“Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. Him would Paul have to go forth with him” (Acts 16:1-31Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: 2Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. 3Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek. (Acts 16:1‑3)).
Paul was a single man without descendants, but as a Christian, he was a father and had many spiritual children. Out of all of them, there was none that he loved as much as Timothy, who converted, it seems, the first time Paul and Barnabas went to “Lystra and Derbe and ... preached the gospel” (Acts 14:6-76They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about: 7And there they preached the gospel. (Acts 14:6‑7)).
Much time had passed when Paul, accompanied by Silas, left from his own assembly of Antioch, “recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God” (Acts 15:4040And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. (Acts 15:40)). Arriving once again at Derbe and Lystra, he found Timothy, a young man who had, in an evident way, grown “in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:1818But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18)), since he “was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.”
“Him would Paul have to go forth with him.” Paul had spiritual discernment as well as apostolic authority. Therefore, he would not have chosen the young man, Timothy, as a companion in the work of the Lord if he did not have a good testimony from the brothers in that place. This is a clearly laid-out principle in the New Testament. Even the apostles Paul and Barnabas were not sent “by the Spirit” without having the “right hand of fellowship” of the brothers in their own assembly (see Acts 13:3-4; 15:403And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. 4So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. (Acts 13:3‑4)
40And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. (Acts 15:40)). How much more essential is it that a young brother have the recommendation of the brothers that know him!
Eunice, Timothy’s mother, was a Jew. When she married a Greek she was not a Christian; but she disobeyed the law of Moses (see Deut. 7:33Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. (Deuteronomy 7:3); Ezra 9:10-1210And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments, 11Which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness. 12Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever. (Ezra 9:10‑12)). She converted to Christ, as did her mother, Timothy’s grandmother (called Lois) — both before Timothy himself converted (see 2 Tim. 1:55When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. (2 Timothy 1:5)).
Having said that, we note the commentary: “because of the Jews ... for they knew all that his father was a Greek.” According to the Jews’ consciences, the marriage of Timothy’s parents was not in keeping with the law and so they considered Timothy to be unclean as well. It was an abnormal marriage, and Timothy’s father was probably still unconverted. Timothy was of age and converted, so Paul was not involving himself in a private family affair when he took (with previous understanding of this, it is believed) Timothy and “circumcised him because of the Jews.”
That a Jewish woman would have a male child who was not circumcised was something that the Jew’s feelings could not accept. Paul — more or less according to what he later wrote, “unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews” (1 Cor. 9:2020And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; (1 Corinthians 9:20)) — did to Timothy what would normally have been done to an Israelite’s son in order to dispel the Jews’ prejudices.
It is important to note this fact because we have it narrated in Acts immediately after chapter 15 which tells us how it was decreed by “the apostles and elders and brothers” in Jerusalem that the Gentiles were not to be subject to the rites of Moses (Acts 15:22-2922Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: 23And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: 24Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: 25It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. 28For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; 29That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well. (Acts 15:22‑29)).
“Free from the law, oh, happy condition!
Jesus has bled, and there is remission!
Cursed by the law, and bruised by the fall,
Grace has redeemed us once for all.”
As we have already seen in our study of chapter 15, what was determined by the apostles and elders was that those who had converted to God from among the Gentiles were not subject to the law of Moses. However, they were to abstain from “pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood” (v. 20). All of these things were always contrary to God from the beginning, even before the law of Moses was given to the Israelites.
Now that the question was resolved for the glory of God and peace among the believers, it was the cause of much blessing among the churches that were confirmed in the faith — and they grew in number every day.
We see later how Paul spent three years in the province of Asia, giving testimony to everyone. The Lord has His time for everything: the apostle and his companion arrived at Troas at the edge of the sea without finding an open door for the gospel. What then? They could not do anything: shut doors behind them and the sea before them! Then the Lord manifested His will:
“And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them” (Acts 16:9-109And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. (Acts 16:9‑10)).
The Lord wanted the gospel to be preached in Europe, and so He made Paul, in those days, leave the Near East, guiding him by a marvelous vision. In that moment, it appears that the inspired historian, Luke, joined Paul, Silas, and Timothy: “And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go.”
“We came with a straight course.” Christian friends, how good it is to walk “with a straight course” after the Lord Jesus! Not wandering from here to there, as “a doubleminded man that is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:88A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:8)).
On going up to Philippi, Paul and his company spent some time there. There is not any activity on their part mentioned. It seems to indicate that they were waiting for the Lord to guide them. They were not preceded by any announcement or a lot of propaganda about a great evangelistic campaign or a great celebrity, “Saint Paul!” They knew what we ought to know — that the Lord wants to direct His work, and that everything turns out marvelously when men do not stick their hands in His business.
“And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us” (Acts 16:13-1513And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. 14And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. 15And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us. (Acts 16:13‑15)).
There is no mention made of a “Jewish synagogue” in Philippi, in which Paul would always go to preach the gospel. However, there was a place outside the city where the women often met to pray. This is where the evangelical work began in Macedonia. Lydia was not an idolatress; she was a woman who feared God, and listened to what Paul said. The Lord opened her heart and she believed the gospel. She was baptized with her family. Having then put on Christ, having confessed him as her Lord, she begged Paul and his fellow soldiers, Silas, Timothy, and Luke, and compelled them to accept hospitality in her house. How quickly the good fruit of the new nature of a faithful child of God is manifested!
“And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans” (Acts 16:16-2116And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: 17The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. 18And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. 19And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, 20And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, 21And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. (Acts 16:16‑21)).
As soon as God begins a work, Satan opposes it. The Lord had opened Lydia’s heart. She believed. “She was baptized, and her household” (v.15). A Christian testimony, weak but true, was already appearing in the city of Philippi. To resist it, “the serpent” used a trick. There was a slave of certain men who was possessed with a demon (a “spirit of divination” i.e. “sorceress”). She persisted in following Paul and his companions, giving testimony — not to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of sinners, but to his “servants” “which shew unto us the way of salvation.” To fleshly ears this affirmation sounds good, but to the spiritual ears of the Apostle Paul it did not! He discerned that Satan was setting out to destroy the true testimony about the Lord Jesus Christ by way of a deceitful testimony from a spirit of divination, and thus trying to attach the true and holy testimony of the Lord with another false and unclean witness, so that the gospel would lose its divine power in the consciousness of the Philippian people.
Paul did not act hastily. There is no doubt that he was praying without ceasing “for many days.” Finally, convinced that he had the mind of the Lord, he commanded the spirit of divination to leave the girl; it left immediately. Then the slave girl’s masters — seeing that she could no longer tell the future — captured Paul and Silas and brought them before the magistrates, falsely accusing them.
The young woman had said of them: “These men are the servants of the most high God” but her masters said, “These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city.” The devil, overcome as a “cunning serpent” turned into a “roaring lion.” If he cannot corrupt the Lord’s testimony, then he’ll try to destroy it.
“And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks” (Acts 16:22-2422And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. 23And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: 24Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. (Acts 16:22‑24)).
Completing his race, many years later, Paul wrote to his beloved son in the faith, Timothy, “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:10-1210But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (2 Timothy 3:10‑12)).
Paul and Silas lived piously and did not want to be linked in any way with the satanic work in Philippi. Because of this they suffered cruel persecution. With backs bloodied from the lashes, the faithful servants of the Lord were put in a prison cell and their feet made fast in the stocks. What did they do a few hours later?
Their attitude makes us think about a verse of a Christian hymn:
“Poor, you are our supreme gain
And, scorned, our smile of love
Prisoners in shackles, in stocks or a cell
Free in spirit, we raise our praise to you.
Life, you already are to us, prize in glory above
In death you are our victory, Oh, Lord!
For you make us more than conquerors
Christ Jesus, our Lord, our faithful Protector!”
How did the Lord answer their prayers, delighted by their praises?
“And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled” (Acts 16:26-2726And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. 27And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. (Acts 16:26‑27)).
The result reminds us of the triumphant proclamation of the Lord Jesus after His resurrection: “All power is given to Me in earth and in heaven” (Matt. 28:1818And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (Matthew 28:18)). A great earthquake was produced; all the doors were opened; the chains fell off the prisoners! An unprecedented work of God!
What, then, was the attitude of the Lord’s servants?
“But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:28-3028But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? (Acts 16:28‑30)).
The Roman jailor — charged with zealously guarding the prisoners — desperate on seeing the prison doors opened (if a prisoner escaped from a Roman prison, the guard paid for it with his own life), drew out his sword to commit suicide. Paul, filled with his Lord’s pardoning spirit — in spite of the fact that he and Silas had suffered much evil at the hand of the jailor — cried: “Do thyself no harm.” There was a swaying of the jailor’s conscience. Then he asked for a light. (The sinner convinced of his sin needs light — the light of God’s saving Word). He trembled, probably for the first time in his life as a jailor. He humbled himself in front of his prisoners, the Lord’s servants, whom he took out of the cell. He recognized that they had the word of salvation, and although they were free, he was still the devil’s prisoner. Seeing this, he cried out for salvation. However, he asked the question in the habitual form of the man that does not realize that he is completely lost and cannot, nor could ever, in any way, do anything of his own to receive the salvation of his soul: “What must I do to be saved?”
The divinely inspired word immediately came to his ear:
“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house” (Acts 16:31-3431And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. 32And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 33And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. 34And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. (Acts 16:31‑34)).
The Lord had profoundly shaken the jailor down to his core, and he converted immediately, hearing that salvation comes by unfeigned faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He wanted the rest of his house (his family, servants, everyone) to hear the Word of the Lord. This happened, more or less, at one in the morning! Then the jailor — now a child of God — with a soft heart had compassion on Paul and Silas and “washed their stripes.” He had stopped doing “evil” and learned to do “well” (Isa. 1:16-1716Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. (Isaiah 1:16‑17)). He also understood the due position of a Christian (we do not know if he knew in Philippi about the baptism of Lydia and her family). He did not delay in putting on the uniform of a soldier of Christ: “and was baptized, he and all his.” They had put on Christ (Gal. 3:2727For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Galatians 3:27)).
Lydia, immediately after being baptized with her family, invited the Lord’s servants to accept hospitality in her home. The jailor did the same: “And when he had brought them into his house” (paying no attention to the magistrate’s command that he diligently guard them in the prison), “he set meat before them.” Physically, Paul and Silas had suffered much and probably had not had anything to eat in about twenty-four hours. The persecuting jailor had changed into a compassionate doctor. Then, for the first time, his house was filled with true joy.
“And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed” (Acts 16:35-4035And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. 36And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. 37But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. 38And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. 39And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. 40And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed. (Acts 16:35‑40)).
The Lord’s servant, although he be despised by men (including those of high rank), is conscious of a certain dignity conferred by the Lord. Paul, in this case, and later in the “tribunal” before “Felix” and before king “Agrippa” (Acts 22:25-28; 24:10-21, 24-25; 26:1-1925And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned? 26When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman. 27Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. 28And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. (Acts 22:25‑28)
10Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself: 11Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship. 12And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city: 13Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me. 14But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: 15And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. 16And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. 17Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings. 18Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult. 19Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had ought against me. 20Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council, 21Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day. (Acts 24:10‑21)
24And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. 25And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. (Acts 24:24‑25)
1Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself: 2I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews: 3Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently. 4My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; 5Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 6And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: 7Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. 8Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? 9I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. 11And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. 12Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. 14And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 15And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 16But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; 17Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, 18To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. 19Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: (Acts 26:1‑19)), was conscious of his favored state before God.
The Lord’s servants, no longer wanted by the humiliated magistrates of the city, “being let go, they went to their own company” (Acts 4:2323And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. (Acts 4:23)). They went to Lydia’s house, where the first Philippian believers would meet. There is no doubt that during the “many days” which passed between the baptism of Lydia and the imprisonment of Paul and Silas, there were other people who heard the gospel and believed it. When Paul was put into prison in Rome many years later, he wrote to his beloved brothers in Philippi. Paul and Silas — although they were wounded from the many lashes — instead of receiving comfort spoke words of comfort to their brothers, and said goodbye.