Acts: To The Ends Of The EarthSample

Until now, the gospel has advanced in Gentile territory through rural Asia, the region we know as modern-day Turkey. People have been won over, but some critics might claim they were just gullible, simple folk. Now the missionaries come to Europe (Macedonia) and its prosperous commercial and intellectual cities.

Under the oversight of God, Paul has a vision of a man from Europe (v. 9) calling him to come and help. This was the call of God for work to begin in Europe, and the first city Paul and his team visits is Philippi.

In the absence of a synagogue in the city, they know they will find Jews and God-fearers meeting by the river. They find just such a group, and Lydia becomes the first European convert—God is active here (v. 14). Lydia is baptized and extends hospitality to the missionaries.

The conversion of the fortune-telling slave girl (vv. 16–18) and her spiritual insight (v. 17) leads to the first opposition in Europe, and it arises for commercial reasons (v. 19).

Paul and Silas are flogged and imprisoned. Surely the gospel has come to a dead end. But no—there is an earthquake, the chains of all the prisoners are loosened, but none of them escape. The fortune-teller earlier said, "These men…are telling you the way to be saved." Now, the jailer asks, "what must I do to be saved?" (v. 30). He is told he will be saved if he believes in the Lord Jesus Christ (v. 31).

This callous man who had beaten and flogged Paul and Silas, now bathes the wounds he had inflicted (v. 33). He and his family are baptized and "set a meal before them" (v. 34). What a remarkable day for that household.

The first church at Philippi (v. 40) was very diverse—a woman of wealth with a household, a slave girl, the cruel jailer, and his household now transformed, and some others. Jew and Greek, slave and free, male, and female—all one in Christ Jesus (see also Gal. 3:28).

After upholding their legal rights as Roman citizens, Paul and Silas are asked to leave the city, and they do so, in their own time.

Paul has been stoned at Lystra and left for dead. Now he has been stripped, beaten, severely flogged and imprisoned. Beware of too quickly glossing over the agonizing pain involved in these experiences.

Reflection

What do you learn from the experiences of Paul and his fellow missionaries? What does this teach you about perseverance in the face of adversity?