We set sail from Troas, making a straight run for Samothrace, and on the next day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, a leading city in that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We spent some time in that city. 13 On the sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river where we thought there would be a place of prayer. We sat and spoke with the women who had gathered there. 14 One of them, a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, from the city of Thyatira, a worshiper of God, listened, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying. 15 After she and her household had been baptized, she offered us an invitation, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home,” and she prevailed on us.
Imprisonment at Philippi. 16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl with an oracular spirit, who used to bring a large profit to her owners through her fortune-telling. 17She began to follow Paul and us, shouting, “These people are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” 18She did this for many days. Paul became annoyed, turned, and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” Then it came out at that moment.
As we continue to work through Acts, we uncover the missionary journeys that shaped the growth of Christianity and how the message of Jesus Christ began to reach the ends of the earth. In Acts 16:11-18, St. Paul, on his second missionary journey, leaves Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) to cross into Europe, specifically the region of Macedonia (currently parts of modern Greece, northern North Macedonia, and a portion of Albania). This marks a significant turning point in the mission of the early Church, as the Gospel message begins to spread beyond the familiar territories of the Mediterranean world and into new lands, fulfilling Jesus’ command to go to all nations (cf. Matt. 28:19-20) Paul and his companions—Silas, Timothy, and Luke—are guided by the Holy Spirit in their decisions, with their journey bringing them to the city of Philippi, a Roman colony in present-day northern Greece.
The passage tells us that on the Sabbath, Paul and his companions go outside the city gate to the river, where they expect to find a place of prayer. This location is likely where Jewish women would gather, as Philippi did not have a synagogue—only a Jewish gathering place by the river, a feature common in cities without a large enough Jewish population to warrant a synagogue (cf. Acts 13:14-15). The decision to go outside the city gate was not only practical but also significant in the context of Jewish worship practices. It emphasizes Paul’s respect for Jewish customs, as well as his strategy of first reaching out to the Jewish community before preaching to the Gentiles (cf. Rom. 1:16).
In verses 14-15, Lydia, a wealthy merchant from Thyatira who worshiped God, listens to Paul and is baptized. Her conversion, along with that of her entire household, marks a moment of faith and initiation into the Christian community. The mention of her household being baptized is significant and raises the question: Does this imply that children were also baptized? While the text does not explicitly mention children, it is a reasonable theological inference that Lydia’s household included children. In the early Church, household baptisms were common (cf. Acts 10:47-48; 1 Cor. 1:16). The Church’s tradition and the practice of the early Christian community affirm that entire households, including children, were baptized as the means of entering into the new covenant with God.
As Paul and his companions continue their mission, they are confronted by a slave girl with an oracular spirit, who follows them around, crying out, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation" (Acts 16:17). The question arises: was the oracular spirit inherently evil? In the context of the ancient world, oracles were often associated with divination, a practice that could be either good or evil depending on its source. While the slave girl speaks truth—recognizing Paul and Silas as proclaimers of salvation—her spirit is not from God. This situation is similar to instances in the Gospels where unclean spirits spoke the truth about Jesus (cf. Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34). Yet, as Jesus did, Paul rebukes the spirit and casts it out, showing that even truth spoken by an unclean spirit is ultimately harmful because it misleads the people by its association with occult powers. This underscores the importance of discerning the source of spiritual experiences and teachings (cf. 1 John 4:1-6).
Almighty God, we thank You for the example of St. Paul and his companions, whose obedience to Your guidance through the Holy Spirit led to the spread of the Gospel into new lands. May we too be open to Your direction, trusting that You are with us every step of the way. Help us to discern Your voice in all things, and to live our lives as a witness to Your love and salvation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Bless those who walk by faith and not by sight
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: The Pentateuch. Four Courts Press, 2017
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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