Macedonia

(Acts 16:9) — a region notable in antiquity, north of Greece, bordered by Thrace and the Aegean Sea on the east, the Adriatic Sea and Illyria on the west, and Dardania and Paeonia on the north. The region’s borders, like its power, naturally varied at different times. The early history of Macedonia is shrouded in obscurity and legend. Its first king, it is claimed, was Perdiccas (814 B.C.); it was also ruled later by Philip and Alexander the Great. Its last king was defeated by the Romans at Pydna (168 B.C.), with which event the Macedonian monarchy came to an end, and the country, as a province, fell under Roman rule, which divided it into four parts.

Macedonia is especially notable as the first European country in which the holy apostle Paul preached the Gospel. Several of its cities are named in the New Testament: Amphipolis, Apollonia, Berea, Neapolis, Philippi, and Thessalonica. The immediate occasion of the apostle Paul’s visit to Macedonia with the evangelical preaching was a night vision: there appeared to him a certain man of Macedonia, with the plea, “Come over into Macedonia, and help us.” The apostle Paul was then at Troas; obeying the divine call, he set out at once for Macedonia, where his evangelical labors and preaching were crowned with full success (Acts 16:9-12).

His companions in this holy work were Silas and Timothy (18:5) and Erastus (19:22). After this first journey the apostle Paul often revisited Macedonia (19:21; 20:1-6). Flourishing churches and zealous preachers of the evangelical truth quickly arose in Macedonia, as we may see from the repeated references in the book of Acts and in the epistles of the holy apostle Paul. Three of his epistles were addressed to churches in Macedonia — two to the Thessalonians and one to the Philippians.

The first epistle to the Thessalonians is reckoned the first epistle written by the holy apostle under divine inspiration. The apostle holds up the Macedonian churches as an example to the Corinthians (2 Cor 8:1; 9:2).