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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadGreater Men and Women of the Bible by James Hastings: 640. Lydia
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Literature
Baker, E., The Revivals of the Bible (1906), 174.
Davidson, T., in Biblical Character Sketches (1896), 198.
Elder, R., The Redeemer's Cry (1892), 101.
Howson, J. S., The Companions of St. Paul (1874), 31.
Lewis, H. E., in Women of the Bible: Rebekah to Priscilla (1874), 31.
Luckock, H. M., Footprints of the Apostles as traced by Saint Luke in the Acts, ii. (1905) 125.
McGarvey, J. W., Sermons (1894), 145.
Maclaren, A., The Acts of the Apostles (Bible Class Expositions) (1894), 203.
Minifie, W. C., The Mask Torn off (1901), 46.
Noble, F. A., Typical New Testament Conversions (1901), 51.
Norton, J. N., Old Paths (1880), 390.
Raleigh, A., From Dawn to the Perfect Day (1883), 265.
Stokes, G. T., The Acts of the Apostles (Expositor's Bible), ii. (1892) 271.
Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, i. (1915) 726 (W. F. Boyd).
Dictionary of the Bible, iii. (1900) 176 (G. Milligan).
Twentieth-Century Pastor, xxix. (1911) 407 (A. B. Gardner).
About twenty years after the death and resurrection of Christ there was still no Christianity at all in Europe, except so far as a few scattered Jews, travelling for purposes of trade-or here and there a Greek sailor or Roman soldier-might have in their hearts the seeds of Divine truth, sown there by the words and work of Christ in Judæa, or elsewhere by some followers of Christ. No doubt in this way some preparation was going on for the great Christian community of Rome; but still, on the whole, it may be said with truth that Europe at this moment was heathen from one end to the other.
1. The significance of the events which turned Paul's steps to Europe is more clearly seen to-day than at the time. By Divine leading the Apostle's course was blocked in Asia. At Troas he was on the edge of Asia, with Europe on the opposite shore. At this place he had a vision, in which a man of Macedonia stood on the other side of the water and beckoned for aid. Coupled with the closed door in Asia, this was accepted as indicating an open one in Europe. And Paul, with Timothy, Silas, and Luke immediately started for the new field.
2. After a prosperous voyage of two days, the Apostle and his companions landed at Neapolis, a Macedonian harbour, and then travelled ten miles inland to Philippi.
Philippi was a city built by King Philip, the father of Alexander the Great. After the conquest of Macedonia by the Romans, it became famous as the scene of the great battle between Brutus and Cassius on the one hand, and Mark Antony and Augustus on the other, a battle which decided the fate of the Empire and influenced the course of the world's history as few other battles have done. Augustus made Philippi into a colony, erecting a triumphal arch to celebrate his victory over Brutus, and placing there a large settlement of his veterans who had secured for him this important outpost.
3. What day the Apostles landed we do not know. But as a few days elapsed before the Sabbath came round, it is clear they arrived early in the week. Whilst it was useless to look round for a Christian cause, it was not an unreasonable thing for them to endeavour to discover a Jewish place of worship. Their practice had always been to go to their own nationality first. But there was no synagogue in Philippi. Wherever ten wise men could be found in a city, the rule of the Jews allowed for the establishment of a synagogue. These ten were not in evidence in the Macedonian centre. Not only did the Apostles discover no synagogue during those first few days, but they observed no Jewish features among the crowds that thronged the streets, for when the Sabbath day came round they were not sure that there was even a place of prayer for a few. “On the Sabbath we went forth without the gate by a river side, where we supposed there was a place of prayer.” They had not got beyond supposition when the Sabbath morning dawned.
In the absence of a synagogue there was frequently an enclosure, sometimes open to the sky, outside the city boundaries, where a few worshippers would assemble every Sabbath. For such a spot Paul and his companions looked. They found one, but it was occupied only by women. To this little gathering Paul spoke. He sat down and talked to them. The first gospel sermon in Europe was conversational. It was not rhetorical. There was nothing about it to dazzle. It was an earnest talk for the purpose of winning a few to Christ, and not for the sake of gaining a reputation for the preacher. And the first convert in Europe was gained at this service. That convert was Lydia.
Drink: the immortal waters quench the spirit's longing.
Art thou not now, bright one, all sorrow past, in elation,
Made young with joy, grown brother-hearted with the vast,
Whither thy spirit wending flits the dim stars past
Unto the Light of Lights in burning adoration.1 [Note: A. E., The Divine Vision, 32.]