Dramatic Happenings at Philippi

“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 him come themselves and get us out.’ “ –Acts 16:35-37 (NKJV. Read Acts 16: 16-40).

Paul, a Roman citizen as well as a Jew and a Christian, used his Roman citizenship while he was on his mission to Philippi in Macedonia to get fair treatment at the hand of the magistrates. High drama occurred in Philippi. Let’s review some of it.

Paul, Silas and Timothy found Lydia and a group of women praying by the riverside on the Sabbath. Paul preached the way of salvation in Jesus Christ to them. Lydia, the businesswoman, and her entire household, believed and were baptized.

Then a young slave girl, a soothsayer or fortune teller, followed the missionaries, declaring that they were servants of God sent to preach salvation. Paul, after several days of thus being followed by the slave girl, turned and commanded the evil spirit to come out of her. The girl’s masters did not like her not having her gift of divination, for they made great profits from her soothsaying. They reported the missionaries to the magistrates, whereupon, without trial of any sort, Paul and Silas (Timothy is not listed with them here) were publicly stripped and beaten and cast into the dungeon of the prison, in stocks. At midnight, they prayed and sang, with al the other prisoners listening. A sudden earthquake came, the prisoners’ chains were loosed and the prison doors opened. The jailer, fearing all the prisoners had fled, was greatly concerned. But Paul assured him that all the prisoners were still there. And then the jailer asked that most important question: “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Paul’s answer to the jailer was classic for Christian witnessing: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (Acts 16:31). Instead of a jailbreak that notable night, there was a break for the jailer and his household from pagan belief and sin’s imprisonment. He and his household believed, the imprisoned missionaries received gentle treatment and washing of their wounds, and were fed a good meal.

When morning came, the magistrates sent word to let the missionary prisoners go. But wait! Paul said (and I paraphrase), “We’re Roman citizens, and you have beaten us without trial, imprisoned us, and now you want to let us go quietly? No way! Let the magistrates come themselves to release us.” And, fearing the consequences, the magistrates came asking the missionaries in a more respectful way to leave the city, for by this time they feared the consequences of their untoward actions and treatment of prisoners without benefit of trial.

The missionaries went back to Lydia’s house and spent time encouraging the believers before they left Philippi. This would not be the last time Paul called upon his Roman citizenship to allow him to keep preaching the gospel of Christ. His stand in Philippi and elsewhere seems to strongly emphasize his belief stated in I Corinthians 9:19-23, summed up in verse 22: “I have become all things to all men that I might by all means save some.” The dramatic happenings in Philippi, first stop of the missionary team on the European continent, were proof indeed that God was with them and that the Spirit of God was working in a mighty way to bring conversion and new life to all who believed the message so boldly preached by God’s anointed spokesmen. And ever it has been so, even to this present age. God and dedicated followers become a majority against great odds. Praise be to God!

Ethelene Dyer Jones; Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Lydia, First Recorded European Convert

‘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. 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.’ And she constrained us.” –Acts 16:13-15.

Paul, Silas and Timothy were on the second missionary journey. Paul received the vision in which he saw a man saying, “Come over to Macedonia to help us” (Acts 16:10). They changed direction, sailed to Troas, went to Samothrace and to Neapolis, where they embarked. They went inland to Philippi, the chief city of the colony of Macedonia. Paul and his companions were now in Europe. Evidently they found no Jewish synagogue in the town, but they did find, on the Sabbath, a group of women gathered to pray. How did these come to know about God in a pagan land? Perhaps Lydia, as a business woman, a seller of purple, had encountered devout Jews who taught her to fear the one true God in the midst of a pagan culture. We cannot know for sure how Lydia had the custom of meeting with other women and praying on the Sabbath, but she was remembering that day, to keep it holy, thus knowing God’s law about a day set aside for worship.

And to this group of praying women, Paul preached the gospel of Christ. The results were good, especially with Lydia, the business woman in the group. She and her household believed in Jesus and were baptized. Lydia thus became the first recorded convert on the continent of Europe.

Upon her conversion, Lydia wanted to do something for the Lord’s work. Her hospitality came to the forefront. She invited the mission team to be guests in her home. Later, after Paul was released from prison, he went again to the home of Lydia, where “when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed” (Acts 16:40). Lydia, first European convert recorded in scripture, devout (already praying when Paul’s team found her), hospitable, and concerned for her household and strangers who needed lodging and food, Lydia stands as an example of Christian womanhood. Although we know only this about her, she stands tall as one who was unafraid to be counted among the believers at Philippi.

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Young Timothy Joins Paul’s Mission Team

“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, 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. 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.” -Acts 16:1-5 (NKJV).

Silas was still with Paul as they visited the churches in Asia Minor strengthening them and delivering to them the decision of the Jerusalem Council that the Gentile believers did not have to undergo circumcision but “to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled and from blood” (Acts 15:20). At Lystra, Paul invited Timothy to join them on their mission. We learn from 2 Timothy 1:5 and 3:15 that his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois had taught him the Scriptures since he was a child. He was well-versed in the Jewish law and prophets, although his father was Greek (Gentile). Eunice had given him the name Timothy which means “honoring God”. In her devoutness, she evidently had hopes that her son would stand firmly for God. Paul in later writings (I Cor. 4:17, I Tim. 1:2 and 2 Tim. 1:2) refers to Timothy as his son (or child) in the gospel. Timothy was probably converted to the Christian faith on Paul’s first missionary journey (see Acts 14:6-23) when he was at Lystra.

Why, after the Jerusalem Council had decided that circumcision was unnecessary to salvation, did Paul have Timothy circumcised before they left on their missionary journey? This has been a measure of much debate. They would be witnessing to many Jews and because Timothy’s mother was Jewish, and he thus had a kinship with them, Paul deemed it advisable to have Timothy circumcised.

A long and profitable association of Paul to Timothy began at Lystra and continued throughout the Apostle’s life. He sent Timothy to represent him at Corinth and at Philippi. Paul lists Timothy as co-author of six of his thirteen epistles (2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Philemon). When Paul faced death in prison, he asked Timothy to go and be with him (2 Tim. 4:9). Timothy is an excellent example of what a person can become, having one older and experienced in the faith become mentor and “companion in the gospel.”

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Monday, April 26, 2010