Acts 16:12 (DBY)

Passage

and thence to Philippi, which is [the] first city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city certain days.

Nearby Context

Acts 16:10 And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go forth to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to announce to them the glad tidings.

Acts 16:11 Having sailed therefore away from Troas, we went in a straight course to Samothracia, and on the morrow to Neapolis,

Acts 16:12 and thence to Philippi, which is [the] first city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city certain days.

Acts 16:13 And on the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where it was the custom for prayer to be, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had assembled.

Acts 16:14 And a certain woman, by name Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God, heard; whose heart the Lord opened to attend to the things spoken by Paul.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thence", "philippi", "first", "city", "part", "macedonia", "colony", and "staying". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thence" and "philippi", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "Having sailed therefore away from Troas we..." into verse 13's "And on the sabbath day we went...", so "thence" and "philippi" belong inside that flow. In Acts context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "thence" and "philippi" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.