Echoes of the Ancient New Testament Cities: Philippi

Matthew James Elliott

Happy New Year!

The days after Christmas are always a bit more low‑key, but they also carry a sense of quiet anticipation. This is a feeling that leaves all of us waiting for the unexpected. And yes, you probably knew I’d circle back to that theme at some point. I’m referring to my previous series on this blog, Unexpected Legacies. Only this time, it’s not about any particular person. It’s about an ancient New Testament city: Philippi. But that will come in a moment… or two…

As I write this, I’ve spent a great deal of time reflecting on the past year, and here in the final days of 2025, I find myself doing that again. Christmas has come and gone. The wrapping paper no longer hides the expectations the holiday brought. Everything that was kept secret from my family has now been revealed, and the house has settled into those still, quiet moments of joy as we await the new year. Well… other than the six‑week‑old puppy named Peppermint we surprised our kids with on Christmas morning, who is disrupting everything. Even then, the moments are still there.

These moments are natural, but the time off work has also given me space to think about what 2026 might hold. I’ve held on to moments like these before, and here we are again. By the time this post goes live, we’ll be in the new year, and doors may already be opening. The arrival of Paul and his companions in Philippi was one of those doors. It was a moment that opened the way for the message of the early church. The city wasn’t just another stop on Paul’s second missionary journey.

When a handful of everyday people stepped into unexpected roles, a seed was planted that would grow into one of the most joyful and generous churches in the New Testament. Archaeological excavations have revealed many of the mysteries behind this community. Philippi was a significant place in history. Acts 16:12 tells us that the city was a “Roman colony and the leading city of the district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.” 

This year, I had the privilege of reading and reviewing an advanced reader copy of a book by Jenifer Jennings called Leading Philippi that provided a lot of detail about this. Her portrayal of the early believers reminded me that new beginnings rarely start with a huge foundation. Rather, they begin with quiet obedience, open hearts, and the courage to say yes. That is what the city of Philippi began as: a small group of people trusting in the unexpected arrival of Paul and his companions, and it changed everything. 

The Bible Odyssey website provides some thought-provoking findings that state Philippi was proud of its Roman identity. Veterans retired there. Latin found a home in the civic and administrative life of the city. Loyalty to Caesar was the foundation of everything. It wasn’t the kind of place you’d expect a spiritual revolution to take root. But something changed when Paul, and others, arrived. There were no synagogues. Instead, they found a group of women praying by the river. (Acts 16:13). It was their yes that would open that door I mentioned earlier. 

AI Generation of Lydia

Many of us know the story of Lydia. She remains one of the most compelling figures in Philippian history. As a dealer in purple cloth, she was already a woman of influence and independence, but she was also a spiritual matriarch to the early believers. She wasn’t waiting for someone to bring her truth; she was already seeking God. Her story in Acts teaches us about wholehearted faith. The kind of faith that transforms hearts. When her household was baptized by Paul, her home became the first recorded gathering place for believers in Macedonia, as Acts 16 confirms.

The Philippian Jailer – Paul F.M. Zahl

While Lydia’s story is filled with confident obedience, another story in Acts 16 is anything but. It’s the story of a jailer whose introduction to the gospel came through a literal earthquake. One moment, he was simply doing his job; the next, he believed he had lost everything in the rubble. In that moment of fear, Paul, who had been arrested with Silas (someone from my Unexpected Legacy series), called out to him, assuring him that everyone was still there. And in the next breath, this man was on his way to becoming another influential leader in the Philippian church.

His story reminds us that new beginnings aren’t always gentle. Sometimes they come in the form of little puppies like the one currently running around our house. And sometimes life‑altering events open the most unexpected opportunities. What began with Lydia and the unnamed jailer grew into a church that became one of Paul’s most faithful supporters. In a letter he later wrote from prison in Rome, Paul calls them his partners in the gospel (Phil. 1:3-5 & 4:15–16; 2 Cor. 11:9).

Ruins of Philippi

Philippi was one of the most unlikely places for the early church to expand its mission. With Rome’s influence and the presence of various deities shaping the lives of those who lived there, it’s not surprising that things began the way they did, but it is also something unexpected. I believe that is a message worth remembering.  

What Philippi teaches us is that even the smallest yes can transform entire communities. As we enter the new year, perhaps the best thing I can leave you with is this: look for those open doors. Pay attention to what you find along the way, and ask yourself, Is this my new beginning? Who knows what could happen?

See you in the pages,

M.J.E.

PS (Up next month is Thessalonica, one of the two cities that Paul wrote to twice.)

~ Biography ~

Matthew James Elliott (M.J. Elliott) is a passionate writer who loves to encourage and inspire others. He served in various ministry roles for over 15 years, which gave him a unique perspective on people and Biblical History. Matthew holds a degree in Biblical Studies from Oklahoma Wesleyan University, with a focus on Pastoral Care, Christian Education, and Worship.

Matthew is married and has three wonderful children who bring him immense joy and inspiration. One of his favorite things to do with them is to share stories they can someday learn from. When writing a story, he aspires to minister to others with love, equip them with encouragement, and use the gift God has given him as a writer to help readers experience God in a real and meaningful way.

Find Matthew on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, BookBub, and His Website. He has written Devotionals, An Episodic Series, Novellas, and even Commentaries for The Gospel Daily.

~ Highlighted Release ~

My Newest Biblical Fiction Novel, The Hope of Inheritance, came out on Father's Day and has received a ChristLit Book Award for excellence in Christian Literature. Grab it via Amazon. If you enjoy it, please let me know by posting a review.

One Story Still Untold. Four Unlikely Authors.

Together, their Message will speak to Many.

The city of Rome was a vast and beautiful place-- on the surface. That is, until a great fire burned and destroyed most of it. Deep in a world hidden from those who would strike against them, four unlikely men work together to share a message of truth. This truth was spoken by those who were cut down because of the calling to go forth and preach. 

The message has always been clear: The hope of our inheritance is Christ living within each of us. In the echoes of persecution, sorrow, and even death, this message still reigns supreme, but will the people listen? Only time will tell, but before anything, these four men must come together and unite a church separated by fear and suffering.

Scott Joplin by Nancy J. Farrier

Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin

Who doesn’t find their toe tapping to the lively rhythm of ragtime music? The beat inspires joy and lifts the spirits. This month, I want to take a look at Scott Joplin, the leading composer of ragtime music.

Scott Joplin, born in Texarkana, Texas in 1868, grew up in a family of music lovers. His father, a farm laborer, played the violin. His mother, a house cleaner and laundress, played the banjo and sang. Joplin learned to play piano on the instrument owned by his parent’s employer. He also took music lessons.

Scott began performing as a teenager. Besides playing piano, he played the violin and cornet. He also had a nice singing voice and often sang as part of his performance. In the 1880’s he began to travel, spending time in several places, one of them being Sedalia, Missouri, which would become his home later in his life. Joplin played with different forms of music such as marches and waltz’s, adding in some African American rhythms and melodies to change them. In 1893, he traveled Chicago and played outside the World’s Fair. There, he met musician, Otis Saunders, who encouraged him to write down the music he wrote.

After moving to Sedalia, MO, Joplin enrolled in the George R. Smith College to study music. He wanted to learn how to transfer the songs in his head to musical notation on paper so other musicians would be able to play his works. He caught on to the concept very quickly and published several original compositions, in addition to some co-written with fellow musicians. 

His popularity grew and in 1899, a local music store owner and publisher, printed Joplin’s, “Maple Leaf Rag.” The catchy song earned him the title of “King of Ragtime Writers.” Encouraged by the success, Joplin moved to St. Louis with his new bride, Belle, and friends who wrote music with him. His ragtime gained recognition. The conductor of the St. Louis Choral Symphony Society referred to Joplin as “an extraordinary genius.” Because of his music, Joplin was allowed access to places others of his race could not go, but only because he performed in those places.

Joplin’s private life was fraught with troubles. He and his first wife lost their infant child, and then the marriage ended. His second wife died shortly after they married in 1904. Joplin moved to New York, hoping for a fresh start and new opportunities. He struggled finanacially, not finding the backing he needed for his music. He married a third time, and his new wife, Lottie, supported his work and encouraged him.

Throughout his life, Scott Joplin wrote 44 songs—ragtime pieces—two operas, and one ragtime ballet. He also composed seven ragtime piano compositions with other composers. In 1916, he experienced debilitating physical and mental effects from an ongoing disease. In 1917, he required hospitalization and then was put in a mental institution. He died April 1, 1917.

After Joplin’s death, ragtime music fell from popularity with listeners. In the 1940’s jazz music caused a small revival of ragtime, but the real boost came in the 1970’s. Joplin’s, “The Entertainer,” received notoriety in the movie, The Sting. This brought about an increased interest in Joplin’s music. In 1976, the Pulitzer Committee issued a posthumous award to Scott Joplin for his contribution to American music.  He was truly the “King of Ragtime Music.”

Have you ever played Scott Joplin's ragtime music? Have you heard Maple Leaf Rag or The Entertainer? (You can click on the song titles to listen to them being played.) If you are familiar with his ragtime music, what song is your favorite? I would love to hear from you.

Nancy J Farrier is an award-winning, best-selling author who lives in Southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats and dog, and spend time with her family. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.

HHH December Book Day

NEW YEAR, NEW BOOK!

THE QUILTING CIRCLE SERIES Boxed Set

Historical Romance Series

By Mary Davis

THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT (Book1) – Will a secret clouding a single mother’s past cost Lily her loved ones?

THE DAUGHTER’S PREDICAMENT (Book2) *SELAH & WRMA Finalist* – As Isabelle’s romance prospects turn in her favor, a family scandal derails her dreams.

THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Book3) *SELAH Winner* – Nicole heads down the mountain to fetch herself a husband. Can she learn to be enough of a lady to snag the handsome rancher?

THE DÉBUTANTE’S SECRET (Book4) – Complications arise when a fancy French lady steps off the train and into Deputy Montana’s arms.

 

 

BRIDE BY BEGUILEMENT

By Debbie Lynne Costello

Kirsten father’s last will and testament stipulates that she must either marry, lead the plantation into a first year profit, or forfeit it to her uncle. Thefts are hurting the profit and marriage is proving no easy option. Every suitor seems more enamored with the land than with her. Silas’s last year at veterinary school ends abruptly when he is called home to care for his young orphaned sisters. Troubles compound when he finds an insurmountable lien on the family home and an unscrupulous banker is calling in the loan. How will the two overcome pride and distrust to find real happiness?

 

 

CRAZY ABOUT CAIT

By Nancy J. Farrier

Cait Sullivan can’t believe her father had the temerity to hire Jonas Hall to take over her job—training their famed horses. Cait understands the importance of selling their horses to offset the cattle loss during the drought, but to hire Jonas after the way he broke her sister’s heart? That’s wrong. Jonas has to hide the fact he’s always loved Cait, and that he’s asked her father’s permission to win her hand in marriage. Now he must convince the fiery-tempered lass he isn’t the villain she thinks he is, and she is the bride God has for him.

 

 

BENEATH A RARE BLUE MOON

By Johnnie Alexander

One rare night. One risky mission. A second chance at love. On a rare blue-moon night in 1944, homefront guard Kathleen Forrest apprehends a suspected saboteur at Tennessee’s top-secret “Secret City”—only to discover he’s Roger Craig, the Army Intelligence agent who once held her heart. Ordered into an uneasy alliance after a key informant’s death, Kathleen and Roger must expose a lurking spy ring before sabotage strikes at the war’s heart. As danger mounts and long-buried feelings resurface, they face a life-or-death choice: trust each other again—or lose far more than the mission.

 

 

A CHEERFUL HEART ANTHOLOGY: LEGACY OF LOVE

By Linda Shenton Matchett

After fleeing the vacuous life of her nouveau riche parents, Meg Underwood is informed by the pushy, yet handsome Pinkerton agent, Reuben Jessop, she has inherited her aunt’s significant estate, and she must return home to claim the bequest. Unwilling to fail at his mission, Reuben gives her until Christmas to prove why she should remain in Oregon and give up the opportunity to become a woman of means. When he seems to want more than friendship, she wonders if her new-found wealth is the basis of his attraction.

 

 

LOVE IN BLOOM

By Suzanne Norquist, Kathleen E. Kovach, Mary Davis et al.

Four Bachelors Find Their Happily Ever After With This Bouquet of Brides.

“A Song for Rose” (1882, Rockledge, Colorado) by Suzanne Norquist

Can a disillusioned tenor convince an aspiring soprano that there is more to music than fame?

“Periwinkle in the Park” (1910, Colorado) by Kathleen Kovach

A female hiking guide runs into conflict with a mountain man who is determined to keep the government off his land.

“Holly & Ivy” (1890, Washington State) by Mary Davis

A young woman accompanies her impetuous younger sister across the country to be a mail-order bride and loses her heart to a gallant stranger.

 

 

TITANIC: LEGACY OF BETRAYAL

A Time-Slip Novel

By Kathleen E. Kovach, et al.

A secret. A key. Much was buried on the Titanic, but now it's time for resurrection. Follow two intertwining stories a century apart. 1912 - Matriarch Olive Stanford protects a secret after boarding the Titanic that must go to her grave. 2012 - Portland real estate agent Ember Keaton-Jones receives the key that will unlock the mystery of her past... and her distrusting heart. Review: “I told my wife to move this book to the top of her reading list... This titanic story is more interesting than the one told in the Titanic movie... She will absolutely love it.”

 

 

IRISH ROSE ORPHANS’ CHRISTMAS

By Susan G Mathis

Fall in love with seven unforgettable girls as their touching story unfolds in this prequel to the Irish Rose Orphans: A Thousand Islands Gilded Age Series. At the Irish Rose Orphan Asylum, the girls face their final Christmas together before entering service in the Gilded Age. Bound as “forever sisters,” they confront old wounds and separation. Annie and Taryn struggle with a silent rift, Fiona wrestles with abandonment, Vivian masks her fears, while Cassie, Isabel, and Gloria battle uncertainty. Yet they discover that faith, hope, and sisterhood will follow them wherever life leads.

 

 

THE SONGBIRD AND THE SURVEYOR

By Denise Farnsworth

Genevieve Gillbard knows she's no longer safe in the rough-and-tumble gold rush town when she overhears her controlling guardian's plot to steal gold from a local mine owner. It takes every ounce of her courage to escape, and now she'll do anything to keep herself safe, even accept a temporary marriage of convenience from a man who clearly wants nothing more than his independence. Even then, she fears the sham marriage might not be enough to keep her safe from her guardian's long reach.

 

 

EVEN IF I PERISH

By Terrie Todd

Based on a miraculous true story of courage in the face of impossible odds.

“To say it was hard to put down really doesn’t do justice to how gripping a tale this is… aware that a ship carrying children to Canada had been torpedoed and sunk by a German vessel, I was completely unaware of the story of Lifeboat 12. The horrors they faced once the torpedo struck, the chaos that ensued as the scramble was on for the lifeboats and then the incredible story of Mary Cornish and all the others in Lifeboat 12 makes for a gripping story.” (From an Amazon review.)

 

 

MONTANA GOLD

By Janalyn Voigt

Strike it rich with Montana Gold! Escape into six heartfelt inspirational Western historical romances that will affirm your faith in love. Follow the lives and loves of an Irish family in the Wild West. Travel the Oregon Trail to Montana's gold camps and fledgling cattle ranches. Experience each vibrant story and revel in the beauty and resilience of the American West. Here's your chance to savor new love, rousing adventure, and spiritual renewal on every page. Read the Montana Gold series.

 

 

EL JIREH - THE GOD WHO PROVIDES

Compiled by Living Parables of Central Florida

Mary Dodge Allen, contributor

In A Mother’s Desperate Prayer, Mary Dodge Allen shares her struggle with guilt and despair after her son is badly burned in a kitchen accident. When we are at the end of all we have, El Jireh shows His hand. God doesn’t always give us what we want or when we want it, but He perfectly provides all we need at the right time. The stories, poems, devotions, and essays in this collection demonstrate the various and mysterious ways God is El Jireh—the God who provides—to His children.

 

 

LOVE AND ORDER: A THREE-PART OLD WEST ROMANTIC MYSTERY

By Jennifer Uhlarik

Separated as children when they were adopted out to different families from an orphan train, the Braddock siblings of Callie, Andie, and Rion have each grown up and taken on various jobs within law enforcement and criminal justice. When the hunt for a serial killer with a long history of murders reunites the brother and sisters in Cambria Springs, Colorado, they find themselves not only in a fight for justice, but also a fight to keep their newly reunited family intact. How will they navigate these challenges when further complicated by unexpected romances?

 

 

SOLVE BY CHRISTMAS

By Amber Schamel

When sabotage threatens the Rudin Sugar Factory, Detective Jasper Hollock believes this will be his first real case. But dear Mr. Rudin—the only father Jasper has ever known—holds a different assignment for his private investigator. Convince him life is worth living. As the incidents at the factory become life threatening, Jasper’s attempts at dissuading Mr. Rudin prove futile. Time is ticking. Jasper must solve both cases by Christmas before Mr. Rudin, the company, and Jasper’s faith, are dragged to perdition. Will this be the Christmas Jasper truly discovers what makes life worth living?

 

 

SECRETS OF EPHESUS SERIES

By Liisa Eyerly

Winner of the Eric Hoffer First Horizon Award, Obedient Unto Death launches a gripping historical mystery series set in the perilous world of first-century Rome. In Fortunes of Death, fearless Christian sleuth Sabina returns—risking everything to expose murder, magic, and corruption beneath the empire’s glittering surface. With rich historical detail and powerful spiritual themes, author Liisa Eyerly delivers intrigue, danger, and hope in equal measure. Reviewer Deborah Anne raves: “Murder mystery—Intrigue—Love—Fellowship through Christ. This series has it all! Eyerly is wonderful! If you’re tired of boring—read this series! I love a good mystery!” Prepare to be hooked!

 

 

TEXAS RECLAIMED

By Sherry Shindelar

Cora Scott used to dream of falling in love. But the frontier has scrubbed such notions out of her. She’s had enough of waiting on men who can’t be counted on. By the end of the war, she’s lost everyone except for her little brother. Determined to hold onto the family land, she returns to her abandoned ranch, only to realize they can’t survive there on their own. When the dark-haired Yankee with haunted eyes shows up offering to help, she’s slow to respond. He’s a troubled man, and she’s had enough trouble. But her heart isn’t listening.