2:2), and he alludes to the persecution the Thessalonian Christians themselves suffered because of their new faith (1 Thess. Fairchild, Mary. Her house became the meeting place of the first European church. Second, after she and her entire family accepts Jesus Christ and are baptized, they invite Paul and Silas (a ministry companion of Pauls) into their home. She ran a successful business and supervised a work force. This was likely one of the primary reasons why this particular church had a unique, strong bond with the apostle. Us includes both Jews and Gentiles in the church at Crete. 1452) Other inscriptions show that some Jewish women were called elders and mothers of synagogues. Many thanks for your blog, Marg. She has both a practical job and a heavenly one here on earth. This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. We often talk about how the crowds who followed Jesus were mostly made up of the poor and outcast, the sinners and the ones left out of acceptability. Lydia sets the pattern for other significant female leaders in the mission amongst the wider gentile world that Paul (according to Acts) was spearheading. Cornelius was a Gentile. I wish (if okay), to learn from you and your site. Craig Keener notes, Many purple-dye merchants in Rome were freedwomen in this period. Lydia does sound like the Proverbs 31 woman. Harassment, persecution, and suffering were not uncommon in the apostolic church. The Apostle Paul first encountered Lydia at Philippi, in eastern Macedonia. Given Pauls brief stay in Philippi, he seems to have had no problem apparently having Lydia in charge. Introduction to the Catholic Religion: Beliefs, Practices and History, Stephen in the Bible Was the First Christian Martyr, General Biblical Studies, Interdenominational Christian Training Center. During that time, she would have received (directly and indirectly) a theological and pastoral education from the apostle so that she was equipped to care for the church when Paul moved on to bring the gospel to other Macedonian cities. [2] It is not known if the rule found in the Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 23bthat a synagogue needed to have a quorum of at least ten adult male members, known as aminyanwas universally observed in the mid-first century CE. a very wicked or unprincipled person. The narrator begins using first-person plural (we) language in Acts 16:10, at the beginning of the mission at Philippi, but stops using this language after Acts 16:17. Luke 10:5-7). The home is the place of hospitality and fellowship. We know for sure that Cornelius was a Gentile. The Samaritan woman told people in her village. Like Jesus told Peter, flesh and blood has not revealed this unto you, but my Father in heaven. This is the work of a genius. The New Testament mentions several women who happen to appear in Pauls ministry, Lydia being one of them. It is likely she became both a patron and a leader of the church in Philippi.[23]. But I noticed something different between the two. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academics, 2014), 3:2350-74, (Google Books). We dont know much about Lydias husband, but we do know it was seen as a good practice for women to remain indoors and attend to household duties. [6] The word gathered is translated from a feminine participle of the Greek verbsynerchomai, a word which is often used in Acts (and in 1 Corinthians) with the idea of a deliberate, purposeful gathering that also implies community. Ivoni Richter Reimer, Women in the Acts of the Apostles: A Feminist Liberation Perspective, Linda M. Maloney, trans. When Paul and Silas were thrown into a Philippian prison, Lydia visited them and attended to their needs. Also, her name is unknown. Samaria. [19] This description is an idiom that tells us Lydia was a Gentile adherent to Judaism rather than a full convert. It was in Lydias home that the church at Philippi first gathered (cf. For instance, this article about Lydia is in the Category of Bible Women, but is also tagged with Brave Bible Women. [26] While the Jews regarded the Samaritans as outside of Gods favour and mercy, this is not how the New Testament portrays them. After all, the money does not belong to us. Lydia ran a successful business selling a luxury product: purple cloth. Especially if God has granted us more abundance than other believers, we need to show generosity to those who do not have as much. See note 19. Thanks. Covering or Testicle in 1 Corinthians 11:15? ***** Mary Fairchild is a full-time Christian minister, writer, and editor of two Christian anthologies, including "Stories of Calvary.". Then, she is baptized into the . Lydias name was not an uncommon one, and it may not provide any real insight into her status or identity. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. When Paul spoke, her heart was opened. This meant that there were very few Jews in the city, because it only required ten men to establish a synagogue. Become a Patron! Nevertheless, because slaves were sometimes named after their place of origin, it has been thought Lydias name signifies she had once been a slave. Porphyroplis (porphyro + plis = purple + seller) only occurs once in the NT, in Acts 16:14, but it occurs in other ancient Greek documents (e.g., inscriptions and papyri). Lydia must have been wealthy, because she insisted Paul and his companions stay at her home. 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. 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. Whatever her marital status, Lydias home was relatively spacious. [13], Even though her name tells us nothing concrete, the fact that Lydia is named at all is significant. It was neither common nor rare for a woman, usually a widowed or divorced woman, to have control of her own wealth and be a homeowner in New Testament times. (Part 2). 11:15? Finally, Lydia shows us that we also need to show hospitality. This album contains scenes from the funeral service from St. David's Anglican Church to the Cemetery in Plymouth, Tobago which was attended by relatives, friends and members of the People's National Movement. In those days when a wife lost her husband there was hardly anything she could do to support herself. They cared for local congregations and were vital and strategic players at the forefront of the expanding Christian mission. Her example of stewardship shows we cannot pay God back for our salvation, but we do have an obligation to support the church and its missionary efforts. Tyrian purple, a dye derived from marine molluscs, was especially costly. Congratulations on your ordination, Constance. She was also a religious seeker. Prints of this portrait can be purchasedhere. No one else has a right to bury anyone here. (CII 741; IGR IV. Romans 15:21 [9] Richard Ascough writes: Some scholars suggest that the name Lydia may be an ethnic appellation that designates her place of origin, as Luke indicates she was originally from Thyatira, a city in a place called Lydia. 2:14; 3:3-4). Photo credit: Unsplash/the_modern_life_mrs. Luke 10:5-7). #1 . Learn Religions, Sep. 8, 2021, learnreligions.com/lydia-in-the-bible-4150413. She was not afraid to set out on her own and make a successful company. Junia, as one example, experienced this first-hand when she was imprisoned (Rom. Acts 2:18; 1 Cor. Because of the wealth she accrued (at the very least, a modest enough wealth for a larger household) she helped provide for those working a holy job. The two Greek words used in verses 13 and 14 here are simple words for "speak" in Greek. Lydia appears inseveral verses in Acts 16. The account is enriched by historical details of the social and cultural realities of those times. Sardis and Ephesus, like Lydias home town of Thyatira, were part of the Roman province of Asia. 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). 28). However, two first- or second century inscriptions attest to women of status who used the name Lydia,[11] making the assumption of former servile status somewhat conjectural. Lydia and Paul first met outside the gates of Philippi, a city in Macedonia, now part of modern Greece. (Academia.edu), Lydia and the Place of Prayer in Philippi She was immediately baptized in the river and her household along with her. Anyway, thats what I believe. Learn Religions. Lydia: Seller of Purple in the Book of Acts. Thank you, James. He had hopes of doing the same thing in Philippi. Only members of the royalty and other wealthy people could afford this cloth, because the dye was so expensive to make, and so it was a prosperous trade. In today's reading from Acts (16: 9-15), Lydia invites Paul and his companions to stay at her home. A third possibility is that the author occasionally switches to we language to give the narrative a more vivid and immediate feel. First, Lydia most likely accrued a great deal of wealth from selling purple cloth. The Birth of a Nation is a landmark of film history, lauded for its . If they were, the narrator gives no hint of this. 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. The expenses involved in her occupation as a merchant of luxury textiles indicates she was a woman of some wealth. Its only mentioned twice. ch. I also have relevant Categories and Tags under the headings of each article that link to more articles. The group included Lydia, a woman originally from Thyatira. 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.. [9] It has been estimated that roughly one-third of the population of the Roman Empire were slaves. Here are verses in Acts that mention devout Gentile adherants of Judaism here. Lydia lived and worked in Philippi, dealing in textiles colored with the purple dye for which the region was famous. [19] The Greek word sebomai is used several times in Acts to refer to Gentile adherents to Judaism in Acts 13:43, 50, 16:14, 17:4, 17, and 18:7. All Rights Reserved. The church in Jerusalem was meeting in the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12). Although Lydia only appears in a chapter, we can learn a lot from her life and her ministry. It is likely Lydia had no surviving adult male relatives. [8] Cynthia Westfall, Paul and Gender: Reclaiming the Apostles Vision for Men and Women in Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2016), 268. The seat of Solomons chariot was purple (Songs 3:10-11). And they did come across a group of women there, including some Gentiles known as worshipers of God, people who were attracted to the Jewish faith and who attended services but were not yet converts. Thyatira was addressed by Jesus Christ in the Seven Churches of Revelation. [17] Lydias house is most likely a domus. Anyway, Im excited to see your well thought out, well presented exegesis, and will likely be spending much time reading your articles. Excellent work! 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]. Pauls first ministry encounter in Philippi was not with a Macedonian man,[1] however, but with a group of women. Would that be asking too much? First, she was in a posture to receive the gospel. 26; 27:16; 36:8, 35-37). As Paul and his company were speaking with these women, Lydia was listening ( Acts 16:14 ). Lydia, a successful business woman and homemaker, responded to Paul's gospel message, and her entire household became believers. Teacher, community activist, social worker and PNM affiliate, Lydia Paul, was buried on December 14, 2009. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidLimbaugh. And for the most part, that is true even of the apostles. Still, she thrived in the new city, and because of her new placement, God allowed for her journey to coincide with Pauls. She was a seller of purple and a worshiper of God. [21] Ancient inscriptions survive that show a few women were even called leaders of synagogues. Paul is one such Jew. Lydia and Rahab: Two Faith-filled Women 8:15). In some parts of the Roman Empire, women could play prominent roles in their Jewish communities, especially in places where women already had some social freedoms. God bless you and your family too. 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. Acts 16:15 mentions her conversion to the Christian faith. Dear Marg, thanks to God for all those comments. All rights reserved. Paul would soon have run out of team members if he did. Lydia was originally from Thyatira, a city famous for making purple dye. 11:10-12). And, in that group, the first person in Europemale or femaleto convert to the new faith, to receive and accept the Good News. (Live forever.) These may appear like minor details, but we should note that even important people in the early Church maybe got a verse or two of dedication from Paul. Most likely from the details given about Lydia, we can come to a few conclusions. When she and her household had been baptized, she prevailed upon the men to . Lydia had a home large enough to accommodate not only Paul and his companions, but the gatherings of the new church established in Philippi. The relationship between Paul the Apostle and women is an important element in the theological debate about Christianity and women because Paul was the first writer to give ecclesiastical directives about the role of women in the Church. I guess you could say that I am a complementarian now leaning toward egalitarianism. More than 1400 of her works have been featured in various publications. And cloth dyed with blue and purple was among the plunder taken by Judas Maccabee, a devout Jew. Obviously, I dont believe that. All the first Christians were Jews, and for the first few decades of the church, most Christians were Jews. Or youre put off by the sermon title. The woman and man sin together (Genesis 3:1-7). There are several things I would like to point out about Lydia. But I rejoiced greatly in the Lord, that at last your care . There, she claims to be a true believer in the Lord, and she and her household were baptized. We can be grateful for the successful businessmen and women like Lydia who have supported the church over the centuries. 3.3 Paul and Friends Meet Lydia of the Bible, a Dealer of Purple Cloth. So Paul and his companions went outside the city to a river, where they thought they might find a place of prayer. As mentioned before Lydia sells purple cloth. But, Paul discusses, referencing the Hebrew scriptures, that the Gentiles will understand, whereas, the Jews wont. Freedwomen in the East also frequently sold luxury items such as purple dye. Keener, Acts, (Google Books). Lydia's story shows God works through people by opening their hearts to help them believe the good news. Someone asked me if Lydia could have been a purple-dyer rather than a purple-seller. Second, Lydia was a bright woman who knew how to manage an organization. [11] A Sardian named Julia Lydia and an Ephesian named Julia Lydia Laterane (I. Eph 424a) were of high station. Keener, Acts, (Google Books). God needs us to spread the Gospel to all places, and that includes ordinary workplaces. Of purple in the Book of Acts likely Lydia had no problem apparently having Lydia charge. God works through people by opening their hearts to help them believe the news... [ 17 ] Lydias house is most likely accrued a great deal of wealth from selling purple cloth simple for. Molluscs, was buried on December 14, 2009 could say that am. Companions went outside the city, because she insisted Paul and his companions stay her. Solomons chariot was purple ( Songs 3:10-11 ) and mothers of synagogues of purple in the,... The new Testament mentions several women who happen to appear in Pauls,... 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