“Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas. That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.”
Acts of the Apostles 16:6-10 NLT
Phrygia - ancestors/cousins of the Greek
Troas- Troy where the Trojan war was fought
V. 10 “we” - where Luke joins
“We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we landed at Neapolis. From there we reached Philippi, a major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we stayed there several days. On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. She and her household were baptized, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed.”
Acts of the Apostles 16:11-15 NLT
most heavily attacked part of Acts as being inaccurate
Neapolis- common name for colonies at this time
“A major city of that’s province” original Greek says “the city in the province of”
River is the only one in the area, about 1km from the walls of Philippi
Paul continues to use the strategy of going first to Jewish synagogues because those were the exact people who were quite literally waiting for the Messiah, which is the exact message Paul is spreading
Lydia’s Household- no man or husband mentioned as well as no synagogue in town indicates there was none; it is unlikely that she was a young single woman as she would felt a lot of pressure to marry by a certain age; but a widow with more than three children could be self sufficient and have a business; could be possible she was a freed slave, as well
Lydia Name - from a place called Lydia, makes sense that became her indictor
Purple Dye - could be from two roots- oak or mato (sp?) or through the mollusk shells & sun / this trade has been confirmed through archeological evidence of business counterparts in Thessalonica that referenced purple dye guild
Dye could only be used for linen or cotton, not any skin fabrics (leathers)
“As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness. At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen.”
Philippians 4:15-20 NLT
-passage indicates the great generosity of these people; perhaps a great deal of that was provided by Lydia the businesswoman?
“One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her. Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.” A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, “Let those men go!” So the jailer told Paul, “The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace.” But Paul replied, “They have publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison—and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!” When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city. When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the home of Lydia. There they met with the believers and encouraged them once more. Then they left town.”
Acts of the Apostles 16:16-40 NLT
V16- Greek- spirit of a python (pytho- rotten one); Greek mythological god Apollos found a place in central Greece, Delphi, where the most famous oracle was located & gasses were emitted from the earth which enabled a person to achieve ecstasy (ec- out of, stasis- station // ecstasy = out of your natural environment, which makes a person incredibly vulnerable) this divination could have been something like that; near the place Apollos originally discovered it.
Either way & no matter what, this passage is an issue of human trafficking
V17- At first glance, she is speaking truth— “these men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” Original Greek is actually “and they have come to tell you a way to be saved.” #translationmatters
V18- “got so exasperated” = original Greek “his spirit got heavier”
V19- marketplace = “agora” - large square in the middle of the city where the market was and where people gathered; also where the meeting of the officials took place and where public beatings happened
V22-24- Paul & Silas beaten by the Romans - stripped naked (shameful and embarrassing for anyone but especially Jews), beaten with wooden rods (this often led to losing function of bodily functions, adding to the shame and embarrassment), then thrown into a prison cell (unlike modern ones; no conveniences, light, treatment, or care), put into stocks (which means they had to sit because they couldn’t lie down on their backs due to the injuries)
V25- Forsaking every right both physically, emotionally, and spiritually, instead they chose to sing hymns and pray.
Paul & Silas would have still been bloody and busted up, potentially still without clothing, and perhaps even have made a mess on themselves. In Jewish culture, this uncleanliness would restrict them from accessing their places of worship.
Instead, we see them accessing God without a ritual cleansing and the pagans surrounding them would be so confused by this. This is not normal Jewish activity.
“Other prisoners were listening” = Greek, “caught their attention”
V26- Greece gets 30-40k earthquakes a year; lots of seismic activity here
V33- Luke (author of Acts) includes this detail “thee jailer cared for them and washed their wounds” — ever the doctor and because the threat of infection was so high
35-39- Even though Paul & Silas took the beating, endured the jail cell and experienced a miracle, it was well within their rights as Romans to not have to go through any of that. He could’ve pulled that card at any time to stop the whole thing. And it wouldn’t have been wrong of him to do that.
This caused me to reflect on the fact that just because we have a “right” doesn’t mean it’s always right.
If we have to fight for our right to be right, we’re probably wrong.
Paul used great discernment in the hardest physical position to choose to endure the pain so a young girl would be saved from her abuse, so this little group of believers wouldn’t be punished on his account, so he could potentially use this down the road for any number of reasons, and because apparently, that’s what he thought was best in the moment at that time.
V40- “they met with the believers and encouraged them once more. Then they left town.”
There is no apology. There is no hard hearted attitudes or bitterness. Paul and Silas encouraged them. They to them, not the other way around.
Then, after some time, writes this back to them… (from a different jail cell…)
“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Philippians 2:5-11 NLT
“For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.”
Philippians 1:20 NLT (*my life verse!)