Philippi was a Roman colony and Paul went there for his second missionary journey. While there, he went out one day to look for a place of worship, and once he found one, he began preaching to some women who were gathered. One of them was a woman from Thyatira named Lydia. She was a worshiper of God, and so God had opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. She and her household were then baptized. After the baptism she invited Paul to come stay with them for some time.

Paul and Silas Imprisoned

On their way searching for a place of prayer they met a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned huge amount of money for her masters by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and Silas shouting “These men are servants of the Most High God who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept saying following them about for days and repeating those words until Paul became angry and rebuked the spirit in her saying “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!”

Instantly, the spirit left the slave girl. But upon realizing that, the slave’s masters were angry that their source income has been spoiled by Paul and Silas. So they seized Paul and Silas and dragged to the market place to face the authorities. They accused them of propagating unlawful customs and as a result, the apostles  were stripped and beaten after which they were thrown to the inner cell with their feet bound in chains.

At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing to God when suddenly there was a violent earthquake. All prison doors were thrown open and the chains holding them bound were broken. Meanwhile, the jailer standing guard to monitor them thought that they might have escaped. So he wanted to kill himself to prevent the punishment that might have come his way. But Paul prevented him. Still amazed, the jailer asked how he could be saved and Paul said to him to“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household”. They preached to him and baptised his entire household. The joyof the jailer thence knew no bound.

Paul at Athens

Paul went to Athens and was not happy the city was filled with idols, he began to discuss with Jews and Greeks about God day by day. Some Epicurean and stoic philosophers began to debate with him. They took him to the meeting of the Areopagus. They requested to hear his preaching. He preached extensively to them and the people that gathered. When he finished he left with many new converts who followed him.

EVALUATION

1. Who is Lydia?
2. Why did God point her out among the crowd of women?
3. Why were Paul and Silas imprisoned?
4. Why was Paul not happy in Ephesus?