At the Krenides River Where the Very First Christian Convert was Baptized in Europe !

After chatting with the nice lady whose business was creating and preparing welcome tables for the baby baptisms, we followed her directions and headed over to the Gangites River ( also referred to as the Krenides River in historical contexts).

  This river located in a close distance to the ancient city of Philippi, is not any ordinary river as it has religious significance for Christians.

Because ancient Philippi had a very small Jewish population and lacked a formal synagogue, the Apostle Paul went to the nearby Gangites River on the Sabbath to find a place of prayer. There, he met and baptized Lydia of Thyatira, a wealthy merchant of purple cloth, who became the first documented Christian convert on European soil. The encounter between the Apostle Paul and Lydia is recorded in the book of Acts 16:11–15:  

  13 "On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there."  

  14 "One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message."  

  15 "When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. 'If you consider me a believer in the Lord,' she said, 'come and stay at my house.' And she persuaded us.

The river - only a few minutes' walk from the church ground.

  There we were! Right in front of our eyes, with matures trees lining on both sides, a small calm river with crystal clear water that has been running through this part of the land since St. Paul's time! We stood there imagining what life was like then. In our minds' eyes we could see local women washing their clothes, gathering around at this spot on Sabbath day to sing and praise God as well as seeing Paul there preaching to them the gospel and telling the people about the salvation of Jesus.

  My husband commented that the place here seemed to look not too much different from when Saint Paul met Lydia hundreds of years ago.

This place was rural and quiet with no evidences of any housing or commercial building activities anywhere in the area. We saw a small shrine in remembrance of Lydia, a sitting area and a concrete patch where a minister could conduct his/ her service.

  In fact, no sooner had we arrived there, we witnessed a short service taking place by the river.

  We felt privileged to be standing right where St. Paul had preached, converted and baptized the first Christian in Europe! Thank you, God, for the wonderful opportunity standing where St. Paul once did!

  RT, Standing Where Lydia Met St. Paul

  Gangites River ( the Krenides River ), in the Ancient Philippe Area, Greece

 042026