Midnight in Philippi53 posts
event

Midnight in Philippi

Two closed doors, a call across the sea, a riverside prayer meeting and a night in the stocks, as it happened, by the people who were there.

How Story is made

On the road

Timothy@timothy

Catching up? I left home in Lystra to travel with Paul and Silas. We’ve been going town to town, passing on what the church leaders in Jerusalem decided, and the churches are growing every day.

Timothy@timothy · LystraSome news: I’m heading off with Paul. My mum’s a Jewish believer, my dad’s Greek, and the believers here spoke well of me.
Timothy@timothy

Next plan was the province of Asia, over towards the west coast. The Holy Spirit stopped us speaking there. So we went on through Phrygia and Galatia instead.

Silas@silas

Replying to @timothy

Not there. Not now. Fine.

Timothy@timothy

Tried again. Got as far as the border of Mysia and headed north for Bithynia. The Spirit of Jesus wouldn’t let us go there either.

Silas@silas

Replying to @timothy

Two doors shut in a row.

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Troas, that night

Paul@paul · Troas

Had a vision in the night. A man from Macedonia, standing there, pleading with me. Come over and help us.

Timothy@timothy

Replying to @paul

Macedonia. That’s over the sea.

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Luke@luke · Troas

Personal news. I’m Luke, I write things down, and I’m going with them. We’re getting ready to sail for Macedonia. So from here on, when I tell this story, it’s “we”.

Timothy@timothy

Replying to @luke

Welcome aboard. Literally.

Across the sea

Luke@luke

Out of Troas and straight across to Samothrace, the island in the middle. Next day, Neapolis, the port on the Macedonian side.

Silas@silas

Replying to @luke

Straight run. Nobody’s complaining.

Philippi

Luke@luke · Philippi

Up the road from the port to Philippi. It’s a Roman colony and the leading city of this part of Macedonia. Very Roman. We’re staying a few days.

Someone in Philippi@philippi.local

Replying to @luke

Colony means Rome settled us here. Roman law, Roman rights, Roman everything. People here don’t let you forget it.

Someone in Philippi@philippi.local · Philippi

Some travellers from across the sea in town this week. Staying a few days, apparently.

Luke@luke

Replying to @philippi.local

That’s us. Sabbath tomorrow. We think there’s a place of prayer outside the gate, down by the river.

The Sabbath, by the river

Luke@luke · Outside the city gate, by the river

Sabbath, the weekly day of rest. Out through the city gate, along the river, and there it is: the place of prayer. Some women had gathered. We sat down with them and started talking.

A woman at the place of prayer@by.the.river · By the river

Some travellers sat down with us at prayer today. One of them, Paul, has been telling us about Jesus.

Replying to @by.the.river

We usually just pray. Today we listened.

Lydia@lydiaofthyatira · By the river

Lydia here, if you don’t know me. From Thyatira, I deal in purple cloth, and I worship God. I was down at the river to pray today when Paul started talking. God opened my heart to what he was saying.

Replying to @lydiaofthyatira

Lydia. As in, the purple cloth Lydia?

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Luke@luke

She was listening. Then the Lord opened her heart and she responded to what Paul was saying. That’s the only way I can put it.

Lydia@lydiaofthyatira · By the riverLydia here, if you don’t know me. From Thyatira, I deal in purple cloth, and I worship God. I was down at the river to pray today when Paul started talking. God opened my heart to what he was saying.

Soon after

Lydia@lydiaofthyatira

Baptised. Me and my whole household.

Replying to @lydiaofthyatira

So happy for you.

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Lydia@lydiaofthyatira

Paul, Silas, all of you: if you really think I’m a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.

Luke@luke

Replying to @lydiaofthyatira

She persuaded us. It turns out you don’t say no to Lydia.

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At Lydia’s

Someone in Lydia’s household@lydias.house · Lydia’s house

She’s brought the travellers home. Beds made up, extra bread in. They’re staying with us.

Someone in Philippi@philippi.local

Replying to @lydias.house

So that’s where the travellers from across the sea are staying.

On the way to prayer, some days later

Luke@luke

Walking out to the place of prayer again and a slave girl starts following us. She has a spirit in her that tells fortunes.

Replying to @luke

Everyone knows her. She’s a slave, and her owners make a lot of money off her fortune-telling.

Timothy@timothy

She’s following Paul and the rest of us down the street, shouting. That we’re servants of the Most High God. That we’re here to tell people the way to be saved.

Someone in Philippi@philippi.local

Replying to @timothy

The Most High God? Which god’s that?

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Day after day

Timothy@timothy

Still following us. Still shouting. It’s been days.

Luke@luke

Replying to @timothy

Paul’s getting more and more annoyed.

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Paul@paul

I’d had enough. I turned round and spoke to the spirit, not to her. Ordered it out of her in the name of Jesus Christ.

Luke@luke

Replying to @paul

It left her. That very moment.

Whatever was in that girl is gone. No more fortunes.

Someone in Philippi@philippi.local

Replying to @philippi.forum

What happens to her now?

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The marketplace

Someone in the marketplace@philippi.forum · The marketplace, Philippi

Trouble. The fortune-teller’s owners have just grabbed two of the foreigners, Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace in front of the authorities.

The fortune-teller's owners@fortune.owners · The marketplace, Philippi

These men are Jews, and they’re throwing our city into chaos. Pushing customs that we, as Romans, aren’t allowed to accept or practise.

Someone in Philippi@philippi.local

Replying to @fortune.owners

Not a word about the girl. Or the money.

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Someone in the marketplace@philippi.forum · The marketplace, Philippi

The crowd’s joined in. The whole square has turned on them.

The magistrates of Philippi@philippi.magistrates · The marketplace, Philippi

By order of the magistrates: the two men are to be stripped and beaten with rods, then held in prison.

Replying to @philippi.magistrates

No trial. Just like that.

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Luke@luke

They’ve taken Paul and Silas. Beaten in public and thrown in prison.

Lydia@lydiaofthyatira

Replying to @luke

I’ve just heard.

The jail, that evening

The jailer in Philippi@philippijailer · The prison, Philippi

Two new prisoners from the marketplace. Magistrates’ orders: keep them secure. So, inner cell, feet in the stocks. They’re not going anywhere.

Replying to @philippijailer

Heard them bring the new ones in. Straight through to the inner cell.

Midnight

Silas@silas · The prison, Philippi

Midnight. Feet in the stocks. Paul and I are praying, and singing hymns to God.

A prisoner in Philippi@cell.three · The prison, Philippi

It’s the middle of the night and the two new ones are singing.

Replying to @cell.three

Praying too. To God. Out loud.

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Earthquake.

Replying to @cell.three

The whole prison just shook. Right down to the foundations.

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The jailer’s woken up and seen the doors open. Looks like he thinks we’ve all escaped. He’s drawn his sword to kill himself.

Replying to @cell.three

Paul’s shouted across to him. Don’t harm yourself, we’re all still here!

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He’s shouted for lights, rushed into the cell and dropped to the floor in front of Paul and Silas. He’s shaking.

The jailer in Philippi@philippijailer

Brought the two of them out of the cell and asked them: sirs, what do I have to do to be saved?

Replying to @philippijailer

The jailer. Asking the prisoners.

The same night, at the jailer’s house

Someone in the jailer’s household@jailers.house · The jailer’s house

It’s the middle of the night and everyone in the house is up. Those two prisoners are telling all of us about the Lord.

Replying to @jailers.house

The two from the marketplace. The ones the whole square turned on.

The jailer in Philippi@philippijailer · The jailer’s house

Washed their wounds myself. The same two men I put in the stocks.

Replying to @philippijailer

I saw it. I wouldn’t have believed it otherwise.

The jailer in Philippi@philippijailer

Baptised tonight. Me and my whole household.

Replying to @philippijailer

Didn’t even wait for morning.

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Someone in the jailer’s household@jailers.house · The jailer’s house

He’s brought them into the house and put food on the table, in the middle of the night. The whole house believes in God now. Everyone is so happy.

Morning

An officer of the magistrates@magistrates.officer · The prison, Philippi

First thing, new orders from the magistrates for the jailer: let those men go.

Someone in Philippi@philippi.local

Replying to @magistrates.officer

After all that? Just let them go?

The jailer in Philippi@philippijailer

Told Paul: the magistrates have sent word you can go. So go. And all the best to you.

Paul@paul

No. They beat us in public, without a trial, and threw us in prison. We’re Roman citizens. And now they want us gone quietly? Absolutely not. Let them come and walk us out themselves.

An officer of the magistrates@magistrates.officer

Replying to @paul

Roman citizens? Both of you?

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Morning

An officer of the magistrates@magistrates.officer

Took the message back to the magistrates. Roman citizens, both of them. The magistrates are, uh, alarmed.

Someone in Philippi@philippi.local

Replying to @magistrates.officer

I’d be alarmed too.

An officer of the magistrates@magistrates.officer · The prison, Philippi

The magistrates have come to the prison in person. Apologised. Walked them out themselves. Then asked them, very politely, to please leave the city.

Replying to @magistrates.officer

The magistrates. At the prison. Saying sorry to two prisoners. Dude.

Someone in Philippi@philippi.local

Replying to @philippi.forum

Very politely.

Lydia’s house

Lydia@lydiaofthyatira · Lydia’s house

They came straight here from the prison, to see all of us.

Replying to @lydiaofthyatira

After the night they’ve had, they’re the ones encouraging us.

Luke@luke

And then they left the city. Paul and Silas, back on the road.

Lydia@lydiaofthyatira

Replying to @luke

Go well.

Later

Paul@paul

When we got to Thessalonica, we’d just been beaten and humiliated in Philippi. God gave us the courage to tell them the good news anyway.

The magistrates of Philippi@philippi.magistrates · The marketplace, PhilippiBy order of the magistrates: the two men are to be stripped and beaten with rods, then held in prison.
Lydia@lydiaofthyatira

Years later, a letter from Paul. Every time he thinks of us, he thanks God, for our partnership in the good news from the first day until now. I know which day he means.

Lydia@lydiaofthyatira · By the riverLydia here, if you don’t know me. From Thyatira, I deal in purple cloth, and I worship God. I was down at the river to pray today when Paul started talking. God opened my heart to what he was saying.
Lydia@lydiaofthyatira

Replying to @lydiaofthyatira

We sent help after him to Thessalonica. More than once.

The jailer in Philippi@philippijailer

His letter says: rejoice in the Lord always, and he’ll say it again, rejoice. He’s writing from prison. I’ve heard him do this before.

Silas@silas · The prison, PhilippiMidnight. Feet in the stocks. Paul and I are praying, and singing hymns to God.
The jailer in Philippi@philippijailer

He says we’re going through the same struggle we saw him go through. I saw it. I had the keys.

The jailer in Philippi@philippijailer · The prison, PhilippiTwo new prisoners from the marketplace. Magistrates’ orders: keep them secure. So, inner cell, feet in the stocks. They’re not going anywhere.

Paul and Silas move on to Thessalonica. Years later, from another prison, Paul writes to the believers in Philippi about joy.

Carry onThe shipwreckPaul the prisoner, a grain ship, fourteen days of storm and an island called Malta, as it happened, by the people on board. Back to the start

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