The People You’ll Meet | Acts 16:11-40
Luke’s account of Paul’s ministry in Philippi prepares us to interact with five types of people that we will meet as we spread the faith: (1) worshipers; (2) scoffers; (3) reactionaries; (4) prisoners; and (5) people-pleasers. This sermon is part 10 of “Spreading the Faith,” Bryan Craddock’s verse-by-verse sermon series on Acts 8-20.
As my kids were growing up, we read hundreds of children’s books, some of them hundreds of times. Dr. Seuss wrote some of their favorites. They loved his whimsical illustrations and catchy rhymes. At one point, I could almost recite a few of them from memory.
The last book he published was titled, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go.” Though written in his usual style, it is more serious. At one point he says, “I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.” He tries to prepare his readers to face the realities of life. The “places” to which you’ll go include waiting, being alone, and facing enemies. But he promises that if you stay positive, you’ll move mountains.
He borrowed that phrase from Jesus (Mt 17:20)! But Jesus said that moving mountains only happens by faith. So, contrary to the advice of Dr. Seuss, staying positive is not enough. People need to believe in the Lord and to be saved. That’s why spreading the faith through preaching the gospel is so important.
Acts 8-20 tells us about the places Paul went to carry out that mission, but it is much more than a travel log. Luke wrote it to prepare us to face the realities of life that we will encounter as we seek to fulfill the mission that Jesus has given to all who follow him. We left off last time with Paul’s vision of a man calling him to come to Macedonia, and we will see in Acts 16:11-40 that his first stop is in a city called Philippi.
Now Luke devotes more attention to Philippi than any other spot in Paul’s missionary journeys aside from Ephesus. You could argue that he chose to do so because Paul later wrote a letter to the Philippians. But Paul wrote two letters to Thessalonica and two long letters to Corinth, and Luke does not say as much about those places. So, what’s so special about Philippi?
Luke seems to have a more personal connection with the place. He begins the section referring to the missionary team as “we,” but shifts to “they” at the end. So, when Paul moves on, Luke probably remains there. Some speculate that Philippi might have even been his hometown.
His account is also personal in that it focuses on specific people. He records how Paul interacts with them and how they respond. I think that his intent was to prepare us to interact with people that we will meet as we seek to spread the faith, and he shows us five different types. How does this help us?
A lot of us tend to lump people together in simplistic ways. Your default assumption might be that people have good hearts and want to seek God but are hindered by various circumstances. On the other hand, you might expect every unbeliever to be hostile toward the faith and as wicked as they can possibly be. Your view probably lands somewhere in between those two extremes. But we all lean one way or the other, and our perspective shapes how we relate to people.
Luke expands our categories to equip us to be better witnesses for Christ. Philippi may not be a place that you’ll go to. But these are the people you’ll meet everywhere, and we should try to interact with them in the best ways possible.
Worshipers
When doctors talk about what should happen at each stage of a child’s growth, they make it sound normal, even boring. But when you watch it happen, it is amazing. We celebrate the first time a child crawls, stands, or takes a step. Yet we also know that if those things are not happening, there is cause for concern.
With spiritual growth it is different. In Ephesians 2:1, Paul explains that even though we are physically alive, we are dead in our trespasses and sins. In Romans 3:10-12, he says,
as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."
So, we should not expect people to take spiritual steps, yet some still do. In his amazing grace, God chooses to start drawing them to himself (John 6:44). It can be quick and decisive or more gradual. Some people move forward step by step as the Lord enables them to hear and understand. We could call them worshipers, and Paul encounters one of them in Philippi.
First, however, Luke describes their journey. In Acts 16:11-12, he says,
So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days.
Today Neapolis is known as Kavala, and it is still a busy seaport. Modern buildings cover up any remains from the 1st century. But the main road heading up into the hills follows the route of the Via Egnatia that was built by the Romans in the 2nd century before Christ. Paul and his team followed that path for about 10 miles to reach Philippi.
All that remains of Philippi now are ruins, but in ancient times the city flourished because there were gold mines in nearby mountains across a broad valley. The city’s name comes from Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, who conquered it in 356 B.C. In 42 B.C., It was also the site of a great battle between the heirs of Julius Caesar and his assassins. Octavian won and became known as Emperor Augustus. He turned Philippi into a colony for retired soldiers free from imperial taxation.
Now Paul’s normal approach in coming to a place like this was to start in the local synagogue, but Philippi did not have one. Traditionally, ten Jewish men were needed to establish a synagogue. So, in Acts 16:13, Luke tells us,
And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.
The Krenides River served as a peaceful backdrop for their gathering. Its present course is about a mile from the city, but it may have flowed differently in ancient times. The tradition of gathering by a river to worship probably dates to the time of Jewish exile in Babylon. The author of Psalm 137 speaks of remembering Zion and weeping by the waters of Babylon. This river, however, becomes a place of great joy. In verse 14, Luke says,
One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.
Thyatira was back in Asia Minor. It may have been on Paul’s list to visit before the Lord called him to Macedonia. But, instead, he meets Lydia here almost 400 miles away. She is a merchant, who probably imports and sells purple garments dyed in her hometown. Her name suggests that she is a Gentile, but she has been drawn to worship the God of Israel. She responded to all the truth that was available to her.
As she hears the gospel from Paul, the Lord opens her heart to take her next spiritual step. She believes in Jesus and devotes herself to his mission. Verse 15 tells us,
And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.
You cannot help but wonder about Lydia’s family situation. It sounds as if she is the head of her household and that was unusual for a woman in ancient times. She may have been a widow who kept her husband’s business going. Her home probably became the first gathering place for the church. A few years later, however, when Paul writes his letter to the Philippians, he does not mention her. Perhaps she had returned to Thyatira or passed into the presence of the Lord by that point.
We can praise God that there are still tender-hearted worshipers like Lydia. They don’t need stern confrontation or sharp rebukes. The Lord prompts them to respond to his Word each step of the way and gives them an eagerness to serve. We should all aspire to be like that, not like the next type of person.
Scoffers
Sometimes the smallest dogs are the most aggressive and bark the loudest. They overcompensate for their lack of power, and some people do the same thing. They conceal their insecurity by belittling others with mockery and trash talk.
The Old Testament refers to these people as scoffers, and that may be the best way to describe the next person that Paul encounters in Philippi. In Acts 16:16-17, Luke introduces her by saying,
As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation."
Though her statement is true, this girl is not endorsing their ministry. She is mocking them in an attempt to discredit them. Why? She is probably prompted to do so by the demonic false spirit that empowers her fortune-telling scam. Satan and his demons know that Jesus will one day defeat them (Mt 25:41; Lu 8:31). So, scoffing and mockery is one tactic that they use in their weakness to lead people astray.
At the same time, this girl may not be innocent in the matter. Even though she is in a weak position as a slave, her fortune-telling gives her some degree of power. She makes money for her owners, and that probably improves her standing. Fortune-tellers like the famous oracle at Delphi were revered in Greek culture. In fact, the word for spirit here is related to the deity at Delphi. Perhaps the girl willingly offered herself to that spirit. If so, she would not want Paul’s ministry to cut into her local business in Philippi.
So, what is the best way to handle a scoffer? The Book of Proverbs offers a lot of advice. It includes 18 proverbs on the subject. Proverbs 9:7-8 warns us to steer clear of them. It says,
Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
Paul takes this approach with the slave girl. He tries to just ignore her, but she does not give up. Proverbs 22:10 speaks of physically driving out a scoffer. In this situation, Paul does it spiritually. In Acts 16:18, Luke tells us,
And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour.
Some commentators think that this exorcism saves the girl. We often see that happen in the ministry of Jesus. Luke 8:38, for instance, records that a man who had a legion of demons wanted to follow Jesus after he cast them all out. But here in Acts 16, Luke does not say anything like that about the slave girl. So, I suspect that she was upset about losing her power.
Is every scoffer demonically empowered like this? No, people are fully capable of developing this habit on their own. The Lord can change their heart, but until he does so, engaging with a scoffer is a waste of our time. Matthew 7:6 tells us that Jesus said,
Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
Right after saying that, Jesus speaks about how our heavenly Father gives us good things when we pray. That’s the best strategy for dealing with scoffers. Ask God to change their heart, and the same approach applies to the next type of people.
Reactionaries
There is something satisfying about a freshly mowed lawn, isn’t there? Every weed or long blade of grass is cut down to size. Order and uniformity have been imposed on the chaos of nature. The will of the homeowner reigns supreme!
Most people in the world today and throughout history have not cared about lawns. But we see that same controlling impulse in how people approach their culture and society, and religion is a major part of that. Those who are doing well and have some degree of power don’t like change or new ideas. They are quick to respond by cutting people down to size. They are reactionaries who are passionately committed to maintaining the status quo.
The owners of the slave girl exhibit this reactionary impulse. In Acts 16:19, Luke says,
But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.
The agora or marketplace was the center of life in Philippi, an open square lined with temples, shops, and other buildings. It was where business happened, and these slave owners were furious that Paul just eliminated a major source of income for them. But that is not the case that they make against him. No one else would care about that. So, verses 20-21 tell us,
And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice."
Apparently, then as now, being Jewish was enough to provoke suspicion. They also charge Paul and Silas with disturbing the city, even though they have only met with a few women out by the river and cast out a demon. Their most persuasive point is that Paul advocates things that are unlawful for Romans. But what did they have in mind? Had they even heard any of his teaching?
The main point of contention between Paul’s teaching and Roman society was idolatry, but the slave owners do not seem to explain that. They have already said enough to stir up a passionate response from the reactionaries in town who were committed to Rome. Verses 22-24 say,
The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
A mob mentality takes over, and the magistrates simply go along with it. But as harsh as it sounds, this punishment was probably more humiliating than life-threatening. Paul had experienced worse. So, how did he and Silas respond as all of this was happening? They do not seem to have had any opportunity to present a defense. Even if they did, it is doubtful whether the crowd would have listened. Reactionaries are not interested in facts or reason.
Luke’s account suggests that Paul and Silas simply remain silent. That may seem unimaginable to many of us, but Peter argued that it’s a Christ-like response to persecution. In 1 Peter 2:21-23, he wrote,
For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
Are you willing to entrust yourself to the Lord this way? Or are you more inclined to fight? We are called to follow Christ’s example. As we continue, we’ll see how the Lord blessed Paul and Silas’s choice in their interaction with a fourth type of person.
Prisoners
There is a spot just outside the agora in Philippi that is traditionally identified as the jail from Paul’s time. It is a stone chamber that was probably under a house. It seems too small to fit the description here in Acts, but we cannot say for sure. Ultimately, it does not matter. There are all sorts of ways to be a prisoner regardless of whether you are in a physical jail.
On the other hand, even as Paul and Silas are held captive, they demonstrate true freedom in the Lord. Acts 16:25 tells us,
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
We don’t know how the other prisoners ended up in jail. Had any of them murdered someone or stolen something in the marketplace? Perhaps some were just debtors unable to pay their creditors. Whatever their situations were, they must have felt some sense of bitterness and regret. But there is no trace of that in Paul and Silas. Their faith in the Lord enables them to worship him, and it’s a powerful testimony to the other prisoners.
Now the Lord did not need to intervene supernaturally. We will see that the magistrates were going to release Paul and Silas. But the Lord had other reasons for acting. It exposed how imprisoned someone else was. Verses 26-29 say,
and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.
On the surface, the jailer seems to have power over all the prisoners. But he knows that his life is forfeit if they escape. So, he himself is a prisoner of fear. He comes out and assumes that his worst nightmare has come true. In that hopeless moment, he draws his short sword and is about to plunge it into his chest. Has fear and despair ever pushed you to that dark place?
I doubt that Paul could see what was happening in the dark. Perhaps he heard the grating of the sword being drawn from its sheath. He intervenes to prevent this suicide from happening. He and Silas are still there, and so are all the other prisoners. They all sacrificed their opportunity for freedom to save the jailer’s life.
Was the jailer aware of Paul’s teaching? He might have heard the gospel in the songs that Paul and Silas sang. If not, he was ready to listen at that point. Acts 16:30-34 tells us,
Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
It seems too simple to be true. Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. But the power of that message is like that earthquake in the night. Doors swing open, and chains fall off. In Christ, we receive forgiveness for every sin, peace that surpasses all understanding, and the hope of eternal life. Faith in Christ is the answer to every fear. So, every spiritual prisoner needs to see that truth displayed in the joy of true believers. But there’s still one more type of person in Philippi.
People-Pleasers
I am not a fan of snakes, and I am probably not alone. When I was growing up in Southern California, we had to be on the lookout for rattlesnakes. Their bite is venomous. But they slither through tight places and hide under rocks. When they come out into the sun, their natural camouflage allows them to blend in with their surroundings. So, if you’re not careful, you can step on one without realizing that it’s there and get bit.
Snakes are certainly not people-pleasers, but you could argue that people-pleasers are like snakes. They are good at slithering through tight places and blending in with a crowd. You might assume that they’re on your side until they strike. In Acts 16, the magistrates of Philippi were like that. When the crowd wanted to beat Paul and Silas, they ignored their judicial responsibility and blended in.
Most references to snakes in the Bible are negative, as you might expect. Genesis 3 tells us that Satan himself took the form of a serpent in the garden of Eden to tempt Adam and Eve. But on one occasion Jesus told his followers to be like serpents. Matthew 10:16 tells us that he said,
Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
He was preparing them for times when they would be delivered over to courts and dragged before governors and kings. They would need to be wise, or some translations say shrewd. Paul exhibits this serpent-like shrewdness as he relates to the slithering magistrates of Philippi. In Acts 16:35-40, Luke says,
But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, "Let those men go." And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace." But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out." The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens. So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city. So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.
Why did Paul respond that way? Did he just want an apology? I don’t think so. I suspect that he did it for the benefit of the new believers in Philippi. If the reactionaries in town got stirred up again, the magistrates might think twice before simply going along with the crowd. Paul was shrewdly using Roman law to prevent, or at least slow down, the persecution of other Christians. Believers still need that kind of wisdom for interacting with the government today.
On the other hand, we also live in a society now where Christians have significant influence. So, we need to recognize that people-pleasers are just as likely to slither into churches and blend in with true believers. Don’t be fooled! Their influence can be venomous. In 2 Corinthians 11:3, Paul warned the Corinthians about people like that by saying,
But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
Beware of the influence of people-pleasers! Pursue sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
__________
Jesus has called us to spread the faith, and we need to prepare for the people that we’ll meet. There will be worshipers, scoffers, reactionaries, prisoners, and people-pleasers. That’s not a comprehensive list, but it’s enough to keep us from having simplistic expectations.
The good news is that no one is locked into one of those types. By the grace of God, we can all follow the trajectory of worshipers. Scoffers can repent, reactionaries can start listening to reason, prisoners can be set free, and people-pleasers can begin to serve the Lord. As Paul said to the jailer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” If you want to learn more, I encourage you to read Paul’s letter to the Philippians.
If you’re already a believer, do you need to change how you interact with those who don’t know the Lord? Are your expectations always positive or always negative? You might need to take time to listen and discern where people are at. Perhaps you’re not interacting at all. To spread the faith, we must start by meeting people. You will encounter scoffers, reactionaries, and people-pleasers. But there are also prisoners who need to be rescued, and worshipers who need to hear the next step.
May the love of Christ overflow in our lives!
Reflect
Which of these types most shapes your expectations of people? Why?
How should this study change your expectations of people and your interaction with them?
What could you do to meet more people who need to hear the gospel?