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Lydia

the dealer in purple cloth

Who was Lydia?

From
Thyatira Acts 16:14
Occupation
Dealer in purple cloth Acts 16:14
Lydia, an artistic recreation

What the Bible says

Acts 16:14

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, did hear: whose heart the Lord opened to attend to those things which were said by Paul.

Acts 16:13-14

13And upon the sabbath day, we went forth without the gate by a river side, where it seemed that there was prayer; and sitting down, we spoke to the women that were assembled. 14And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, did hear: whose heart the Lord opened to attend to those things which were said by Paul.

Acts 16:15

And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying: If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.

The path of Lydia

  1. Before Jesus. She was from Thyatira and dealt in purple cloth. She feared God. Acts 16:14
  2. With Jesus. Paul and his companions set sail from Troas and reached Philippi. It was a Roman colony, the leading city in that part of Macedonia. Acts 16:11-12
  3. With Jesus. On a sabbath, Paul and his companions went out of Philippi to the river, where they thought there was a place of prayer. Acts 16:12-13
  4. With Jesus. They sat down and spoke with the women who had gathered there. Lydia was listening. Acts 16:13-14
  5. With Jesus. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying. Acts 16:14
  6. Afterward. She was baptized with her household. Then she kept urging Paul and his companions until they agreed to stay at her house. Acts 16:15
  7. Afterward. Later, in Philippi, Paul and Silas were beaten with rods and thrown into prison. Acts 16:22-23
  8. Afterward. When they left the prison, Paul and Silas went to Lydia's house. They encouraged the brothers and then set out. Acts 16:40
  9. Afterward. Later on, Paul wrote to the Christians of Philippi. He thanked them for helping him in the Gospel from the very first day. Philippians 1:3-5

Words of Lydia

“If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there.” Acts 16:15

To Paul and his companions, after she was baptized with her household.

What they were like

The greatest thing they did

What people ask

What is purple?

A deep purple or dark red dye used to color cloth. Lydia traded in it. Acts 16:14

Was Lydia Jewish?

The text says she was “a worshiper of God,” that is, she worshiped the God of Israel. It does not say whether she was Jewish by birth. Acts 16:14

Where was Thyatira?

In Asia Minor, in what is now Turkey. The Book of Revelation has a message for the church in Thyatira. Revelation 2:18

Was she the first Christian in Europe?

Acts does not put it that way. She is the first person baptized in Philippi whom the text names, and Philippi is in Macedonia. Acts 16:12-15

Why did they gather by the river?

Acts does not explain. It only says they thought there was a place of prayer there, and that they went on a sabbath. Acts 16:13

Who was traveling with Paul?

Silas, whom Paul had chosen as his companion, and Timothy, a disciple who joined them at Lystra. Acts 15:40; Acts 16:1-3

Daily life She dealt in purple cloth. Acts 16:14 One sabbath she was with other women at the place of prayer, beside the river. Acts 16:13-14 Little known The Book…

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Who Lydia is connected to

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All the people of the Bible · The Twelve Apostles · Women of the Bible

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