99
and baino `to go' - the idea being that these men of God `put two and two together', and made the vision `walk
with' its interpretation. The word is used of the apostle himself in Acts 9:22, where, after his conversion, he was
able, with the knowledge he already possessed of Old Testament prophecy, to `prove' that the `Jesus' he had
formerly persecuted was `the very Christ'. He was enabled so to marshal his Old Testament prophecies and make
them `walk together' with the actual facts of the life of Jesus of Nazareth that many were convinced. There are three
occurrences of the word in the epistles (Eph. 4:16, Col. 2:2 and 19), in which the apostle uses it with reference to the
members of the body being `compacted' or `knit together', but the same underlying thought of `going together' is
evident upon examination. Here, therefore, as earlier, the apostle and his companions exercised the `sound mind'
that had been given them, and we can well imagine the surprise with which they would have listened to the idea
sometimes put forward that `faith' and `reason' should be kept apart.
Hesitation and uncertainty now give place to directness and activity. `Immediately we endeavoured to go into
Macedonia' says Luke; and this endeavour being successful, they loosed from Troas, and coming by a straight
course to Samothracia, arrived on the next day at Neapolis (Acts 16:11). The `straight course' here must not be
regarded as obvious and inevitable, for we learn from Acts 20:6 that the return journey from Philippi to Troas
occupied five days. The word translated `a straight course' is euthudromeo, which according to Conybeare and
Howson, is a technical expression meaning `to sail before the wind' The passage between Tenedos and Lemnos was
not without some risk, owing to the proximity of very dangerous shoals (Purdy's Sailing Directory), and the hand of
the Lord can be seen in giving a favourable passage.
At Neapolis, the apostle set foot for the first time on European soil. This town is the modern Kavala, and served
as a port for Philippi. As a port it left much to be desired, but as the great Via Egnatia (the military road through
Macedonia) began here, it was the invariable landing-place for travellers crossing from the shores of Asia Minor.
The next section of the Acts opens with the words:
`And from thence to Philippi' (Acts 16:12).
We have heard the cry of the man of Macedonia, and we have seen the response to it. Everything is now ready
for the first great proclamation of the gospel in Europe. An examination of this epoch-making visit must occupy our
attention in the next pages.
Philippi. The First Converts (Acts 16:12-15)
Philippi! How poor the reception given by this city to the heralds of salvation, but how rich the response when
the love of the truth had been received.
Luke speaks of Philippi in this passage as `the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony' (Acts 16:12).
The actual capital was Amphipolis, and a writer composing a fictitious narrative would almost certainly have made
the apostle go straight to this city. Amphipolis had, however, fallen into insignificance, and Philippi, owing to its
association with the battle between Octavius and Antony on the one side, and Brutus and Cassius on the other, had
grown in importance. The victory won by Octavius was celebrated by making Philippi a colony, with the privilege
of immunity from taxes. A table known as the `Pentinger Table' represents Philippi as a flourishing city, with
houses drawn on the site, while Amphipolis, the capital, is only vaguely chronicled. The rival claims of Amphipolis
and Philippi are not in themselves of great importance to us today, but they are interesting as demonstrating Luke's
veracity as a writer. Every item of proven history that is brought to light intensifies our appreciation of the fact that
Luke had `accurately followed from the very first', in order to give us `certainties'.
In connection with Acts 16:12, Bishop Wordsworth puts forward the suggestion that the word meris, translated
`of that part' should be understood as referring to the frontier as meros is translated elsewhere `coast of Tyre and
Sidon', and `coast of Cęsarea' (Matt. 15:21; 16:13). According to this view, the verse would read: `Philippi, which
is chief of the border cities of Macedonia'.
Philippi was also a `colony' and coins have been found bearing the inscription
COL., AUG., JUL., PHILIP
(i.e.
Colonia, Augusta, Julia, Philippensis).