PHILIPPI


The city was founded in 360 B.C. by Philip II of Macedon. From Neapolis Paul followed the Via Egnatia to Philippi. This road divided Philippi in half, running between the eastern Neapolis gate and the western Krenides gate. Paul may have entered the city through the former gate and left for Thessalonica through the latter.

Philippi stretched into the Plain of Philippi, where, in 42 B.C., Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius in the battle of Philippi. The battle was fought near the Gangites River, and in large measure determined the fate of the Roman Republic, which became the Roman Empire.

Strabo called the battle a turning point for Philippi, which was afterwards greatly enlarged (Strabo, 7.fragment 41). Roman soldiers settled in Philippi under orders from Antony, whose legate13 set aside the territory of Philippi as a Roman colony.

In 30 B.C., Octavian expelled from Italy many who had sided with Antony on a problem that arose after the battle of Philippi and allowed the veterans who supported him to settle in their place. Some of those forced to leave Italy settled in Philippi. In 27 B.C., Octavian made Philippi a Roman colony, naming it Colonia Julia Augusta Philippensis. This name was found on inscriptions discovered in the east temple and in the library.

Philippi enjoyed the status of Ius Italicum, which meant it was equal with towns in Italy. This status exempted the citizens of Philippi and their lands from imperial taxes. The Philippians may have been unduly proud of their privileged position. Paul warned against such pride when he wrote about the enemies of Christ and of a superior citizenship in a spiritual commonwealth:
Philippi’s marketplace was decorated on both ends with fountains. On the northern end was a speaker’s platform (bema) with steps leading up to it on either side. Paul may have stood at this platform when he defended himself before the magistrates, just as he did in Corinth only a few weeks later (see Acts 16:19-21; 18:2). According to inscriptions, the present marketplace was built by Marcus Aurelius about A.D. 160. Nevertheless, the general layout is probably the same as it was in Paul’s day.

In 1984, an inscription was found on the east side of the marketplace that contains a dedication to Nero Claudius Drusus, father of Claudius. According to Luke, Paul visited
Philippi during the reign of Claudius (Acts 18:2)
In Philippi, Paul and Silas “went outside the gate to the riverside, where [they] supposed there was a place of prayer.” One of the women who heard them speak, “a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God,” was converted and baptized “with her household.” The woman’s name was Lydia, and she was from Thyatira in Asia Minor (see Acts 16:12-15).

The conversion of Lydia represented the establishment of the first Christian church in Europe.

One of the possible sites for this event is the western Krenides gate, where the nearby Krenides stream flows. The gate has been dated to the time of Paul. Locals refer to the river as “the River of Lydia.” Another possibility for the site of Lydia’s conversion is the eastern Neapolis gate, where outside the gate there is a stream bed. Excavations near the gate have uncovered the foundations of two churches. One, dating to the 4th century A.D., was dedicated to Paul.16 Philippi did not have a synagogue, and it is assumed that the Jewish community was small.

The acropolis of Philippi rises above the marketplace a little to the north, overlooking the Philippian Plain where the battle of Philippi took place. The theater of Philippi is on the eastern side of the acropolis. It seated an estimated 5,000 people and “was certainly at its prime during Paul’s visit there” (Pfeiffer, p. 453).

West of what archaeologists call Basilica Astands a small crypt, which a 5th century A.D. tradition holds was the prison where Paul and Silas were kept (see Acts 16:16-24).

When Paul left Philippi, he left Luke behind to mind the flock and to continue the missionary effort. The word “we” disappears from the text, which is the word always used by Luke when he was accompanying Paul. Luke joined Paul again when he left Philippi on his third missionary journey and sailed for Troas (Acts 20:6).


Bible Study (Philippi)
Acts 16:12-15. Paul and Silas came to Philippi on Paul’s second missionary journey. Lydia, “a seller of purple goods” from Thyatira (see p. 83), and her household were converted and baptized.
Acts 16:16-24. Paul commanded an evil spirit to come out of a certain slave girl, “who had a spirit of divination.” He and Silas were brought before the magistrates, who beat and whipped them, and cast them into prison.
Acts 16:25-34. Paul and Silas were miraculously delivered from prison. The jailer and his household were converted and baptized.
Acts 16:35-40. Paul and Silas departed Philippi after declaring their Roman citizenship to the magistrates.
Acts 20:2-6. Paul passed through Philippi at the close of his third missionary journey, on his return to Jerusalem.
Philip. 1:7, 13-17. Paul wrote his epistle to the Philippians while imprisoned in Rome.




END NOTES:
(1) Lamar Berrett, Discovering the World of the Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee, 1979, p. 159.


Acts 16:11 - 40
11: Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;
12:
And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.
13:
And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
14:
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
15:
And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
16:
And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
17:
The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18:
And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
19:
And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
20:
And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
21:
And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
22:
And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23:
And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24:
Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25:
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
26:
And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
27:
And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28:
But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29:
Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30:
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31:
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32:
And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33:
And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34:
And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
35:
And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go.
36:
And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.
37:
But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out.
38:
And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans.
39:
And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.
40:
And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.

Acts 20:2-6
2: And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece,
3:
And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia.
4:
And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
5:
These going before tarried for us at Troas.
6:
And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.


1 Thessalonians 2:1-4
1: For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain:
2:
But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.
3:
For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:
4:
But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.