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Paul and the Cities He Knew
Week of October 26 – November 1
Acts 16:6-19
“Philippi: Lydia, and A Slave Girl”
Sermon Date: Nov 1-2
The baptism river of Acts 16:13‐15 flows to this day, the Gangites River, outside modern Philippi
Paul stayed in Philippi for a number of days. His first concern was to make contact with
the Jews living there. However, there cannot have been many Jews resident in Philippi,
since nowhere do we find any mention of a synagogue. Moreover, in order to meet
them, Paul had to leave the city and make his way to the river bank, where they
gathered to pray. It was here that Lydia, a seller of textiles from Thyatira in Asia Minor
[western Turkey, today], became the first woman to be baptized on European soil.
- Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles; Journeys in Greece
Editions Haitalis 2003, no author listed in book.
Getting started:
In your family of origin, what is the earliest baptism you are aware of? Where do you
keep track of such information? What do you know about your own baptism?
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Find Galatia, Phrygia, Asia, and Bithynia on the map. Not shown: Mysia, the region where Troas is. Now find Troas, Neapolis, and Philippi. Read Acts 16:6‐10 1. (vv 6-7) - Follow Paul’s general travel route on the map by finding the areas named
in the Bible text. Maybe you have other maps to help you get a better picture of these
regions and cities.
In both verse 6 and in verse 7, there is mention of the Spirit preventing them from going
into certain regions. Why do you suppose this happened? How do you think the Spirit
stopped them?
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2. (vv 9-10) - This is the famous “Macedonian Vision” or “Macedonian Call,” which
resulted in the Gospel expanding into a new continent, Europe.
Paul’s vision occurs “during the night” (v.9). Should we assume it was a dream?
How does his team respond?
Mosaic at Berea, depicting Paul’s continent-connecting vision.
Read Acts 16:11‐15 3. (vv 11-12) - Follow the geography on your map(s). Do a little research on Philippi.
What was Philippi like at the time of Paul? What’s it like today?
4. (vv 13-15) - There is a lot of information “between the words and lines” here. What
might we extrapolate from the following points of information:
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Why do Paul & company go to the river on the Sabbath?
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What is the significance that only “the women who had gathered there” are
mentioned?
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What can we infer about Lydia and her occupation? (not a Greek name, not from
that area… probably not Jewish? – but she was “a worshiper of God”)
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What do you envision when you read the words “she and the members of her
household were baptized”?
Read Acts 16:16‐21 Note that the story is now being told “in the second person” – “we.” It changed in today’s
passage, from third person in v.9 to second person in v.10. It appears that the writer of
Acts, Luke, may have been with Paul and Silas in Philippi.
5. (v.16) - What do we already know about the place they are they going?
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Looking at the map, you can imagine Paul and his group leaving the city, passing
through the city walls and heading southwest toward the river. They probably spent
their days in the public area of the agora and forum.
6. (vv 17-18) - What’s wrong with what the slave girl is saying, and why does Paul call
the spirit out? (Her words do not seem like the product of an evil spirit.)
7. (v.19-21) - With the spirit driven away, the slave girl no longer has the ability to
predict the future (v.16). It is understandable that her owners ( -- interesting: more than
one owner, apparently) are upset. But note how they spin it before the magistrates. Why
is this ironic for the Paul and Silas, followers of Christ?
8. What is your favorite part of today’s passage? What abiding thought do you choose
to take with you from it?
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