Lydia's Story

It was a rushed morning as I fastened my chiton in place over my shoulder. I hurriedly made my way towards the bustling city's center. I had lived in Philippi long enough to know how to navigate the tangled markets. I worked my way towards the city gate amidst the commotion of price haggling and animal bleatings. A sigh of relief escaped my lips at the sight of the bubbling river in view. The faithful Gangites River teemed with life and peace. Today was the Sabbath and, soon enough, the other God-fearing women would arrive one by one at our sacred place of prayer. While waiting for their arrival, I found a shady spot near the river's bank and began to reflect on my own spiritual journey. 

I hadn't always lived in Philippi. In fact, I was born in Thyatira, a province in Lydia (hence the origin of my name). My birthplace is renowned for its beautifully rich dye produced from a plant that grows abundantly in our region, the "madder root.". I learned my family's trade at an early age and became a dealer of purple cloth - highly prized within the Roman world. Soon enough, I amassed a considerable fortune from my trade. However, the success nor abundance of financial means didn't quell this aching desire in my heart. Desire for what? I couldn't tell you. Until one day, I came face to face with the God of Israel. 

Suddenly, my reverie was broken by the hushed tones of chattering female voices. They approached the river bank and took their seats. Just as we began our readings from the Torah and Prophets, a peculiar man arrived, along with his entourage, that I've never seen before in the streets of Philippi. We, women, glanced at one another - both alarmed and curious about the man's intentions.

"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,"

I felt myself relax a bit at his kind benediction. He continued,

"I am Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and set apart for the Gospel of God - which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures - concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

He then began to elaborate on the suffering Messiah and the fulfillment of His subsequent death and resurrection prophesied in the Scriptures.

As I listened, my heart burned within me. My spirit testified to the truth of the Word he was revealing to us. As a Greek, I worshiped the God of Israel. I was known as a God-fearing woman among the Jews living in Philippi. I meditated on the Torah & Prophets, I observed the Sabbath, I tried my best to follow the Jewish customs, regulations, and commandments. However, I always seemed to stumble in one way or another. I was never sure I could quite meet the righteous requirements of a holy God. But as I listened to this man, Paul, I began to understand that nobody can. Not even the most pious Jew. Not the Pharisee, the Sadducee, nor the Levitical Priest. In fact, only the Son of Man could. He who is both the descendant (heir) of David and the only begotten Son of God - Jesus Christ. 

Paul continued to explain that it was Jesus’ perfect substitutionary sacrifice that allows us to receive forgiveness of sins, turns us from darkness to light, breaks the power of Satan, and gives us a share among those who are sanctified by faith in Him. Paul had been specifically chosen and appointed by the risen Jesus to proclaim this salvation to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles. 

I couldn't withhold my eagerness for another moment. I quickly jumped up and asked him,

"What must I do to be saved?"

He replied,

"Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved."

I decided to be immediately baptized as a sign of my repentance and belief. My household and I entered the river one by one. As I submerged myself beneath the icy cold water, I could feel every weight that entangled me or I laboriously carried, falling off and sinking to the river bed beneath me. As I came to the surface, I felt weightless. I felt pure. I felt clean. A joy bubbled up within me and a broad smile broke across my face. I hadn't felt like an expectant little child like this in a long time. Everything inside of me wanted to bless Paul, the carrier of this Good News. I urged him,

"Please, if you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house."

And with much persuading, he relented and accepted my hospitality. 

After my encounter with The Way, my views on everything radically changed. My Savior began to teach me by His Spirit. I had previously felt embarrassed, almost guilty, about the wealth I had acquired through my business dealings. My success made me feel uncomfortable. However, now, I see it as a blessing for His Kingdom. With my earnings, I've been able to host Paul and his companions for a considerable amount of time, as well as meet the needs of anyone in our church who is suffering or unable to feed and clothe themselves or their families. I've also opened my home as a meeting place for our congregation. Lastly, I happily supplied Paul with some essentials as he departed on his next voyage. As for me, I don’t know what is next…but I do know that I’m passionate about seeing my fellow Philippians come to faith in the Messiah of Israel. My prayer is that my home will continue to be a launch pad for the Gospel to go forth to the entire Roman world and to the nations. 

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Lydia's story is one of courage, hospitality, and generosity. I wanted my retelling of it to stay as true to the original text (found in Acts 16) as possible. I also used direct quotations from the books of Romans and Acts for the dialogue between her and the Apostle Paul. As the first convert to Christianity in Europe, Lydia is venerated even today by the Orthodox Church. As a successful businesswoman, she used her resources to bless and expand the Kingdom of God on earth. She most likely provided the church that gathered in her home with shelter, meals, clothing, and attended to any other daily needs. She may have also supplied Paul with ink and scrolls so that he could send epistles (letters) to the other churches he planted.

I was deeply inspired by Lydia's example of faith which exudes the following virtues:

She is tenderhearted. - She listens to Paul attentively because she loves the God of Israel and wants to know more about Him. Before her conversion to Christ, she would have been identified as a "God-fearer" by the Jewish people. This term was used for Gentiles (anyone who was not born from a Jewish lineage) who believed in the God of Israel and worshiped Him instead of their own local "gods."

Lydia models the virtue of teachability. Her heart is opened by the Lord and she responds to Paul’s message with faith. She is eager to receive salvation and desires to enter into this Kingdom of God that Paul preached.

She is courageous. - After receiving the Good News from the Apostle Paul, she decides to immediately be baptized, along with her household, thereby showing her full allegiance to Jesus as the Messiah and King of Israel .

Lydia models the virtue of perseverance. She wants to publicly proclaim her loyalty to Jesus Christ regardless of the opinions of others. She isn't shy about her faith and wants others to experience the healing, restoration, forgiveness, and joy that comes with accepting salvation in Christ alone. She goes "all in" for the cause of Christ, regardless of the possible ridicule, mocking, or persecution she may experience by aligning herself as His follower. Remember that Lydia is a wealthy woman who makes her riches by selling expensive dyed garments to the upper echelon of Roman society (Roman emperors and the wealthy elite were the only ones who could afford to wear such fine, royal robes). She is risking her business and reputation, but what value does worldly wealth really have when you possess the priceless treasure of knowing Jesus?

She is kind. - She "constrains" Paul and his companions (a term used in the Middle East to communicate the expectation of accepting an offer of hospitality) to come and stay at her house which demonstrates her kindness and hospitality towards the servants of Christ.

Lydia models the virtue of hospitality by eagerly offering to provide for Paul and his fellow-workers. She wants to serve them, just as they served her by presenting the Gospel. She is so adamant about opening her home to them that she will not take no for an answer. Her home is to be a place of rest and comfort for those tirelessly risking their lives for the sake of the Gospel. You can see from Paul's other writings that many times the apostles were left hungry, cold, and lacking daily needs while traveling from city to city preaching the Good News. I'm sure Lydia's kind offer is an appreciated reprieve from the struggle and toil Paul experienced daily on his missionary journeys.

She is joyful. - It is assumed that providing for Paul and his companions brought Lydia great joy. Not only did her hospitality cultivate a life-giving home, but it set the stage for a home church to be planted within her walls!

Lydia models the virtue of generosity. She is a woman of means who wants to bless others with the blessings that the Lord bestowed upon her. In fact, her home became a place of Christian growth, discipleship, and spiritual development. In other words, the church in her home became a launchpad for the Gospel to go forth and spread in the first century!

References:

• Ancient Greek Clothing (click for visual examples of chitons in the ancient world) : https://bibleclothing.com/gentile-garments/greek/chiton/

Author's note: The chiton is a garment that was worn by both men and women in Ancient Greece and throughout the Roman Empire. It was a rectangular garment that was fastened by fibulae at the shoulders. A man's chiton came to the knees and a woman's would hang at her ankles.

• Video of the Gangites River near where Lydia was baptized (now Modern-Day Turkey): https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=629502877236368

  
  

• Madder Root or Murex Snail?

  https://ferrelljenkins.blog/2010/10/26/murex-is-not-the-only-source-of-purple/

Author's note: Back when I wrote the excerpt below, I didn't realize that there was an alternative dying method that was utilized in the first century to dye textiles purple (or a deep red color; see below for more info). When I was researching the region of Thyatira for this post, I stumbled upon the dying method of "madder root" as opposed to dye made from the murex snail. Because Acts specifically states that Lydia was from Thyatira and due to the rarity of murex snails, I chose the former to be the dying method of choice in my retelling of her story.

Excerpt from my previous blog post titled: "Keeper of the Home" Series {Part 3} - Virtuous Women of the Bible: Lydia was a business woman who sold garments dyed with tyrian purple, a dye created by boiling marine snails that would create a dark-reddish hue. Lydia’s clients were wealthy individuals who could afford such costly cloth which was then used for clothing and upholstery.Tyrian purple: a.k.a. royal/imperial purple from Tyre, Lebanon (hence “tyrian”); extracting this dye required tens of thousands of snails and substantial labor making the dye highly-valued and expensive. Items colored with the pigment was associated with power and wealth. Only the most senior Roman magistrates were allowed to wear a white toga edged in Tyrian purple. Also, a solid Tyrian purple toga with gold edging was only worn by generals celebrating a Roman triumph.

You can read this post in its entirety here.