“I thank my God every time I remember you.” That’s how Paul began a letter to to the church at Philippi, when he wrote there some years later. There was a singular, mutual love between them, that gave Paul much joy and encouragement, for which he truly thanked God – who had led him there in the first place.

For Paul had started out with a much more restricted objective. Two or three years before, at the leading of the Holy Spirit, the church at Antioch in Syria had commissioned Paul and Barnabas for a missionary journey that had taken them first to Cyprus, and then to the southern part of the province of Galatia [in what, today, is southern Turkey]. Now that church once again commended Paul, accompanied this time by Silas, to the Lord for his work, following Paul’s desire to revisit the Galatian churches to see how they were doing. (Acts 15:36)

The diversity of the way God guides us.

But when we are intent on doing God’s will, he has a way of guiding us so that our scope is enlarged, and God’s kingdom is advanced. Paul did indeed revisit the churches he had planted in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium and the Antioch near Pisidia. Paul helped to strengthen these churches in the faith, and they grew daily in numbers. (16:5) At Lystra a young man called Timothy was commended to Paul by the church elders. From that time Timothy accompanied Paul, and served with him as a son with his father. (Phil 2:22)

But God had also given Paul a vision and a strategy for all his future work. The vision was to carry the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ throughout the Roman Empire, to Rome and beyond. And the strategy consisted [1] in going first to the Jewish synagogues, for the gospel should be brought first to God’s covenant people. These possessed God’s Word, and ought to hear how it had been fulfilled in Jesus. And here too would be found Gentile God-fearers, who would be more open to understand and receive Paul’s message. But Paul knew he couldn’t go everywhere. So [2] his strategy was to plant churches in the principal cities and capitals of each Roman province, connected as they were by excellent Roman roads – and to leave each church to carry out the evangelism of the surrounding province. In some ways this was the secular policy of the Roman Empire itself, which planted colonies of retired Roman soldiers at strategic places, where the ideals of Roman civilisation and law could be spread among the conquered peoples.

It appears therefore that, when Paul and his companions left the province of Galatia, they sought to go to Ephesus, the important capital of the Roman province of Asia. But God kept them from preaching in Asia. How, we do not know. But circumstances clearly prevented them. It wasn’t a permanent refusal, because later Paul was to spend some three years in Ephesus, so that practically the whole province of Asia came to hear the gospel. (Acts 19:20,26)

They then travelled north, as if to go into the province of Bithynia, which lay along the southern shore of the Black Sea. But again they were prevented by the Spirit of Jesus. Again, we are not told how. Perhaps this time it was not so much outward circumstances – an illness, some legal difficulty, or a swollen river – as an inward prompting, or a prophetic word. So they turned west along the only remaining main road, until they arrived, after hundreds of miles of weary travel, at the port of Troas, facing the Aegean Sea. They had, in fact, travelled across the whole of Asia Minor [today’s Turkey] from the extreme south-east corner to the extreme north-west!

And here at last God gave them a positive instruction. In the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia, standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us”. (16:9) Hitherto God had restrained them from going astray; now he constrained them by a clear call. In this way God often guides us. We knock prayerfully on various doors – and find them closed. But as we go on seeking – and only as we do so – God eventually opens a doorway, and calls us to enter it.

There is one other detail to notice. Here at Troas, they met and were joined by Luke who, unobtrusively, starts to use the word ‘we’. And the first thing he records is that we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us… Over breakfast Paul had shared his vision with the other three, and their decision to set sail had been taken together. It is a wise leader who listens to the judgement of his colleagues, and it behoves us all to seek godly counsel from others, when we face important decisions. And God will give us clear guidance, if we are willing to follow it.

The founding of the church at Philippi.

The rapidity of the voyage to Macedonia – must have encouraged them that they were now on the right track. It took just 2 days to cover the 240 km – whereas the return voyage some years later took 5 days sailing. (20:6)

They landed at Neapolis, where the great highway from Rome to the Middle East, the Egnatian Way, reached the coast. Leaving the small port, and walking the highway for ten miles brought them to Philippi, the principal city of that part of Macedonia. Originally founded by Philip, the father of Alexander the Great, it had been refounded for veterans of a nearby battle in 42 BC [of Octavian and Anthony over Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius Caesar]. It was made a Roman colony, and was therefore largely peopled by Roman citizens, retired soldiers, their families and descendants.

There must have been few, if any, Jewish men living there, because ten are required to establish a synagogue, and the four visitors found only an open-air place of prayer a mile away beside the local river, where a number of women met on the Sabbath. Here they had a ready audience for the Good News of the Saviour, and one woman especially listened carefully. She was a merchant from Thyatira, a city of the very province where they had been forbidden to preach! Thyatira was a city of commerce, notably in garments and cloth dyed in that deep colour we know as Turkey red, made from madder plants that grow abundantly there.

So far, so good. But all their preaching – like that of any preacher – would have availed little, had their words not been carried into Lydia’s heart by the Holy Spirit: the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. She believed, and was baptized in the river with all her household. And she evidenced the sincerity of her conversion, by insisting that the men come to stay at her house, which was large enough to receive them all.

These few women were the start of the church there, and Luke proceeds to tell us how the church grew, by telling us the story of two more converts (for I think we may assume that the slave-girl also came to believe, who had so distressed Paul by her cries, that he exorcised the spirit which controlled her). In doing that Paul also exorcised her profitability for her owners! In their fury they dragged Paul and Silas into the public square before the magistrates, accusing them of a serious crime. The magistrates had them flogged and thrown into prison, which led to the conversion of the jailer and his household – but also to Paul and Silas having to leave that city.

Why did Luke select these three incidents? Not just to give us a colourful story of Paul’s missionary trials and triumphs – but rather to exhibit what Jesus was continuing to do (Acts 1:1) by his Spirit, changing the lives of very diverse men and women through the power of the Spirit (Rom 15:19) to the glory of God, and uniting them together as one flock under one Shepherd. (John 10:16)

The diversity of the Spirit’s work in conversion.

We have seen the diversity of the way the Spirit guides us. Now we may consider how diverse is the way he leads people to faith in Christ – and how diverse the people are who are given that faith! These in Philippi were very different people in their national identity, their social status, and in their spiritual needs.

As to national identity, we see that Lydia was from the province of Asia, an agent probably of a Thyatiran dyer; the slave-girl was probably Greek or Macedonian; the jailer a Roman citizen, almost certainly a retired army NCO, although his birthplace might have been anywhere in the Roman Empire.

Their station in life was also vastly different. Lydia was a wealthy, independent business woman, perhaps a widow, since no mention is made of a husband. Her status is indicative of the greater freedom and capacity for responsibility that such women could have in Asia Minor and Macedonia, as compared to many other places. The slave-girl, on the other hand, was at the bottom of the social scale, possessing nothing, not even herself, and whatever she earned belonged to her owners. The jailer came between these two, a respected official with his own household, but the employee of the colony, under their orders.

The spiritual situation of these three was equally different. Lydia had come under the influence of the Jewish faith, probably at Thyatira, where there was a synagogue. Hearing about the true God had drawn her away from the emptiness of her pagan background, and given her new hope. Now, from Paul, she learned how this faith was fulfilled in Jesus, and what he had done for her through his death and resurrection. The Holy Spirit convinced her of the truth of the gospel, and enabled her to trust Jesus as her Saviour and Lord.

The slave-girl was in a double bondage – to her owners, and to the spirit which controlled her. Her condition is a commentary on the society in which she lived. The economy of the Roman Empire was dependent on slave labour. Perhaps not as harsh then, as in some societies, but nevertheless robbing men and women of worth, dignity and freedom. Contemporary society was also very superstitious, resorting constantly to occult ways of determining the future, obtaining good fortune, or cursing enemies. So this girl was also doubly exploited. But the power of our God can break such bondage. We need to realise, like Paul, that authority has been given in Jesus’ name over all the power of the enemy, to cast out evil spirits, and to set people free.

The jailer was doubtless a typical product of the harsh life and discipline of the Roman army. He treated Paul and Silas with callous indifference to their suffering, and went to sleep in his own house, unlike the other prisoners who stayed awake in amazement as they listened to these two praying and singing praises to God. Then, at midnight, God intervened. An earthquake shook the jailer awake. Seeing the prison door wide open and supposing the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword to kill himself rather than be shamed and meet a dishonourable death.

From the darkness of the inner cell Paul could see what was happening in the moon-lit courtyard, and yelled to the man to do himself no harm, as none had escaped. In his turmoil of emotion and fear, God had brought this man face to face with eternity. Perhaps he well knew the slogan which the slave-girl had been calling out, before she was delivered, These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved. It had been the enemy’s ploy to discredit the missionaries, by associating them with the pagan occult – but maybe now it back-fired. At all events, the jailer fell at their feet, saying, What must I do to be saved?

So we see how the Holy Spirit leads men and women by very different paths to commit their lives to Jesus. There is no standard conversion experience – every one of us is different! But each one of us should acknowledge that it is by the grace of God alone that we’ve been given the gift of faith in Christ.(Eph 2:8) And each of us needs to see that no-one is beyond the power of God to be saved – from the already religious to the hard-bitten and indifferent. That should encourage our prayers – and our boldness to witness to others of God’s love for them.

The diversity and unity of church membership.

I have commented at length on the diversity of those who came to faith at Philippi. Now it is our privilege, here at St-Marc’s, to have among us a wide spectrum of nationalities – perhaps not such a wide spread of social standing, but many different backgrounds nevertheless. And I have no doubt, if I went round asking you, I should find you came to faith in many different ways. Now I have called this a privilege – for so it is – and I wonder do we value it enough?! We live in a world where some of these very differences constitute great barriers to mutual understanding, let alone deep appreciation of one another and mutual love. It should be our joy – our message to the world – that such barriers are broken down in Christ. We are in truth all one in Christ Jesus.(Gal 3:28) We know that we are, each one of us, equally lost sinners in God’s sight – but saved by his grace alone, bought by the precious blood of our Saviour. At the cross there are no differences – and now we all have one Father, and are members together of his family. How then can we exhibit any of the world’s attitudes of alienation, indifference to one another, or even holding grudges towards one another?

The church at Philippi showed its love for each other – and for Paul – in a number of ways, from the very beginning. Lydia was moved to offer hospitality in her home – and probably this became the meeting-place of the church. The jailer demonstrated his new-found faith by washing the wounds of Paul and Silas, immediately before his own sins were washed away in baptism! – and, still in the middle of the night, bringing Paul and Silas into his home and giving them a meal!

Then, after Paul had left town, these new converts sent money to him, more than once, while he was in Thessalonica, freeing him from manual labour, to spend more time witnessing and teaching the new converts there. And again, after some years, when they heard Paul was in prison, probably in Rome, they sent one of their own number, to bring him help and encouragement.

It is true that Paul had later to write to the church at Philippi, to chide two leaders in that church, two women who had fallen out with each other, to humble themselves, as our Saviour had done, to save us. (Php 2:2-11; 4:2,3) We too need that spirit of humility, to look upon others as better that ourselves (Php 2:3; Matt 7:3-5), and to love each other sincerely.

Shouldn’t we take encouragement from the example of the church at Philippi – to do likewise? Shouldn’t we give thanks to God for the diversity of the way in which he leads and works in and through us? To quote words which Paul wrote about God’s gifts to us: There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them.. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit… (1 Cor 12:4-6,11) That is the basis of our assurance – of our praise – and God willing, of our mutual love and unity.