I always love reading about women in the Bible who sometimes defied the odds to be in leadership. This proviso of being born again applies to everyone. Paul was a devout follower of Jesus, whose dealings with women indicated that they could teach and lead in whatever way God led them. Im glad you like the article, John. 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. The role of Pauline house churches in missionary activities seems to have been dictated by Paul's missionary philosophy. disgusting, hateful, revolting, disagreeable. She opened her home to Paul and his fellow travelers. There are several things I would like to point out about Lydia. In verse 14, we are introduced to Lydia from the Bible. Lets take a closer look at the descriptions in Acts 16:14. Still, if we compare the Bible with other depictions of women in texts that came out around the same time, we have an incredibly stark contrast. Paul started more than a dozen churches, and he's traditionally considered the . But there were exceptions. The meaning of the name Lydia in Hebrew means a standing pool. The inscription reads: Rufina, a Jewess synagogue ruler [archisynaggos], built this tomb for her freed slaves and the slaves raised in her household. Without financial support, sometimes large contributions, the early church and the current church could not survive and grow. Why mention her at all, one may ask. The usual word for a purple dyer was porphyrobaphos. And finally, Lydia may have been a missionary herself. I appreciate that you were the very first person to subscribe to my new blog. Jesus and Paul had no difficulty in teaching theology to women, and they allowed women to minister according to their abilities and their situations without artificial restrictions. The Apostle Paul was one of the most influential leaders of the early Christian church. This does not mean she played a minor role in Pauls ministry or in the New Testament. [7] I suggest we are given this information because the author of Acts uses her as an example of a significant woman. True. I hadnt thought of that before. Lydia opens her home. The church in Samaria began with Philip's preaching the word ( Acts 8 ). There were a few who followed Jesus who came from the wealthy class. Perhaps she had helped to organise the meetings of women at the proseuch(Jewish prayer house). For instance, lets observe what some contemporary ancients said about women, versus what we find in the Old and New Testament. Purple was again used in the Temple that Solomon built (2 Chron. 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. One of them was a woman named Lydia. While Paul might have preached a little bit, it seems to imply that this was a conversation. My sister, I just want you to know how much you blessed me with this article. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 He had hopes of doing the same thing in Philippi. Furthermore, she seems to have been a spiritually receptive person. Wealthy Women in the Roman World and in the Church a very wicked or unprincipled person. Jesus and Paul did not hesitate to minister to people of both sexes, from all stations of life. It is likely Lydia had no surviving adult male relatives. For more information on proseuchas a Jewish prayer-house, see https://margmowczko.com/lydia-and-the-place-of-prayer-at-philippi/. Priscilla and Aquila were also good friends of and ministry partners with Paul (Romans 16:3). Do not let a flaunting woman coax and cozen and deceive you: she is after your barn (Hesiod, Works and Days). Lydia presumably told members of her household, who followed her lead and were baptised with her. [13] For a brief discussion on the likelihood of Lydia being another name of either Euodia or Syntyche, see Davorlin Peterlin, Pauls Letter to the Philippians in the Light of Disunity in the Church (Leiden: Brill, 1995), 128-130. 31:22; Est. Lydia in the Bible was one of thousands of minor characters mentioned in Scripture, but after 2,000 years, she is still remembered for her contribution to early Christianity. In the midst of his discourse, one of these women, Lydia, had a . Why is Lydia Important in the Bible Lydia's faith is apparent in her actions. The Samaritan Woman from Sychar (John 4) It is possible that she returned to Thyatira and helped start a church there. Her household may have included family members, servants, and hired laborers. [17] Lydias house is most likely a domus. [15] These molluscs are predatory, intertidal snails of theBolinus (formerly Murex) genus. But they conclude that everyone must be regenerated in order to be saved. And a purple cloth was used to cover the ashes of burnt offerings in the Tabernacle (Num. In this way, Lydia stands out in the New Testament narrative. I think we might have a different understanding of what regeneration is. Although composed primarily of those who were poor, the church sent supplies to Paul several times. However, I never want to hold a theological position simply because it is held by the camp that I come from. She left her home country and established her business in Philippi, in a different country, even on a different continent. But I do believe that God inspires faith. "Geographical movement from city to city, from region to region, and from province to province was a principal element of missionary work in the first century.". Purple symbolised royalty and prestige. Thanks. Or youre thinking about something else. She ran a successful business and supervised a work force. William Tarn,Hellenistic Civilisation, ThirdEdition (New York, NY: World, 1952), 98. As mentioned before Lydia sells purple cloth. Thank you for this paper Marg I enjoyed it immensely for devotions this morning. Lydiaa woman from Thyatira in Asia Minor, but living in Philippi (in Macedonia)becomes a sort of Mary Magdalene in Europe. Lydia was originally from Thyatira, a city famous for making purple dye. The book of Acts records eyewitness accounts of the early Church from Christ's resurrection until about A.D. 60. (Live forever.) "On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. 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's name does not appear in Paul's letter to the Philippians, written about ten years later, leading some scholars to guess she may have died by that time. 26; 27:16; 36:8, 35-37). Or youre put off by the sermon title. The church has suffered through the centuries by discouraging and disqualifying half its members, many of whom have been called by the Spirit to serve. Most of us have a lot of unlearning to do. Acts 16:19-22). Lydia was the first convert to Christianity in Europe. [26] While the Jews regarded the Samaritans as outside of Gods favour and mercy, this is not how the New Testament portrays them. Lydias life proves that one can work a worldly job and use it as a ministry. He tells his readers that he is "a Hebrew of Hebrews.". Large sections of it can still be seen in Philippi today. Her faithful pursuit of God as a Jew caused the Holy Spirit to make her receptive to Paul's message of the gospel. God needs us to spread the Gospel to all places, and that includes ordinary workplaces. Lydia, Paul's first recorded European convert, was an independent businesswoman of honorable character and godly piety. 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. 4:23-24). That was the first internal problem confronted by the early church, and it came out of the culture. First, she sells purple cloth. [3] Like many Jewish places of worship, this prayer-house was located by a water source. I come from a complementarian background. The church in Jerusalem was meeting in the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12). 11:15? When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and stay." Compare that to the Bible. Convinced that he had to preach the gospel to the entire world, Paul visited important cities, following the commercial routes of the time. Why wouldnt pagan Gentiles or God-worshippers need their hearts opened? This was likely one of the primary reasons why this particular church had a unique, strong bond with the apostle. We are told her name, that she was a dealer in purple cloth, that she was originally from the city of Thyatira, and that she was a God-worshipper. Considering the descriptions in Acts of other people who Paul meets on his missions, an appreciable amount of information is given about Lydia. Like you, I also believe that we are saved through faith and grace. Since Lydia's husband is not mentioned but she was a householder, scholars have speculated she was a widow who brought her late husband's business to Philippi. Lydia must have been wealthy, because she insisted Paul and his companions stay at her home. Almost every article Ive ever written, about 400, is posted somewhere on this website. The first person to hear and respond to the Good News. [9] It has been estimated that roughly one-third of the population of the Roman Empire were slaves. As Paul and his company were speaking with these women, Lydia was listening ( Acts 16:14 ). One of the women, Lyida, was from Thyatira. See Judges 8:26, Ezekiel 27:7 & 16, Jeremiah 10:9, Esther 1:6, and Revelation 18:11-17. This meant that there were very few Jews in the city, because it only required ten men to establish a synagogue. Women such as Lydia were not at the margins in the first decades of the Jesus movement. It was large enough to accommodate Paul and his fellow missionaries (who included Silas, probably Timothy, and perhaps Luke and others) as well as her own household. Purple and other yarns were used in the curtains of the Tabernacle (Exod. I dont identify as a Calvinist, but I believe the new birth or regeneration (renewal) that Jesus made possible is essential for salvation. Keywords hospitality, spiritual generosity, missio Dei, Lydia, Acts 16, Holy Spirit Lydia also credited God with her earthly blessings and was quick to share them with Paul and his friends. So, she is the most likely person to have led and cared for the first congregation at Philippi.[24]. Dear Marg, thanks to God for all those comments. And Lydia invited Paul and his companions to stay in her home, and they accepted her offer of hospitality. ~ The women became believers in Jesus as Messiah and then told others about their experience. Just last week my husband and I met a man and even though I was introduced as Rev. 4:13). Ive heard many similar stories about female pastors, and even about women in other professions, women such as doctors, lawyers, professors and accountants. He played a crucial role in spreading the gospel to the Gentiles (non-Jews) during the first century, and his missionary journeys took him all throughout the Roman empire. one of many officials of ancient Rome. As for me, I marvel about the degree of granularity, and inspiration of your writing. She would have been a great co-worker with Paul and his companions. Especially if God has granted us more abundance than other believers, we need to show generosity to those who do not have as much. If we are going to create a community of people in our churches like the early church had, we must have the same focus and goal, the Word of God. Thank you for taking the pain to do this work and may God almighty reward you beyond your widest imagination. Scriptures to Show How Important Grandparents Are. Margaret Mowczko 2017 Lydia is probably my favourite New Testament woman. Your research is much appreciated. Many thanks for your blog, Marg. She and her household were baptized, and she asked us to be her guests. Article Images Copyright , Empowering Lessons from the Life of Lydia. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3 1:23-24). I said, I AM the pastor. I wish he were going to be in church on Sunday. 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. Second,Lydia may have experienced the Diaspora, or a diaspora of sorts, if she had to travel from Thyatira to Philippi. We learn in Acts 16 that, while born and reared to believe in the gods and goddesses of Thyatira, Lydia did not worship the pantheon of gods venerated in her hometown. When she and her household had been baptized, she prevailed upon the men to . Paul would soon have run out of team members if he did. Here are verses in Acts that mention devout Gentile adherants of Judaism here. The women were equipped and empowered with faith, knowledge, and personal experience to tell others. And among those who became part of the early church, there were also members of the upper class. Paul and his party may have spent several weeks staying with Lydia (cf. Yes, we are all new creatures ONCE we believe. She would have been a good person to help organize a church because she knew how to manage people, how to get them to work toward a common goal. He says he is "of the tribe of Benjamin.". Im going to pull this out next time someone tells me women in church leadership is a modern thing. Paul would visit Philippi several times and write a letter to the church there. The message clicked and Lydia realized she needed the power of Jesus that they spoke about. He. Obviously, I dont believe that. TheSamaritan woman and, indeed, her whole village of Sychar are presented as people ready to accept Jesus as the Messiah (John 4:4-42). Salvation encompasses all these things, and more: forgiveness of sin; deliverance from darkness and death; regeneration as our spirit is reborn and renewed; adoption as Gods own beloved children; justification, which effectively exchanges our sins with Jesus Christs righteousness; sanctification as the Holy Spirit sets us apart as especially belonging to God, and begins his work of making us become more and more like Jesus; and reconciliation which allows us to come near to God in a close relationship, instead of being distant and estranged. Either that happened to Lydia and her family, or she married someone from Philippi or decided to take her trade there for an unknown reason. Marg, you are such an encouragement to me! However, there are arguments that some of these writings are post-Pauline interpolations. It was in Lydias home that the church at Philippi first gathered (cf. Your email address will not be published. See also Ascough, Lydia, 47. Heres my answer. After their release from prison, Scripture tells us that they returned to Lydia's and, having met with the brethren, exhorted them. Sadly, apart from Acts 16, we dont see any other explicit instances where Lydia appears. The word regeneration is only used twice in the whole bible. Great co-worker with Paul ( Romans 16:3 ), 98 Judges 8:26, 27:7... Surviving adult male relatives to stay in her home to Paul 's message the! S first recorded European convert, was from Thyatira for all those.. Little bit, it seems to have been a spiritually receptive person [ 17 ] Lydias house is likely... Church and the current church could not survive and grow predatory, intertidal snails theBolinus! Being born again applies to everyone to my New blog want you to know how you. To Thyatira and helped start a church there Judaism here visit Philippi several times write!, Hellenistic Civilisation, ThirdEdition ( New York, NY: World, 1952 ),.. 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[ 24 ] regenerated in to... I appreciate that you were the very first person to subscribe to my New.. Paul & # x27 ; s preaching the word ( Acts 12:12.. Ten men to church in Jerusalem was meeting in the curtains of the early church, are... Civilisation, ThirdEdition ( New York, NY: World how does lydia help paul and the early church 1952 ), 98 hired laborers a pool..., Esther 1:6, and it came out of the primary reasons why this particular church a... Played a minor role in Pauls ministry or in the midst of his discourse, how does lydia help paul and the early church. To have been wealthy, because she insisted Paul and his fellow travelers do work! Adult male relatives members if he did of Jesus that they spoke about my! In Jerusalem was meeting in the first convert to Christianity in Europe explicit where.
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