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Week WEEK 6 WEEK 6 WEEK 6 WEEK WEEK 6 WEEK 6 WEEK 6 6 Paul and the Cities He Knew

Week of October 26 – November 1

Acts 16:6-19 “: , and A Slave Girl” Sermon Date: Nov 1-2

The baptism river of :13‐15 flows to this day, the Gangites River, outside modern Philippi

Paul stayed in Philippi for a number of days. His first concern was to make contact with the Jews living there. However, there cannot have been many Jews resident in Philippi, since nowhere do we find any mention of a synagogue. Moreover, in order to meet them, Paul had to leave the city and make his way to the river bank, where they gathered to pray. It was here that Lydia, a seller of textiles from in Minor [western , today], became the first woman to be baptized on European soil. - Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles; Journeys in Greece Editions Haitalis 2003, no author listed in book.

Getting started: In your family of origin, what is the earliest baptism you are aware of? Where do you keep track of such information? What do you know about your own baptism?

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Week WEEK 6 WEEK 6 WEEK 6 WEEK WEEK 6 WEEK 6 WEEK 6 6

Find , , Asia, and on the map. Not shown: , the where Troas is. Now find Troas, , and Philippi.

Read Acts 16:6‐10

1. (vv 6-7) - Follow Paul’s general travel route on the map by finding the areas named in the text. Maybe you have other maps to help you get a better picture of these and cities.

In both verse 6 and in verse 7, there is mention of the Spirit preventing them from going into certain regions. Why do you suppose this happened? How do you think the Spirit stopped them?

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Week WEEK 6 WEEK 6 WEEK 6 WEEK WEEK 6 WEEK 6 WEEK 6 6 2. (vv 9-10) - This is the famous “Macedonian Vision” or “Macedonian Call,” which resulted in the Gospel expanding into a new , .

Paul’s vision occurs “during the night” (v.9). Should we assume it was a dream? How does his team respond?

Mosaic at Berea, depicting Paul’s continent-connecting vision.

Read Acts 16:11‐15

3. (vv 11-12) - Follow the geography on your map(s). Do a little research on Philippi. What was Philippi like at the time of Paul? What’s it like today?

4. (vv 13-15) - There is a lot of information “between the words and lines” here. What might we extrapolate from the following points of information:

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Week WEEK 6 WEEK 6 WEEK 6 WEEK WEEK 6 WEEK 6 WEEK 6 6

 Why do Paul & company go to the river on the Sabbath?

 What is the significance that only “the women who had gathered there” are mentioned?

 What can we infer about Lydia and her occupation? (not a Greek name, not from that area… probably not Jewish? – but she was “a worshiper of God”)

 What do you envision when you read the words “she and the members of her household were baptized”?

Read Acts 16:16‐21 Note that the story is now being told “in the second person” – “we.” It changed in today’s passage, from third person in v.9 to second person in v.10. It appears that the writer of Acts, Luke, may have been with Paul and Silas in Philippi.

5. (v.16) - What do we already know about the place they are they going?

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Week WEEK 6 WEEK 6 WEEK 6 WEEK WEEK 6 WEEK 6 WEEK 6 6

Looking at the map, you can imagine Paul and his group leaving the city, passing through the city walls and heading southwest toward the river. They probably spent their days in the public area of the agora and forum.

6. (vv 17-18) - What’s wrong with what the slave girl is saying, and why does Paul call the spirit out? (Her words do not seem like the product of an evil spirit.)

7. (v.19-21) - With the spirit driven away, the slave girl no longer has the ability to predict the future (v.16). It is understandable that her owners ( -- interesting: more than one owner, apparently) are upset. But note how they spin it before the magistrates. Why is this ironic for the Paul and Silas, followers of Christ?

8. What is your favorite part of today’s passage? What abiding thought do you choose to take with you from it?

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