Arriving in Philippi

“And from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony; and we were spending some days in this city.” (1) Let’s look at the history of the city of Philippi: (a) In 42 B.C., a major battle occurred in this area. It was a battle between the forces of Antony and Octavian vs. Cassius and Brutus. Incidentally, Octavian would later become Augustus. (b) As a result of this war, Rome transitioned from a republic to an empire. (2) “Which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, a Roman colony.” (a) Macedonia was divided into four regions, a strategy by Rome to prevent the Macedonians from uniting and resisting Roman rule. Philippi was the main city in one of these regions. (b) After the war in 42 B.C., Philippi became a Roman “colony.” A colony was a town established as a military base, essentially a “little Rome.” Residents of a colony were granted Roman citizenship and tax privileges. (c)The importance of Philippi in New Testament times lay in several factors: its rich agricultural production, its role as a commercial hub connecting sea and land routes, the presence of gold mines, its status as a Roman colony, and the presence of a renowned medical school. Some scholars suggest that Luke studied at Philippi’s medical school. If so, it would be understandable that Luke held pride in this city. (3) In the Acts of the Apostles, Philippi is the only city specifically described as a colony, but there were five other Roman colonies: Pisidian Antioch, Lystra, Troas, Corinth, and Ptolemais (Accho). Living in a colony was essentially the same as living in Rome itself. (4) Paul’s group stayed in this city for a few days. (a) They arrived in Philippi early in the week. (b) Paul began his activities on the Sabbath, adhering to the principle of preaching to the Jews first, then to the Gentiles. (c) Until the Sabbath, they likely spent time surveying the town and working to earn their living expenses. Let’s learn from Paul’s commitment to following the principles of evangelism faithfully. The Acts of the Apostles records the work of the living Christ. If Christ is the main actor, then those who are His instruments (people) must serve in Christ’s way. Are the content of our message and the methods we use in line with God’s will? Let us take time to self-evaluate.