PHILIPPI

(Phi·lipʹpi).

At the time of the apostle Paul’s second missionary tour, this city was “the principal [or, first] city of the district of Macedonia,” though apparently not its capital. It was located in the eastern part of the district, at the N end of the Aegean Sea, not far from the district of Thrace. Paul, coming by boat from Troas, landed at Philippi’s seaport town, Neapolis, and traveled about 15 km (9.5 mi) NW along the Via Egnatia, or Egnatian Way, the great commercial and military road from Asia to Rome, which ran through a mountain pass some 500 m (1,600 ft) above sea level and down into the Philippian Plain.​—Ac 16:11, 12.

The city was situated on a hill rising out of the plain, near the river Gangites. On the S was an extensive marsh. Philippi’s acropolis was on a large rock formation in the NE part of the city. Excavations of the ruins indicate that the Egnatian Way ran through the middle of the city and that alongside it there was a fair-sized forum. Amphipolis, to which Paul traveled after leaving Philippi, was apparently the capital of the district; it lay about 50 km (30 mi) SW of Philippi. From Amphipolis, Paul went SW approximately 35 km (22 mi) to Apollonia and from there to Thessalonica some 45 km (28 mi) W, where he stayed for about three weeks before heading SW through Beroea to take a boat for Athens.

Paul’s Visit. Philippi was privileged to be the first city in Europe to hear Paul preach the good news, in about 50 C.E., during his second missionary tour. He went there in obedience to a night vision at Troas in Asia Minor, in which a Macedonian man entreated him: “Step over into Macedonia and help us.” (Ac 16:8-10) Paul and his companions, evidently including their chronicler Luke, stayed there for several days, and on the Sabbath they “went forth outside the gate beside a river,” where, Luke recounts, “we were thinking there was a place of prayer.” Some think that there was no synagogue in Philippi, because of the city’s military character​—that the Jews there may have been forbidden to assemble inside the city for worship. In any case, Paul spoke to the women assembled there and found one, Lydia by name, a worshiper of God, who “opened her heart wide to pay attention to the things being spoken by Paul.” She and her household were baptized, and her appreciation and hospitality were so great that “she just made [Paul and his companions] come” to stay at her house.​—Ac 16:11-15.

But now, after answering the call to come into Macedonia, Paul was faced with persecution in this very first city, this time not from Jewish sources, as had been the case in Galatia. The magistrates of the city acted on false accusations made by the owners of a demonized girl. They had lost their income because she was no longer able to carry on the practice of prediction, from which they had made much gain. Paul and Silas were beaten with rods, they were thrown into prison, and their feet were made fast in stocks.​—Ac 16:16-24.

In the middle of the night, however, as they, in the hearing of the other prisoners, were praying and praising God with song, a miracle occurred. An earthquake broke the prisoners’ bonds and threw the doors open. The jailer, knowing that he would face the death penalty for loss of the prisoners committed to him, was about to kill himself when Paul called out: “Do not hurt yourself, for we are all here!” The jailer and his household then listened to Paul and Silas, took care of their stripe wounds, and became baptized believers.​—Ac 16:25-34; PICTURE, Vol. 2, p. 749.

The next morning, perhaps hearing of the miraculous occurrence, the city magistrates ordered the jailer to release Paul. But Paul was concerned with vindicating, defending, and legally establishing the good news more than with immediate release. He was not going to submit to any secret “back-door” release in order to save face for the magistrates. He called attention to his own Roman citizenship and the fact that they had publicly beaten him and Silas, uncondemned. No, indeed! they must openly acknowledge that they, and not the Christians, had acted unlawfully. On hearing that Paul and Silas were Romans, the magistrates were struck with fear and, coming down personally, “entreated them,” brought them out, and requested that they leave the city.​—Ac 16:35-40.

Nevertheless, Paul had established a fine congregation in Philippi, one that was always dear to his heart. Their love for him was manifested by their anxious care and provision for him, even when he was elsewhere. (Php 4:16)