November 10

3 On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. 14 A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. 15 When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us. 16 One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. 17 While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation." 18 She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour. 19 But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. 20 When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, "These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews 21 and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe." 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 23 After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted in a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." 29 The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them outside and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." 32 They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. 34 He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.

Paul continues his pattern of going first to the synagogue. In this case there is not a synagogue, but a place of prayer. Here we are introduced to Lydia, a seller of purple. Lydia becomes a believer and a missionary herself. A new pattern is beginning to emerge. Often it is the wealthy woman in the church who supports the work of Paul. Lydia is the first. She makes her home available to the apostles.

Note the use of the plural, we, in describing the events in Philippi. The story is told in such as way as to be about Paul and about the storyteller’s engagement in the story. The events are now being told by an eyewitness.

Coming to faith does have economic effects on a community. The slave girl has been used to provide income for her owners. Her healing has a negative effect on their business. The owners respond by bring charges against Paul and Silas. The charge is that they are disturbing the peace. Paul and Silas are arrested, beaten and jailed. Again this negative experience becomes the means of spreading the gospel.

After the earthquake the jailer and his household are baptized. The relationship is changed. The prisoner is now the honored guest in the house. The effect of the gospel is to restore the relationship with God. It also has the effect of changing the relationship with those who are now members of the community of faith.

Reflection questions:
1. Are there places in our society where the church is seen as a threat to the economic order?
2. How do we respond to charges that our faith might disturb the peace of a community?