Philippians 1:1 “Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: 2 Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”
According to the Biblical record, the Church at Philippi was the first planting on the European Continent. A detailed account of how the “Holy Ghost” directed the planting of this Church is given in Acts Chapter Sixteen. When Paul and Timotheus were leaving “Galatia”, it seems that they had planned to go into “Asia” (modern Turkey) but “were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia”, then “they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not”. But, while they were in “Troas” “a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us” (modern Greece). So, Paul explains that “immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them” (Acts 16:6-10). They “were in that city abiding certain days” before the “Holy Ghost” revealed to them who it was that needed “help”. Paul described it this way, “on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. 14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. 15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.” (Acts 16:13-15)! The Church at Philippi was like sweet fruit, made ready to pick by the “Holy Ghost”, and the same “Holy Ghost” had directed the Apostle and Preacher to “help” them, by preaching the most Blessed and Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ to them. The Gospel was well received, for the “Holy Ghost” had prepared their hearts to receive it and rejoice in it. Much like when Philip Preached to the Eunuch (Acts 8:26-40), the desire for Baptism is the logical result of the Preached Gospel for “born again” (John 3:1-8) Children of God. As is usually the case, Paul found much opposition in the city, but God sent “a great earthquake”, which led to a jailer and his family being added to the Church (Acts 16:23-40). While Paul and Timotheus were “servants” of the Lord, called and directed by the Lord to Preach His Gospel; it is the Lord that planted the Church, turned the hearts of His people to Him, and defeated the adversaries of His Gospel and Church. Let us never forget that the same “Lord God omnipotent reigneth” (Revelation 19:6); that is, He omnipotently and sovereignly reigns forever, even today!