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Week Sixteen, Day Two

Acts 16: 11-40

In this passage, there is a dramatic shift. Verse 6 begins, “We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace.” The pronouns shift from “they” to “we.” While the writing style is much the same, the story is now told in first person. The implication, of course, is that Luke has become a part of the traveling band of missionaries.

They land on the peninsula and then head directly to Philippi. It was a significant Roman city, but, here, the pattern for ministry begins to shift again. In Philippi, there were few Jewish citizens. Ten adult Jewish men were required to start a synagogue, but, at Philippi, the Jews worship at a special spot down by the river. In this setting, most of the missionary efforts will have to be made to people of other religions who don't know anything about a rabbi from Galilee.

At the river, they encounter Lydia, a well-to-do Jewish woman and a merchant selling purple dye or cloth. She became the first European convert to Christianity, and her home became the home-base for the missionaries and, eventually, the church.

Ironically, Paul's second encounter in this record is with a young woman who was a slave and made money for her master by telling fortunes. She recognized Paul and Silas as representatives of “the Most High God” and began to announce it loudly to the whole town. She probably wasn't exactly the kind of publicist that the missionaries wanted, but she got them lots of attention … and trouble.

After a while, Paul got so annoyed with her that he cast a demon out of her, and she lost her ability to tell fortunes. When her owner realized he had lost a source of income, he had Paul and Silas arrested. Then, as now, compassion was a crime if it interferes with profit. Don't believe me? Just try violating prescription patents to save the lives of millions of Africans by giving them cheap medication.

Blessings,

Michael Piazza
President, Hope for Peace & Justice

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