Emmaus Saturday Morning Men’s Bible Study
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Copyright 2004 by William Meisheid
Philippians: Lesson One - Introduction Saturday 1-24-04
Today’s theme: The Gospel invades Europe and meets Greco-Roman culture
Scriptural background: Acts 16:11-40 12“there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.”
Quotes to think
about
"The beginnings and endings of all human undertakings are untidy."-
John Galsworthy (1867-1933), British writer, author, "The Forsyte Saga,"
and winner of the Nobel prize for literature.
"You begin saving the world by saving one person at a time; all else is grandiose romanticism or politics." - Charles Bukowski (1920-94), German-born American writer, author, "Action," "Beans with Garlic".
Historical Background
Philippi
Originally called Crenides, Thracian for "the
fountain." It is now a ruined village, called Philibedjik. After
fortifying the town,
Philip of Macedonia,
father of Alexander the Great, renamed it Philippi, making it the capital
of the Greek province of Macedonia.
In the time of the Emperor Augustus at the beginning of the first century, this city became a Roman colony, primarily a military settlement of Roman soldiers, which helped control the recently conquered district. Run as a "miniature Rome," using Roman municipal law, it was governed by military officers, called duumviri, who were appointed directly from Rome. Rome built a military supply road, the "Via Egnatia", named after the general who built it, which went through Philippi and put the city firmly on the map of the empire.
Paul’s Missionary Journey to Philippi (Acts 16:11-40)
Paul enters Europe for the first time.
11From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. 12From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
1. What, for our study of Philippians, is significant about verse 12?
13On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. 15When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.
2. What is unique about Paul’s interaction with Lydia and Luke’s description of it?
Note: Lydia may not have been her name since it also means “Lydian woman” where Thyatira was located. She was not Jewish, but an attendant at the Jewish place of worship and called one who "worshipped God," a technical term for converts to Jewry who had not become full proselytes.
3. What does the absence of a synagogue tell you about Philippi?
16Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." 18She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.
4. Where is this action of Paul important to a later attempt at exorcism?
19When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice."
22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
5. What is remarkable about this account?
25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. 27The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"
29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
6. Why do you think the jailer asked Paul and Silas that question?
31They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household." 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God--he and his whole family.
7. How has this passage been used in Christian theology?
35When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: "Release those men." 36The jailer told Paul, "The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace."
37But Paul said to the officers: "They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out." 38The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.
8. What about Philippi made Paul’s appeal to his Roman citizenship important?
40After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.
9. What do you think about Paul’s
time in Philippi? Was it productive? Why did he not stay longer?
Additional Philippi information
Other writings - Polycarp’s epistle to Philippi c. 120-140 AD - http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/polycarp.html “Paul when he was absent wrote letters to you.” Iii,2
The Epistle
Date and location: Traditionally Rome and 61-62 AD. Other suggestions include Ephesus and Caesarea.
Purpose: An extremely personal letter that serves several purposes, first of which is support of Epaphroditus’ return and their support. Then he takes the opportunity to deal with disunity and disputes and the influence of a perfectionist possibly Gnostic elements.
Assignment
Read verses 1-11. Note especially Paul’s prayer in verses 9-11. Make his prayer your prayer for the week. Let it become a part of your time with the Lord and see what he reveals to you as you pray it.
Paul's Second
Missionary Journey which took him to Philippi.
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