Philippi

Philippi in the Bible

Philippi first appears in Acts 16. At Troas, Paul saw a vision in which a man of Macedonia urged him, "Come over into Macedonia, and help us" (Acts 16:9). Paul then crossed the sea with Silas, Timothy, and others and arrived at Philippi. This took place during the second of Paul's missionary journeys. At this point the narrative shifts to the first-person "we," and many therefore hold that Luke, the traditional author, was traveling with Paul.

The events at Philippi include the following:

• The conversion of Lydia: On the Sabbath, outside the city gate by a river, "where prayer was wont to be made" (Acts 16:13), Paul met Lydia, a seller of purple cloth from Thyatira. Lydia and her household were baptized (Acts 16:14–15).
• Imprisonment and the conversion of the jailer: Paul cast a spirit of divination out of a slave girl. Her owners then brought charges against him, and Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned. At midnight, as the two men prayed and sang hymns, an earthquake struck, and as a result the Philippian jailer and his household believed and were baptized (Acts 16:30–34).
• Roman citizenship: The next day Paul made known that he was a Roman citizen. The magistrates, realizing they had flogged citizens without a trial, were afraid (Acts 16:37–39).

Paul passed through the region again on his third journey and sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Acts 20:6). He later sent the Epistle to the Philippians to this church, addressing it to "all the saints … which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons" (Philippians 1:1).

History and Geography

The name Philippi comes from Philip II of Macedon (the father of Alexander the Great), who refounded and greatly enlarged the city. Before that, it is reported to have been called Krenides.

In 42 BC, Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius in a battle fought near the city. Philippi afterward became a Roman colony (colonia) settled by veteran soldiers. A Roman colony was a city that enjoyed the same laws and privileges as Rome itself. Acts 16:12 likewise calls Philippi "a colony."

Philippi lay on the Via Egnatia, Rome's main east–west highway, and was near the port of Neapolis. Its archaeological site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016.

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

The church at Philippi is portrayed as one that consistently supported Paul. Paul wrote that while he was in Thessalonica, the Philippian church was the only church that gave him material support (Philippians 4:15–16). The Philippians also sent gifts to him by Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25; 4:18).

1 Thessalonians 2:2 recalls the suffering Paul endured at Philippi. Philippians 3:20, "For our conversation is in heaven" (rendered "citizenship" in many modern translations), is often read against the background of a colonial city that prided itself on Roman citizenship.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• The infant baptism debate: The accounts of the baptism of the whole "household" of Lydia and of the jailer are frequently cited in the infant baptism debate. Denominations that practice infant baptism, such as Presbyterians and Methodists, regard these accounts as one basis for household baptism. Baptists and others note that the text does not mention infants and, pointing out that the jailer rejoiced, "believing in God with all his house" (Acts 16:34), read these passages as describing believer's baptism.
• "The first church in Europe": The Philippian church is often called the first church in Europe. This description, however, follows the order of the narrative in Acts and does not rule out the possibility that there were already believers elsewhere.
• Whether there was a synagogue: Some interpreters conclude from the expression "where prayer was wont to be made" that Philippi had no synagogue, but the text does not state this directly.
• A place with a similar name: "Caesarea Philippi" in Matthew 16:13 is a different city in northern Israel and should be distinguished from Philippi in Macedonia.

In the Korean Church

Paul's words to the jailer, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" (Acts 16:31), are widely quoted to encourage the evangelization of family members. The scene of Paul and Silas singing hymns at midnight in prison (Acts 16:25) is frequently used in sermons on praise in the midst of suffering. The Macedonian vision is a common text for sermons and gatherings focused on commitment to missions.