanding of the importance of the Church at Philippi because it wasn’t just any old church. Amazingly, so many important details are recorded in Acts and occurred on Paul’s 2nd missionary journey around AD 50, less that 20 years after Jesus’s resurrection. Paul traveled to Philippi accompanied by Silas, Timothy, and Luke. We have to remember that there was no church there before these 4 missionaries arrived.
You remember in our last series that we covered the 7 churches in Asia which is modern day Turkey.
Now if we zoom out we can see on the map I’ve given you Paul’s travels as a missionary and get some understanding of the region and the location of the other cities mentioned in the New Testament. It is very impressive how the Church expanded so rapidly from Jerusalem in those early years after the resurrection.
Today we are going to follow the red arrow of Paul’s 2nd missionary journey from Jerusalem, so firstly find Jerusalem on the map. Now follow the red arrow North. You can see some important cities on the journey, firstly Damascus, then Antioch and then Tarsus In Cilicia which is where Paul was born. Tarsus is pretty much directly North of Jerusalem. From there he went about 100km West to Derbe in the region of Galatia heading directly towards Asia which is where the 7 churches are but not at this point in history I would think. This is where we pick the story up in;
Acts 16
Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed,
Timothy is an important character in the New Testament with 2 letters to him from Paul. Timothy was a gifted Pastor, including later at Ephesus. We know from 2 Timothy 1:5 that Timothy’s grandmother was Lois and his mother was Eunice.
but his father was Greek. He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.
It is interesting why Paul circumcised Timothy. Apart from the fact that Paul did it (he had been a Pharisee and knew the procedure) and not Luke the doctor who was travelling with them, the main question is why did he not overlook the fact that Timothy wasn’t circumcised since remember he had rebuked Peter for going along with men who taught it was necessary for Gentiles to be circumcised to be put right with God. It does appear he did it simply to quiet the Jews who were living in that region, so a strategic decision. But that was the very thing he had criticised Peter for ! I do know that sometimes in life, God prompts us to do something that is beyond our conviction but note that it didn’t contradict God’s law. It was still lawful to circumcise Timothy but from a salvation point of view, unnecessary.
And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
We know from the preceding chapter the decrees because they were in the letter from the apostles and elders in Jerusalem Paul was carrying on his mission journey.
Acts 15:23-29
They wrote this letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings. Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law” —to whom we gave no such commandment— it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.
Luke recorded that the decree strengthened the Church. That is why we teach doctrine at PCC. Doctrine is important to strengthen a Church. No doubt they also taught the early creed found in.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
And we also know from the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 that Jesus had instructed the disciples to teach his commandments such as to love God with all your heart, soul and mind, to love your neighbour as yourself and to love one another.
So the Gospel they preached was very good news indeed. All that was needed was faith in Christ, his death on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins, his resurrection and a few simple laws to remember, nothing like the detail in the law of Moses.
Now look back at your map at Galatia, to Lystra just west of Derbe where Timothy was found and follow the follow the red arrow West again as we continue to read from Acts 16
Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.
Remember in our last series we learned that Satan’s throne was at Pergamos in Asia and you can see on the map that Mysia is very close to Pergamos (Pergamum on the map), so that was extremely hostile territory but of course they would not have known that then. How much do we need to pay attention to what the Holy Spirit says to us. Who knows what danger we will face if we don’t obey that quiet voice !
So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
Look West again to see Macedonia from Troas.
Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony.
I get the feeling the Good Shepherd is looking for one lost sheep.
Notice how dynamically they followed the leading of the Holy Spirit, twice being forbidden to go in one direction and another time prompted by a vision to head in another direction. Someone doing the Lord’s work needs to be flexible. It’s no good sticking to our own thoughts and plans. We have to always listen out for the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.
So this is how they arrived at Philippi. The city of Philippi was located in ancient Greece on the eastern border of the Roman province of Macedonia, about 15km inland from the coast, directly northwest of its nearest port city, Neapolis. A strategic area in ancient times, Philippi sat on a fertile plain through which passed the Via Egnatia (Egnatian Way), a trade highway that linked the Aegean and Adriatic Seas. Many travelers passed through Philippi on their way to Rome.
Originally founded by immigrants from Thrace, the city of Philippi was famous for its abundant gold mines and plenteous springs of water. From these springs, the town received its name Crenides, meaning “fountains” or “springs.” Later, around 359 BC, the city was renamed Philippi after Philip of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great. Under Alexander, the city rose to become the capital of the Greek Empire. By New Testament times, the city had come under Roman rule with a diverse population of native Thracians, Greeks, and Romans. A famous school of medicine existed in Philippi, where the gospel writer Luke may have studied.
Extensive archaeological and historical research has been done at Philippi, uncovering ruins that include the forum, agora, streets, gymnasium, baths, library, and acropolis. Also, the site contains what may be a 400 BC temple of Apollo and Artemis, along with numerous inscriptions and coins.
Back to Acts 16;
And we were staying in that city for some days. And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God.
Remember Thyatira was one of the 7 churches in Asia that Jesus later wrote a letter to so it would be a good bet that Lydia was connected to the Church that was established at Thyatira.
The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.
Normally Paul would go to the synagogue in a city to preach to the Jews living there. But there was no synagogue because Philippi was totally pagan. So they went to the river as was the Jewish custom when there was no synagogue to go to. And Lydia was the first convert in Europe and the church at Philippi would be the first Christian church in Europe. The initial converts of the church at Philippi were all Gentiles, and the congregation developed into a predominately Gentile fellowship. So as you can see, as after the resurrection, it was the women who were the first to believe. Women played an essential role in the leadership and life of the church at Philippi.
Lydia’s conversion was the first of three significant events associated with the beginning of the church in Philippi.
The second was the exorcism of demons from a slave girl, which resulted in Paul and Silas being thrown into prison (Acts 16:16–24).
Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” And this she did for many days.
You might think it was a good thing that a respected fortune teller was announcing that Paul and his Mission Team had been sent by God. But it was like noise pollution, making it difficult to hear Paul’s message and focussing attention back to the fortune teller. In fact it was a demonic manifestation.
But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour. But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
Anytime the business world gets disrupted and there’s a lot of money to be lost, there’s bound to be a reaction. But when it’s an overreaction like this, it could be demonic. We have seen this kind of manifestation when Roe v Wade was overturned and when Christians were appointed to the Supreme Court. That’s when you find out who’s really in charge of this World.
But the Lord brought something good out of a bad situation.
The third important event that immediately followed was the conversion of the Philippian jailer and his family (Acts 16:25–40).
But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 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 chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Then 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 stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptised. Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Let those men go.” So the keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.” But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into prison. And now do they put us out secretly? No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.” And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans. Then they came and pleaded with them and brought them out, and asked them to depart from the city. So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.
So there we have the founding members of the Church. Lydia the businesswoman and her household, almost certainly the fortune telling slave girl and a few amazed onlookers, and the jailer and his household. See how quickly the Lord can grow a Church! And see that the Lord will use the least expected people. From the time it was established, the church at Philippi was healthy, strong, and generous, becoming a model church that only experienced minor problems of disunity (Philippians 4:2–7). After the apostolic age, the early church father Ignatius traveled through Philippi, and Polycarp wrote a famous letter to the church there.
May God do such a work at PCC.
