Lydia is a significant figure in the New Testament, known for her role as a devout believer and a supporter of the early Christian church. Her account is primarily found in the Book of Acts, where she is introduced as a resident of Philippi, a city in the region of Macedonia.

Biblical Account

Lydia is first mentioned in Acts 16:14-15. The Apostle Paul, along with his companions, including Silas, Timothy, and Luke, traveled to Philippi during Paul's second missionary journey. On the Sabbath, they went outside the city gate to the river, where they expected to find a place of prayer. There, they encountered a group of women, among whom was Lydia. The scripture states:

"A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, 'If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.' And she persuaded us." (Acts 16:14-15)

Background and Significance

Lydia is described as a "dealer in purple cloth," indicating her involvement in a lucrative trade. Purple dye was expensive and associated with wealth and royalty, suggesting that Lydia was a woman of means and influence. Her origin from Thyatira, a city known for its dyeing industry, further emphasizes her connection to this trade.

As a "worshiper of God," Lydia was likely a Gentile who revered the God of Israel, similar to other God-fearers mentioned in the New Testament. Her openness to Paul's message and subsequent baptism demonstrate her genuine faith and commitment to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Lydia's conversion is significant for several reasons. Firstly, she is recognized as the first recorded convert to Christianity in Europe, marking a pivotal moment in the spread of the Gospel beyond Asia Minor. Her baptism, along with her household, indicates the early practice of household conversions, which played a crucial role in the growth of the early church.

Hospitality and Support

Lydia's hospitality is a notable aspect of her character. After her conversion, she invited Paul and his companions to stay at her home, providing them with a base of operations in Philippi. Her willingness to host the missionaries reflects her dedication to the Christian community and her desire to support the spread of the Gospel.

Her home likely became a meeting place for the early believers in Philippi, contributing to the establishment of the church in that city. Lydia's support and resources would have been invaluable to Paul and his companions as they continued their missionary work.

Legacy

Lydia's account highlights the important role of women in the early church. Her faith, hospitality, and support for the apostles exemplify the active participation of women in the spread of Christianity. Lydia's conversion and subsequent actions demonstrate the transformative power of the Gospel and the diverse backgrounds of those who embraced the Christian faith.

Her legacy is a testament to the impact that one individual's faith and generosity can have on the growth and development of the church. Lydia remains an enduring example of devotion and service within the Christian tradition.Lydia

(land of Lydus), a maritime province in the west of Asia Minor bounded by Mysia on the north, Phrygia on the east, and Caria on the south. It is enumerated among the districts which the Romans took away from Antiochos the Great after the battle of Magnesia in B.C. 190, and transferred to Eumenus II. king of Pergamus. Lydia is included in the "Asia" of the New Testament.

Lydia

A woman of Thyatira, residing at Philippi in Macedonia, and dealing in purple cloths. She was not a Jewess by birth, but had become a proselyte to Judaism and "worshipped God." She was led by the grace of God to receive the gospel with joy; and having been baptized, with her household, constrained Paul and his fellow-laborers to make her house their home while at Philippi, Acts 16:14,40. See PHILIPPI.

(1.) Ezek. 30:5 (Hebrews Lud), a province in the west of Asia Minor, which derived its name from the fourth son of Shem (Genesis 10:22). It was bounded on the east by the greater Phrygia, and on the west by Ionia and the AEgean Sea.

(2.) A woman of Thyatira, a "seller of purple," who dwelt in Philippi (Acts 16:14, 15). She was not a Jewess but a proselyte. The Lord opened her heart as she heard the gospel from the lips of Paul (16:13). She thus became the first in Europe who embraced Christianity. She was a person apparently of considerable wealth, for she could afford to give a home to Paul and his companions. (see THYATIRA.)

LYDIA (1)

lid'-i-a (Ludia): An important country in the western part of Asia Minor bounded on the North by Mysia, on the East by Phrygia, on the South by Caria, and on the West by the Aegean Sea. Its surface is rugged, but along the valleys between its mountain ranges ran some of the most important highways from the coast cities to the distant interior. Of its many rivers the chief are the Cayster, the Lower Hermus, the Cogamos, the Caicus and, during a part of its course, the Meander.

Lydia was an exceedingly ancient and powerful kingdom whose history is composed chiefly of that of its individual cities. In 546 B.C. it fell into the hands of the Persians, and in 334 B.C. it became a part of Alexander's empire. After the death of Alexander its possession was claimed by the kings both of Pergamos and of Seleucia, but in 190 B.C. it became the undisputed possession of the former (1 Maccabees 8:8). With the death of Attalus III, 133 B.C., it was transferred by the will of that king to Rome, and Lydia, which then became but a name, formed, along with Caria, Mysia and Phrygia, a part of the Roman province of Asia (see ASIA). Chief among its cities were Smyrna and Ephesus, two of the most important in Asia Minor, and Smyrna is still the largest and wealthiest city of that part of Turkey. At Ephesus, the seat of the goddess Diana, Paul remained longer than elsewhere in Asia, and there his most important missionary work was done (Acts 19). Hence, Lydia figures prominently in the early history of the church; it became Christianized during the residence of the apostle at Ephesus, or soon afterward (see also LUD).

E. J. Banks

LYDIA (2)

lid'-i-a (Ludia): The feminine of Lydian, a native of Lydia, a large country on the West of Asia Minor, and the name of Paul's first convert in Europe. This name was a popular one for women (compare Horace Odes i0.8; iii0.9; vi.20), but Ramsay thinks she "was familiarly known in the town by the ethnic that showed her origin" (H D B, under the word "Lydia"; compare Paul the Traveler, 214). It has always been and is still a common custom in the Orient to refer to one living in a foreign land by employing the adjective which designates the nationality. Renan thinks it means "the Lydian"; Thyatira is a city of Lydia. Lydia was (1) living in Philippi, (2) of the city of Thyatira, (3) a seller of the purple-dyed garments from her native town, (4) and "one that worshipped God." Her occupation shows her to have been a woman of some capital. The phrase which describes her religion (sebomene ton Theon) is the usual designation for a proselyte. She was in the habit of frequenting a place of prayer by a riverside, a situation convenient for the necessary ablutions required by the Jewish worship, and there Paul and his companions met her. After she had been listening to Paul (Greek imperfect), the Lord opened her heart to give heed to his teaching ("To open is the part of God, to pay attention that of the woman," Chrysostom). Her baptism and that of her household followed. To prove her sincerity she besought the missionaries to accept the hospitality of her home. Her house probably became the center for the church in Philippi (Acts 16:14, 15, 40). Lydia is not mentioned in Paul's letter to the Philippians, but, if Ramsay be correct, she may have been Euodias or Syntyche (Philippians 4:2).

S. F. Hunter

3070. Ludia -- Lydia, a Christian woman
... Lydia, a Christian woman. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: Ludia
Phonetic Spelling: (loo-dee'-ah) Short Definition: Lydia Definition: Lydia, a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3070.htm - 6k

4554. Sardeis -- Sardis, the chief city of Lydia
... Sardis, the chief city of Lydia. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration:
Sardeis Phonetic Spelling: (sar'-dice) Short Definition: Sardis Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4554.htm - 6k

2363. Thuateira -- Thyatira, a city of Lydia
... Thyatira, a city of Lydia. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: Thuateira
Phonetic Spelling: (thoo-at'-i-rah) Short Definition: Thyatira Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2363.htm - 6k

5359. Philadelpheia -- Philadelphia, a city of Lydia
... Philadelphia, a city of Lydia. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration:
Philadelpheia Phonetic Spelling: (fil-ad-el'-fee-ah) Short Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5359.htm - 6k

3865. Lud -- a son of Shem, also his desc. and their land
... and their land NASB Word Usage Lud (5). Lud, Lydia. Probably of foreign derivation;
Lud, the name of two nations -- Lud, Lydia. 3864, 3865. Lud. 3866 . ...
/hebrew/3865.htm - 6k

Lydia, the First European Convert
... Lydia, the First European Convert. A Sermon (No.2222). Intended for Reading on
Lord's-day, September 20th, 1891,. Delivered by. CH SPURGEON,. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/lydia the first european convert.htm

The Conquest of Lydia.
... CHAPTER VII. THE CONQUEST OF LYDIA. BC546 Reasons which induced Croesus
to invade Media."The Lacedaemonians."Embassadors to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter vii the conquest of.htm

Croesus.
... must now be changed, for a time, from Persia and Media, in the East, to Asia Minor,
in the West, where the great Croesus, originally King of Lydia, was at this ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter iv croesus.htm

History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9
... THE IRANIAN CONQUEST. THE IRANIAN RELIGIONS -- CYRUS IN LYDIA AND AT BABYLON;
CAMBYSES IN EGYPT -- DARIUS AND THE ORGANISATION OF THE EMPIRE. ...
/.../history of egypt chaldaea syria babylonia and assyria v 9/title page.htm

The Power of Assyria at Its Zenith; Esarhaddon and Assur-Bani-Pal
... CHAPTER II"THE POWER OF ASSYRIA AT ITS ZENITH; ESARHADDON AND ASSUR-BANI-PAL. THE
MEDES AND CIMMERIANS: LYDIA"THE CONQUEST OF EGYPT, OP ARABIA, AND OF ELAM. ...
/.../chapter iithe power of assyria.htm

The Epistle to the Philippians.
... Lydia, the purple dealer of Thyatira and a half proselyte to Judaism, a native
slave-girl with a divining spirit, which was used by her masters as a means of ...
/.../schaff/history of the christian church volume i/section 97 the epistle to.htm

Your Letter Goes On:
... [3164]. Footnotes: [3159] Kings of Lydia and Persia notorious for their wealth.
[3160] Kings of Lydia and Persia notorious for their wealth. ...
/.../4 your letter goes on .htm

In the Regions Beyond
... 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." Lydia received the ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 21 in the regions.htm

Acts xvi. 25, 26
... 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." (v.36-40.) Even ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xxxvi acts xvi 25.htm

Acts xvi. 13, 14
... And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which
worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily xxxv acts xvi 13.htm

Lydia (5 Occurrences)
... Standard Bible Encyclopedia. LYDIA (1). ...Lydia was an exceedingly ancient and powerful
kingdom whose history is composed chiefly of that of its individual cities. ...
/l/lydia.htm - 12k

Lydia's (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Lydia's (1 Occurrence). Acts 16:40 They went out
of the prison, and entered into Lydia's house. When they ...
/l/lydia's.htm - 6k

Thyatira (4 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary A city of Asia Minor, on the borders of Lydia
and Mysia. Its modern name is Ak-hissar, ie, "white castle ...
/t/thyatira.htm - 12k

Lud (10 Occurrences)
... which were all to fall by the sword (Ezekiel 30:5). 2. The Semitic Lud: Coming to
the Semitic Lud, it is to be noted that the Assyrians called Lydia Lu(d)du ...
/l/lud.htm - 13k

Ludim (3 Occurrences)
... which were all to fall by the sword (Ezekiel 30:5). 2. The Semitic Lud: Coming to
the Semitic Lud, it is to be noted that the Assyrians called Lydia Lu(d)du ...
/l/ludim.htm - 11k

Euodia (1 Occurrence)
... At Philippi the gospel was first preached to women Acts 16:13, and the church was
first formed among women-evidently in the house of Lydia Acts 16:15, 40. ...
/e/euodia.htm - 10k

Philadelphia (2 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Brotherly love, a city of Lydia in Asia Minor,
about 25 miles south-east of Sardis. It was the seat of ...
/p/philadelphia.htm - 10k

Sardis (3 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary The metropolis of Lydia in Asia Minor. It stood
on the river Pactolus, at the foot of mount Tmolus. Here ...
/s/sardis.htm - 13k

Philippians (2 Occurrences)
... Paul and his companions talked to the women gathered there, and Lydia was converted. ...
Lydia brings her whole family with her into the church. ...
/p/philippians.htm - 42k

Silas (22 Occurrences)
... At Philippi, Lydia, a seller of purple, was converted, and with her they made their
abode; but the exorcism of an evil spirit from a sorceress brought upon ...
/s/silas.htm - 21k

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