Lydia: More Than a Dealer in Purple

Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Lydia’s story is told in Acts 16:9-15: 

Lydia was the first convert to the Christian faith in the colonial Roman city of Philippi (Acts 16:11-15), in the district of Macedonia.

Paul’s missionary strategy included visiting local synagogues, but there apparently was no synagogue in Philippi. However, there was an informal place of prayer at the riverside. Paul met the devout there.  Among the worshippers was Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a devout worshiper of God who came to the riverside on the Sabbath to pray. It was there that she and others heard the message of the gospel from Paul and his companions. 

In the first-century Roman world, women owned and managed businesses. Lydia sold an expensive item.  Purple cloth was worn only by the aristocracy.   Lydia was probably a successful and relatively wealthy commoner.  She was very likely an independent business owner since women occupied a prominent place in Macedonian life.

When Paul first met Lydia, she was a “worshipper of God” or a God-fearer (Acts 16:14). Her Greek background would suggest that Lydia was a former polytheist. At the time of Paul’s arrival, she was worshipping with the Jews.

Acts 16:15 tells of her conversion into Christianity. She became a true believer in the Lord, and she and her household were baptized. She then persuaded Paul and his companions to stay at her home. Paul and his company remained at Lydia’s house during their ministry in Philippi. The newly established church also met there (Acts 16:40).

Women were of equal importance in the church in contrast to their situation in the synagogue. In Jewish circles, Lydia, as a woman, would have played only a secondary role, but in the new Christian community, she played a prominent role.

While the formation of a Jewish synagogue required ten men, this new Christian community began with one woman who was fully committed to her Messiah.

Lydia's home became the meeting place for the first church in Europe, a testament to her influence and the new beginnings in Philippi. She continued to support Paul and his companions during their time in the city.  This was a significant moment in the spread of the gospel because it was the first time Christianity had reached Europe.

Lydia’s conversion and hospitality are the foundation of the church in Philippi and the home of the first European conversions to Christianity

Lydia's life demonstrates that God uses ordinary people, including women, in extraordinary ways to advance his kingdom and plant churches.