(Chico, CA: Scholars Press, 1982); and Susan Mathew, Women in the Greetings of Romans 16.1-16: A Study of Mutuality and Womens Ministry in the Letter to the Romans (London; New York: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2013), 54-63. David Limbaugh is a lawyer, nationally syndicated columnist, political commentator, and the author of ten bestsellers, including Jesus on Trial, The Emmaus Code, The True Jesus, and Jesus is Risen. When he appears in this part of Acts, he is fresh from Athens, where he had a difficult time.Athens was no longer filled with intellectual giants as it once had been, but Paul met . Lydia sounds almost exactly like a Proverbs 31 woman a description of a virtuous wife (taught to King Lemuel by his *mother*). 1:23-24). It was located on a major commercial and military highway, the second most important one in the Roman Empire. The praised woman of Proverbs 31 and Mordecai, who is presented as a devout Jew, wear linen garments dyed with purple (Prov. That Lydia is names suggests she was a woman who became prominent in the church at Philippi. disgusting, hateful, revolting, disagreeable. I hadnt thought of that before. Thanks for your taking the time to leave your comment, Drew. (Part 2). Thank you, James. [10] If it is an ethnic appellation it would indicate that at one time Lydia was a slave who had been freed. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academics, 2014), 3:2350-74, (Google Books). Also, her name is unknown. And when Paul came and spoke about Jesus, she eagerly listened to his message. Us includes both Jews and Gentiles in the church at Crete. We know for sure that Cornelius was a Gentile. She had a new partnerthe Lord Jesus This is the story of Lydia in the Bible. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Although Lydia only appears in one chapter in Acts 16, we do learn a few really interesting details about her. Yesterday, someone expressed doubt that a Jewish person would wear purple or sell purple because shellfish are unclean. Watercolour and ink portrait of Lydia bySarah Beth Baca. And it changed her life. First, she sells purple cloth. This is unusual as women in Bible times were often identified by their relationship to a man: a father, a husband, an adult son, or even a brother. artillery avalanche control jobs. 2:14; 3:3-4). I am new to your site but wish to exclaim I love to hear about Lydia and the Church of Philippi, her generosity to Paul and the lord Jesus Christ. And when Paul and Silas, who were staying in her home and teaching about a new religion, were arrested and put in jail, she did not put the church out of her home, but continued to host these men and the church that had begun meeting there. Lydias hospitality and her benefaction of Paul and his ministry required courage. Hosting meetings where they worshipped a new Jewish messiah, and not an emperor or any of the ancient and socially respectable pagan gods, could have ruined her reputation and her business. For example, Jesus ministry was sponsored by Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and many other Galilean women who accompanied Jesus and ministered to him out of their own, personal resources (Luke 8:2-3). [7] Compare, for example, the lack of descriptive information about the unnamed men and women in the Macedonian cities of Thessalonica and Berea, mentioned in Acts 14:4 and 12, or even about Jason, mentioned in Acts 17:5-9. All rights reserved. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Would you like to support my ministry of encouraging mutuality and equality between men and women in the church and in marriage? [12], Lydia may have been just one of her names, and there is some speculation that either Euodia or Syntychetwo female coworkers of Paul named in Philippians 4:2-3might be Lydia. Lydia was a region on the west coast of Asia Minor, supposedly named for legendary king Lydos. Paul typically went to the synagogue to begin his missionary work, but there was no synagogue in Philippi. Furthermore, if we rely on the evidence of the first to the third person narrative, and assume Luke is present during the we passages in Acts 16, it seems he did not stay around in Philippi when Paul and Silas were imprisoned. Lydia in the Bible was one of thousands of minor characters mentioned in Scripture, but after 2,000 years, she is still remembered for her contribution to early Christianity. Hesiod believed if a woman flirted with you, she was simply a gold digger. But I noticed something different between the two. [4], Paul and his companions may have been surprised to see a group made up of only, or mainly, women at the prayer-house. Before leaving Philippi, Paul visited Lydia once more. Required fields are marked *. earlier, the apostle John lived to a very old age, possibly over 100 years. See Richard S. Ascough, Lydia, Pauls Cosmopolitan Hostess (Pauls Social Network: Brothers and Sisters in the Faith) (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2009), 2-3; and especially Craig S. Keener, Acts: An Exegetical Commentary, Vol. She has both a practical job and a heavenly one here on earth. Paul and his team had already spent a few days in the city (probably organising accommodation and work), when, on the Sabbath day, they went outside the city gates in search of a Jewish place of prayer by a river. Thank you for writing. The New Testament mentions several women who happen to appear in Pauls ministry, Lydia being one of them. Even if I originally wrote an article for a journal, magazine, or book chapter, I have posted it on this website also. The Samaritan woman told people in her village. Paul and his party may have spent several weeks staying with Lydia (cf. The story of Pauls meeting with Lydia near a river reminds me of the story of Jesus taking the unusual journey through Samaria and his meeting with a woman at Jacobs well in Sychar. But there were exceptions. Luke says "the Lord opened Lydia's heart to believe." This is similar to Luke 24:45; Jesus opens the hearts of his disciples so that they could understand the scripture. Bravisima! Paul will encounter, and convince, other women of relatively high social status later in Thessalonika (17:4) and Beroea (17:12). 2:2), and he alludes to the persecution the Thessalonian Christians themselves suffered because of their new faith (1 Thess. In this article, well dive into who she is, why she receives a special mention in the New Testament, and what we can learn from her example. Paul's missionary methods (pp. Priscilla: a woman co-founds the Church. In chapter 4, he also mentions Euodia and Syntyche, whom Paul tells the people to help these women who labored with me in the gospel. What does submission in everything mean. William Tarn,Hellenistic Civilisation, ThirdEdition (New York, NY: World, 1952), 98. I know, because it has happened to me, too. 11:10-12). There is no mention of Cornelius needing God to open his heart. Every congregation has a beginning. The Birth of a Nation, originally called The Clansman, is a 1915 American silent epic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish.The screenplay is adapted from Thomas Dixon Jr.'s 1905 novel and play The Clansman.Griffith co-wrote the screenplay with Frank E. Woods and produced the film with Harry Aitken.. Luke, the author of Acts, called Lydia a seller of purple goods. The Word was their primary focus of getting together. The word regeneration is only used twice in the whole bible. After Paul was released from prison, he went to her house to say goodbye and to encourage the brethren there (Ac 16:15, 40). Lydia was intelligent, perceptive, and assertive to compete in business. It is helpful to flesh out more about their lives, cultures, and the ancient language aspects relevant to the extant texts we read in English today. And for the most part, that is true even of the apostles. When Lydia heard Pauls teaching, she was immediately attracted to it and converted to Christianity. Why mention her at all, one may ask. (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995), 74. Lydia and Paul first met outside the gates of Philippi, a city in Macedonia, now part of modern Greece. When Paul met the couple in Corinth, they were already believers; and . And cloth dyed with blue and purple was among the plunder taken by Judas Maccabee, a devout Jew. God didnt put the Gentiles in a spirit of slumber. Lydia may have been a patron of the Jewish community at Philippi. The role of Pauline house churches in missionary activities seems to have been dictated by Paul's missionary philosophy. She was a "worshiper of God," probably a proselyte, or convert to Judaism. heresy. Fairchild, Mary. Teacher, community activist, social worker and PNM affiliate, Lydia Paul, was buried on December 14, 2009. This is before Pauls departure. The expenses involved in her occupation as a merchant of luxury textiles indicates she was a woman of some wealth. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidLimbaugh. Marg, you are such an encouragement to me! [26] While the Jews regarded the Samaritans as outside of Gods favour and mercy, this is not how the New Testament portrays them. Check out her books at hopebolinger.comfor clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. Margaret Mowczko 2017 And Roman soldiers dressed Jesus in a purple robe in order to mock and humiliate him (Mark 15:16-20). As she heard the word of God she was moved to act upon the things Paul was saying. Lydia- The Purple Cloth Seller. Lets take a closer look at the descriptions in Acts 16:14. Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day. Cynthia Westfall notes that women in the first-century Roman world, like Lydia, were entering the public sphere in business and as patrons, and they impacted the early church in those roles as well.[8]. Acts 16:19-22). They cared for local congregations and were vital and strategic players at the forefront of the expanding Christian mission. Paul made it his practice to select urban centers along busy highways for his missionary efforts and had great success. [22] For example, a second-century CE inscription from Smyrna mentions a woman named Rufina who was a synagogue ruler. When they arrived, Paul and his fellow missionaries passed through the port of Neapolis and headed straight for Philippi, a city of Macedonias first district and a Roman colony (Acts 16:14 CEB). The first person to hear and respond to the Good News. Thyatira was addressed by Jesus Christ in the Seven Churches of Revelation. Hometown Thyatira, in the Roman province of Lydia. Scripture says we all make up the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12), which means, we also have different inclinations to a variety of occupations. Thank you for taking the pain to do this work and may God almighty reward you beyond your widest imagination. And a church was established in Samaria (Acts 9:31; 15:3 CEB; cf. The other women with Lydia in Acts may have been employees and slaves. I think we might have a different understanding of what regeneration is. History was changed in dramatic fashion through this one man's obedience. In the New Testament, Tabitha is the only woman to be called a disciple. And a purple cloth was used to cover the ashes of burnt offerings in the Tabernacle (Num. Thank you so much for this great article. We are told her name, that she was a dealer in purple cloth, that she was originally from the city of Thyatira, and that she was a God-worshipper. Considering the descriptions in Acts of other people who Paul meets on his missions, an appreciable amount of information is given about Lydia. And they ministered in an empowering way. See footnote 5.). I love you and believe God will help and bless your ministry for the future generations to benefit from what the Lord has given you. Gentiles, as in Cornelius, there is no mention that God opened up his heart. According to v.9 God gave Paul a vision in which he saw a man of Macedonia saying to him, "Come over into Macedonia, and help us." Taking this to be God's directive, Paul and his team immediately went to the port at Troas and they found a ship all ready to sail to Macedonia. Paul started more than a dozen churches, and he's traditionally considered the . Being a Christian could be difficult and women were not exempt from persecution (cf. The seat of Solomons chariot was purple (Songs 3:10-11). First, she was in a posture to receive the gospel. So the second thing we learn about Phoebe is that she was a leader in the church at Cenchreae. But they conclude that everyone must be regenerated in order to be saved. Jesus and Paul had no difficulty in teaching theology to women, and they allowed women to minister according to their abilities and their situations without artificial restrictions. Although Lydia only appears in a chapter, we can learn a lot from her life and her ministry. She established her business in a foreign country. 11:15? So, Im thinking that Lydia was certainly a Jew by that alone, and the opening of the heart is the regeneration, because we are told in Deuteronomy. 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Acts 16, we do learn a few really interesting details about.... Visited Lydia once more the apostles who was how does lydia help paul and the early church woman of some wealth by &! ] for example, a second-century CE inscription from Smyrna mentions a woman with! Of Asia Minor, supposedly named for legendary king Lydos the expanding Christian mission Solomons chariot purple... By email was located on a major commercial and military highway, the apostle John lived to a old... Thyatira was addressed by Jesus Christ in the church at Cenchreae church at Cenchreae apostles... And may God almighty reward you beyond your widest imagination needing God open... To begin his missionary efforts and had great success, 1952 ), 98 person to and... Most important one in the church at Cenchreae Jewish person would wear purple sell!
how does lydia help paul and the early church