Lydia

Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved –– Philippians 4:1

Philip of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, established the city of Philippi in 358 B.C., one year after his ascension to the throne. It became a major garrison city for his army troops in their battles against the Medo-Persian empire to the east. After the fall of Greece to Rome it had declined to becoming a small village. It regained importance in 42 B.C. as the site for the decisive conflict between the assassins of Julius Caesar, Cassius and Brutus, and the armies of Marc Antony and Octavian (Augustus), in which both Cassius and Brutus committed suicide.

It derived its commercial strength from its nearness to the seaport of Neapolis (nine miles distant), from being on the main east west Egnatian road, and from the nearby gold mines. It was also the site of a major home for retired army veterans.

It was probably for these reasons that it attracted Lydia, a seller of purple, to move from Thyatira which, though larger, did not lie on a major trade route nor did it attract the Roman military traffic who would have money to spend on fancy garments for wives and girlfriends. There was perhaps a more important reason for Lydia’s move to Philippi. The economy of Thyatira was controlled by its trade guilds. Among these powerful guilds was that of the dyers, who had developed a method of extracting the color from the “madder root,” rather than the more costly methods using sea mollusks. These guilds were dependent for their welfare on the orgiastic worshipers of the Lydian sun-god, Tyrimnos. Neither Christians nor Jews were permitted to ply their trades in Thyatira since they openly decried such worship. Though born a pagan, Lydia had become a proselyte to Judaism and may have felt it expedient to remove herself from the guild problems in Thyatira.

Thyatira was a major city in the province of Lydia. Some scholars assume therefore that Lydia is not the name of the woman but a nationalistic designation. They assume that the woman associated with that name may be the Euodias of Philippians 4:2, but this appears to be sheer speculation and we prefer the thought that her actual name was Lydia.

The church in Philippi was spiritually blessed. Paul refers to it in our theme text as his crown jewel. It was the first established church in Europe. The brethren there became especially noted for their sacrifice and the warmth of their love and hospitality toward other Christians. The account of its formation and the role played by the zealous sister, Lydia, though sketchy, are sufficient to gain a portrait of this remarkable person.

A Portrait of Lydia

From Troas Paul went “ … thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshiped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us” (Acts 16:12-15).

The Greek word proseuche used here for prayer is also descriptive of a place of Jewish worship where there are too few Jewish adherents to warrant a synagogue. Thayer’s Lexicon has this to say of the word: “a place in the open air where the Jews were wont to pray, outside the cities, where they had no synagogue; such places were situated upon the bank of a stream or the shore of a sea, where there was a supply of water for washing the hands before prayer.”

The role of Lydia in this story is worthy of note. In New Testament times women were assigned separate and minor roles in religious services. Lydia’s prom- inence here implies that there were either no, or very few, male Jewish adherents. Paul does not deliver his customary sermon but uses a friendlier approach — a discussion with the women which resorted thither. As suggested by Thayer, the location by the riverside indicates not only a commitment to the doctrines of Judaism but to its ritual cleansing ablutions as well.

Lydia’s Seven Virtues

From the few words of this brief passage in Acts we note a number of sterling characteristics of our sister Lydia.

A Religious Woman: The descriptive term used of Lydia, “which worshiped God,” is a Greek idiom for a Jewish proselyte. Her name and Thyatiran background suggest that she was born of Greek descent. It is probable therefore that her upbringing was either non-religious or in the polytheism of the Greeks. Even before Paul’s witness to her at the riverside, probably before she left Thyatira, she had made a major change in her religious thinking by accepting Judaism.

Such a change had its costs. As noted before, both Jews and Christians who proclaimed their abhorrence of the sun-god orgies in Thyatira were denied trade guild membership and thus deprived of financial support. They either had to resort to menial work or seek employment elsewhere. For Sister Lydia the choice appears to have been the latter — move to Philippi.

Led by God: Her religious progression from paganism through Judaism to Christianity is not accounted to her own perspicacity, but to the fact that she was one “whose heart the Lord had opened.” True sonship with God can never be obtained by one’s own wisdom or labors or efforts of any kind. Instead, as we read in Hebrews 5:4, “no man taketh this honor unto himself, but he who is called of God, as was Aaron.” Jesus says much to the same effect in John 6:44, “No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.”

The road that each Christian follows is distinct. Some are attracted through family ties, others respond quickly and decisively to the Lord’s first tugs, while still others are led through convoluted paths that wind them ever nearer to the relationship they seek with God. Lydia’s path wended its way through Judaism.

We know not how long Lydia followed the religion of the Jews. The evidence suggests that it may have been for a considerable time or else that she became a convert to Judaism in her later life. We read nothing of her husband in the Acts account, though the suggestion is made that she had grown children. She would have needed time to build up her Philippian business enterprise, which was evidently prosperous enough to support a home of sufficient size to house the meetings of the newly developed church. To these evidences we can add that Paul does not mention her in his letter to the Philippians, which conveys the thought that she had either died by the time of that epistle or had moved away. The central role she plays in the Acts account further suggests that she was respected and independent in the local Jewish community.

An Open Ear: Having espoused Judaism, possibly for an extended time, she is nevertheless attentive to the words of Paul, which would sound radical to most Judaistic ears. It is unfortunately symptomatic of many who have experienced one conversion in their life to resist further attempts to change them. There are natural reasons for this. Usually, the first change of belief brings a certain amount of scorn and contempt from previous acquaintances. They frequently will charge such with lack of constancy for the “faith of their fathers.” This forms a psychological barrier for further change. Major changes in religious belief calls for much study and soul searching. It often calls for great personal sacrifices as well, as was probable in the case of Lydia. To be willing to face these challenges a second time requires a deep personal commitment, honesty, and sincerity. Lydia passed all these tests.

When Paul moves on from Philippi to Thessalonica and thence to Berea, we find another group with this same attribute. We read of them in Acts 17:11,12, “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore, many of them believed; also of honorable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.” Paul emphasizes the same point in 1 Thessalonians 5:20,21, “Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”

Lydia’s pattern of being attentive to something she had not previously believed is a difficult one to emulate. There is the fear of being thought wishy-washy by others or of being subtly led into error. This is why the attentive listener needs to “prove all things” by searching the scriptures daily to see whether these things are so. To do otherwise is to throw away the “key of knowledge” (Luke 11:52) by either not listening ourselves or forbidding others to do so.

Decisive Character: The account makes evident that Lydia’s baptism as a follower of Jesus, if not immediate, soon followed. For a woman of her prominence to make such a radical change would require some thought. In Lydia’s case, it appears that this thought process was not prolonged. Not only would she personally believe the principles of Paul’s teachings, but she was willing to openly avow them, confessing them before others in the rite of water baptism. The admonition of Elijah to the Israelites on Mount Carmel was not necessary for our sister Lydia: “How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him” (1 Kings 18:21).

Jesus gives wise counsel in Luke 14:28, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” Such counsel, however, does not imply that Jesus is suggesting that this be a prolonged process. Rather, the experiences of the Ethiopian eunuch and the Philippian jailer (Acts 8:36;16:33) suggest that the practice in the early church was to the contrary. A decision must be made and considered well but it must not be belabored. For the true follower of Christ there is no other choice, “For the love of Christ constraineth us [leaves us no other choice]; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14,15).

Of Beneficial Influence: Not only was Lydia baptized but also “her household.” We should not assume that this means young children, or even necessarily children at all (though that seems likely). A woman of means would have a household that included servants. In either case it shows that the respect she commanded was such that those dwelling in her house also accepted the new Christian religion.

Such a respect must be earned and not demanded. As Paul admonishes parents in Ephesians 6:4, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” The responsibility of a Christian parent cannot be overemphasized. There must be constancy in the application of principles to the affairs of life; this is communicated not only verbally and, where required, with discipline, but even more importantly illustrated by the example of the parent. We know not if Lydia’s husband had died when their children were small or, for that matter, even if he was dead. He may not have followed her in her religious professions. Whatever the case, the lesson indicates that she was responsible for much of the training of her household. Their willingness to be baptized with her indicates the effectiveness of that training.

It would not be long before a similar scene would be enacted across town. This time it would not be a Jewish proselyte but a Roman jailer in Philippi. (It is possible he was the Clement of Philippians 4:3.) His background and Lydia’s were very different. Yet both shared one thing in common, a benign influence on their household so that when they were baptized, their household was baptized at the same time (Acts 16:33).

Children are usually raised with respect for the beliefs and feelings of their parents. In the culture of the early church, this was more true than today. But if her household included servants, this testifies to her fairness and justice as an employer. Once again Lydia sets a pattern for all sincere Christians to follow.

Hospitable: No stronger statement of hospitality can be found than in the words of Lydia, “And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us” (Acts 16:15). To deem hospitality the privilege of the hostess rather than that of the one being hosted is not too strong a way of phrasing the matter. This is further implied by the force of the Greek word translated “constrained,” parabiazomai, defined by Professor Thayer as “to employ force contrary to nature and right.” The only other usage of this word in the New Testament is by the two in Emmaus when they “constrained” Jesus to abide with them (Luke 24:29).

While Paul appropriately enough protested the proffered hospitality, there is no evidence of the use of any force “contrary to nature.” Rather, the entire concept of offering such largesse to Paul and his group, virtual strangers to the assembled women, was in itself contrary to human nature. One wonders if Paul, when drawing the lesson from Abraham entertaining angels in Hebrews 13:2, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares,” does not also have Lydia in his mind.

Constancy: It is one thing to offer hospitality when times are good, it is quite another to maintain that offer when the recipient of that hospitality falls into disrepute. As the narrative in Acts 16 continues, we find Paul and Silas imprisoned for teaching customs that were not lawful for Romans to receive (Acts 16:21). The account is well known — the singing in prison, the tremors that shook the house, the freed bonds, the conversion of the jailer and his baptism, the insistence that the magistrates exonerate them. Yet the upshot was that it was desired that they “depart out of the city.”

This brings us to one final reference to Lydia, in verse 40, “And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.” Lydia, whose very business was dependent on the goodwill of the Roman population, does not disown them but rather opens her doors to them and the entire church that assembled in her dwelling.

In Hebrews 10:33 Paul encourages this trait in all true Christians, praising them for both enduring afflictions personally and “partly, whilst ye were made a gazing stock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.” Lydia exemplified the teachings of Jesus in Luke 6:32,35 where he said, “For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”

Here, as in so many other instances, we see the radiance of the gem that Lydia provided in Paul’s beloved church in Philippi, “his joy and his crown.” The example is a high one for each of us to copy. May we all be “Lydias.”

–– The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom
1997/5