Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

Acts 16:11-15

“Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days.” Acts 16:11-12

In Acts 16:6-10, Paul was in Troas when he had a vision in the night to go to Macedonia. From Troas, Paul and his companions sailed on a straight course to Samothrace. On the lower map below, Samothrace is seen as an island northwest of the shore of Troas. The next day they came to Neapolis, which is northwest of Samothrace and on the shore of the region of Macedonia. From Neapolis, they went to Philippi [a main city in that region of Macedonia], which is a bit to the west of Neapolis. A Church [a gathering of those living for Jesus Christ]] was established in Philippi. Paul wrote to the Philippians, “Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi…” Philippians 1:1 Paul and his companions stayed in Philippi for some days.

“And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.” Acts 16:13

Paul and his companions were led by the Holy Spirit to go outside the city of Philippi to the riverside. This was a gathering place for Jewish women whose custom was to pray there regularly. Paul and his companions spoke to the women who were there about Jesus as the Christ and Son of God. Those women would have heard how Salvation from God came by faith in Jesus Christ not by following the letter of the laws of Judaism.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we want to be found by the rivers of Life flowing with the mercy and grace of God through Jesus Christ. “There is a river That flows from deep within, there is a fountain that frees the soul from sin, come to this water, there is a vast supply, there is a river that never will run dry.” [Church Song] In today’s culture, we have to go outside their atheistic social network to find the Water of Life, Jesus Christ.

As followers of Jesus, the Holy Spirit leads us to share our born-again testimony with whoever has a receptive heart to the Good News. Our born-again testimony is the Gospel of Christ written on our heart. A receptive heart can be within a woman, man, or anyone else. Paul and his companions [Silas, Timothy, and Luke] were discipling these women to live for Jesus Christ, without consulting with their husbands and other Jewish males in the women’s life. These women were being discipled to be leaders of those who say “Yes” to Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Philip, who walked and talked with Jesus and witnessed His resurrection, had four unmarried daughters who were prophetesses, “On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.” Acts 21:8-9

“Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.” Acts 16:14

When Paul, Timothy, Luke, and Silas were talking to the group of women about living by faith in Jesus Christ and not the letter of the laws of Judaism, Lydia was listening. Lydia was not a Jewish woman but was known as a “God Fearer”, meaning she accepted the Jewish faith as a Gentile. As followers of Jesus Christ, we may be led by the Holy Spirit to speak to someone, but the heart most receptive to the Good News might be someone within hearing distance but not directly spoken to.

As a Gentile, Lydia was probably exhausted by all of the laws that needed to be followed as a “God Fearer” and she was eager to hear the message of living by faith in Jesus Christ and not the laws of Judaism. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

The Lord opened Lydia’s heart to say “Yes” to Jesus Christ according to the Good News spoken by Paul. In doing this, she left trying to live by the Jewish customs as a “God fearer” and gave her life to God by faith in Jesus Christ.

Lydia was a prosperous and influential businessperson who sold purple, and purple dye or purple cloth, was highly esteemed, expensive, and associated with wealth and royalty. She did business with elite customers. In today’s atheistic culture, “selling purple” refers to holding the human being in high regards with flattery, smooth words, honors, awards, dignity, respect, etc. This high regard is reserved for those who serve the beast that gives them what to speak, do, think, and feel. That beast gives breath/life to the image of the beast to speak and live through people as they are groomed to the mark of the beast by what they are given to say and do. “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” John 5:44

Although Lydia was in Philippi with the Jewish women, her hometown was in Thyatira. Thyatira is seen on the left map below. Philippi is seen on the map to the right, which is northwest of Thyatira and Thyatira is just south east of Pergamum. This is the interesting part, Thyatira and Philippi were cities where the people looked up to Lydia as a very influential and wealthy woman. [She had a home in Philippi]. It is believed that Lydia used her wealth and influence to help establish the Churches in Philippi and Thyatira. Thyatira is a Church mentioned in Revelations 2:18-29. Obviously, Lydia was involved in making it possible for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to reach deep into the north and western parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. All of this simply because Lydia overheard Paul speaking to a group of Jewish women about Jesus Christ. And that is how the Holy Spirit operates.

“And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.” Acts 16:15

Lydia’s whole household were baptized into the faith of Jesus Christ. This woman brought her husband, sons, daughters, servants, and anyone who might have been of her household, to the Good News of Jesus Christ. She persuaded Paul, Silas, Luke, and Timothy to stay at her house by simply saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.”

As followers of Jesus Christ, we came to Him with an attitude of a sinner, not feeling worthy of His grace, mercy, and forgiveness. We had doubts that the presence of the Holy Spirit could ever have come into our heart to stay. We say to God through Jesus Christ, “If you have judged me to be faithful, come to my house and stay.”  “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us…For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 5:8 and Romans 10:13

Come into my heart, O Lord Jesus,
Come into my heart, I pray;
My soul is so troubled and weary,
Come into my heart, today.

Into my heart, into my heart,
Come into my heart, Lord Jesus;
Come in today, come in to stay,
  Come into my heart, Lord Jesus.
[Church Song]

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1