The city of Philippi was formerly called Crenides. The word Crenides, which means "the fountain," may have been used for this Macedonian city's name due to it being surrounded by numerous rivulets and springs
descending from the neighboring mountains. Philippi was a Roman colony (e.g. a military settlement of Roman soldiers) and capital of the province of Macedonia.
The apostle Paul was directly led by God's spirit, near the start of his second missionary journey, to evangelize the Macedonia area of Greece ( Acts 16:9-10).
The church at Philippi was the first-fruits of European Christianity and the Philippians themselves had a unique, strong bond with Paul. Although composed primarily of those who were poor, the Philippian church sent supplies to Paul
several times (see Philippians 4:15-16, 2Corinthians 11:9).
Scriptural References: Acts 16, Phil. 4, 2Cor. 11 (KJV Bible)
Sources Used: Easton's Bible Dictionary; Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge; Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible
|
