“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.” — Acts 16:14
There are only a few verses about Lydia in the Bible, but we can learn a lot from those few words. She was living in Philippi when Paul encountered her but she is from Thyatira, which is about 300 miles away.
Philippi was on a major Roman road, the Via Egnatia. That would have made it a major trade location. It’s possible Lydia had business in both cities.
Thyatira was the home of many trade guilds. One of the most important was the guild for making purple dye.
Enter Lydia. She was a seller of purple goods. Purple dye was very expensive and could only be afforded by the very wealthy.
It reportedly took thousands of sea snails’ juice to produce an ounce of dye. That was a lot to gather. Then the process to produce it was long and difficult. Lydia would have been a wealthy woman. To be a businessowner, a homeowner and independently wealthy was a great accomplishment in her day.
When Paul received the Macedonian call, he went to Philippi with Silas, Timothy and Luke. On the Sabbath, they went outside the gate to the riverside because they thought there would be a place of worship there.
There had to be 10 Jewish men to have a synagogue and apparently there were not enough Jewish men in this city to have a synagogue. So, Jewish worshipers would have gathered by the river. There were only women when the men approached. Lydia was one of them. She was a worshiper of God but apparently only knew about Jewish beliefs.
She listened to what Paul had to say. As she listened, the Lord opened her heart and she believed all he said about the Christ. She and her whole household were saved and baptized. She begged Paul and the others to come and stay at her home. And because she urged them, they agreed.
After a time in the city, Paul and Silas encountered trouble because Paul cast a demon out of a slave girl. There followed a flogging and a night in prison, Paul went to Lydia’s house after he was released. The brethren were gathered there. Paul encouraged them and then left the city.
Lydia’s encounter with Paul may only cover a few verses in the Bible, but we know quite a bit about her. She was a wealthy independent woman but she was not proud or arrogant. She listened when Paul talked about Jesus. She believed his words. She was baptized and her whole household was baptized with her.
She provided a home for the four men who came to a strange country to share the gospel. She also opened her home for the new believers to gather.
Imagine Lydia at the river that day praying. She had no idea what was about to happen. But her mind and heart were open to God. She became a new person that day. A whole new world opened up for her. Be open to God today. You could find a whole new world opening up for you too.
Most Popular
Comments / 0