Lydia: European Convert

Acts 16:6-15; 40

The charter of Massachusetts, granted by Charles I, contains an expression of the hope that the settlers held to whom it is granted that they “may win and incite the natives of the country to the knowledge and obedience of the only true God and Savior of mankind and the Christian faith, which is our royal intention, and the adventurers’ free plantation.” The first seal of Massachusetts represents an Indian giving utterance to the words, “Come over and help us.”

This of course reminds us of Paul’s vision which result in the first converts in Europe. In Acts 15:40, Paul and Silas began their second missionary journey form Antioch of Syria. After going throughout Phrygia and Galatia, they wanted to go to Asia, but the Holy Spirit forbade them (16:6). Next, they traveled to Mysia, intending to preach in Bithynia “but the Spirit suffered them not” (16:7). From thence, they came to Troas where Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia crying, “Come over into Macedonia, and help us” (16:9). Although Paul had been forbidden to preach in Asia, ironically his first converts in Philippi were Asians: Lydia and her household (Acts 16:14,15).

Lydia Was a Business Woman

She was from Thyratira in the old kingdom of Lydia. By way of occupation, she was a seller of purple. The water of the area of Thyratira was so well-adapted for dyeing, that no other place could produce the scarlet cloth so brilliantly and so permanently dyed. This unique purple dye brought the city universal renown.

Perhaps, her trade brought to her its wealth. The dye was made of the murex shell and was one of the most valuable commodities of antiquity. So expensive was the dye, that only the very best qualities of materials were dyed purple. Consequently, to be arrayed in purple and fine linen, was to be rich; and the emperor was sometimes referred to as “the man who wore the purple” (cf. Lk. 16:19) This was the dye that gave rise to the words “royal purple”.

Lydia Was a Devout Worshiper

Note, how she put God before business. Although she was about 300 miles away from her home, across land and sea, when the Sabbath day came, her house of business was closed. It remained closed all day long regardless of the demands of competition. Her business competitors sold on the Sabbath day. Yet, her job was not more important than the service of God. Unlike many today who claim to be Christians, Lydia took her worshiping habit with her when she traveled. Today’s businessman and woman seem to leave their religion at home when they travel. Lydia was ripe for conversion, for God was more important than her career.

Since it took ten Jewish men to organize a synagogue, the number of Jews in Philippi must have been very small. So pious Lydia gathered with other Jewish women to engage in prayer down by the river side. The custom of going to the rivers for worship dates from the Babylonian captivity (Ps. 137:1; Ezra 8:15,21). This must have been their habit since Paul was able to learn of the location of their Prayer Meeting.

Lydia Was Lost

Despite the fact that Lydia was a devout believer in God and a worshiper of the only God in the midst of pagans, she was still lost in sin and needed the Gospel. Just as Cornelius, who had a good moral character, still needed to be saved even though God knew of his prayers (Acts 10:1,2). Her being a prayerful worshiper of God did not make her a saved person without the gospel.

Furthermore, to worship God is not enough. It must be worship of God as He has commanded. You must worship as He commanded, or else it will be in vain.

Lydia’s Heart Was Opened

Since there was not a minister of the Gospel within hundreds of miles, why could not the Holy Spirit have converted her, directly from heaven, independent of the Gospel of Christ? The simple answer is, the Holy Spirit does not and never has operated upon the heart, independent of the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God to save the believer (Rom. 1:16).

She was saved by God sending a preacher. Consider the providential working of God. They were stopped from preaching in Asia and Bithynia.  Not being able to go to the right or left they went straight ahead and then Paul saw a vision. Paul concluded, “the Lord had called us to preach the gospel unto them” (Acts 16:10). They found a ship sailing for Macedonia that very day. It was not every day that a ship could be found in the harbor of Troas, and still less frequently one bound for the unimportant seaport of Neapolis, and ready to set sail. It had room for them on board. They were blessed with such a favorable wind that they sailed a straight course to Macedonia; the ship did not have to “tack” (take a zigzag course) to catch the wind in its sails. For on a subsequent journey (20:6) five days were occupied in the same voyage. God had directed the journey of Paul by land and sea and had timed the motion of the ship with reference to that weekly prayer-meeting.

Attending a Ladies’ prayer meeting, God open the doors for Paul to come to Europe, He also opened Lydia’s heart. In answer to her prayer, God sent Paul. There are other such examples: God heard and answered Paul’s prayer and sent Ananias and God heard Cornelius’ prayers and had him send for Peter. As He had once directed the flight of an angel from heaven and timed the steps of Philip with reference to the movements of the eunuch’s chariot, so the Lord opened Lydia’s heart, as he did that of the eunuch, by bringing from afar, at the proper juncture, to meet the living preacher though whose word the end was accomplished.

She was saved by the Word preached. The Word opened her heart to the true Messiah. As a Jew, she lived in expectation.  To such people, the preaching of Christ crucified was a stumbling block (1 Cor. 1:23). The Word opens the heart to understand the message. “Opening the heart” is equivalent to opening the understanding through the process of teaching (Mt. 6:1; 1 Tim. 1:4; 4:13).

The first statement about her is that Lydia “heard us”. Paul “spake” (16:13) Lydia “heard” (16:14). The Word has the power to open the heart. The conversion of Lydia is another instance of the pure seed finding a good and honest heart (Lk. 8:4-15). The Word motivates the heart to obey. By the influence of that Word her heart was opened, she gave heed to what she was taught to do. Suppose some preacher was to address the audience in a very powerful and telling way on behalf of some charitable institution.  As such, you see a brother, who usually puts only a nickel into the charity box, throws in a twenty-dollar bill.  You would say, He has opened his heart; or, that preacher has opened a brother’s heart. Since God gave the gospel, the results produced by it were properly said to be God’s action: “God opened her heart”.

Lydia Was Baptized

“The things spoken of Paul” evidently included being baptized. She was taught the necessity of baptism. Lydia gave “heed” to Paul’s preaching and was baptized and saved (Mk. 16:15,16). As correctly observed, DeWelt: “the N.T. conversions all end with the baptism of the convert. Not with their prayer experience but with their baptism; not with their testimony, but with their baptism.”

This baptism was, as the word means, an immersion in water. There was sufficient water for baptism. The neighborhood of water, either near a stream or on the seashore, was usually preferred by the Jews as a place for prayer, as affording facility for ablutions. The Gangites River of Philippi is still deep and swift with clear water, being ten to fifteen feet deep and about 40 feet wide.

Lydia’s Household Was Saved

This is not a case for infant baptism. To prove that infants were baptized in Lydia’s household, one would have to assume: Lydia was married, Lydia had children, her household did not have servants (the ancient household may well have consisted of female salves and freed-women whom she employed), these children were infants, she was married and had children, were mature enough to know right from wrong, would have been proper subjects for baptism, and Lydia had her children with her in Philippi (It is hard to conceive a woman’s carrying an infant or several small children three hundred miles while on a business trip).

Having granted all of these assumptions, we still have to assume that these infants were baptized. There is nothing in the text that says they were. Any argument drawn from this text seeking to prove that there were infants baptized in this household has to be read into the text. Even some pro-infant baptism scholars must admit: “Yet the question of infant baptism must be determined on other grounds; and such incidental allusions form only part of the historical materials for ascertaining the practice of the Church.” (Jamison, Fausset and Brown).

The fact remains that there is no evidence that infants were baptized, here or anywhere else in the book of Acts. Meyer says that of the baptism of infants “no trace is found in the N.T.” Where did the idea come from? Infant baptism was devised by man because he concluded that infants inherited the sin of Adam and were in need of salvation at birth.  The Bible teaches that only penitent believers are fit subjects for baptism. (Ac. 10:44-48; 16:34; I Cor. 1:16; 16:15). None of these things can infants do.

Our purpose in studying this case of conversion is to learn all that we can that pertains to one’s conversion today. She did three things. She believed, she repented, and she was baptized. This conversion of Lydia is but another instance in which God sent a preacher to preach to an individual, the preacher preached, the sinner believed and obeyed the commands sent of God by this messenger. You too can be saved by obeying the gospel. Resolve to do it immediately.

Daniel R. Vess