An Open Door
Although Lydia is only mentioned briefly in Scripture, her story is a wonderful testimony to God’s grace. It also marks an important moment in Christian history, when the gospel began to advance into Europe. She was one of the first souls Paul saw saved as he began to preach the gospel there.
When Paul embarked on his second missionary journey, he didn’t intend to visit Europe at all. Instead, he planned to travel with Silas through the regions he had previously visited on his first trip (Act 15:36,41). As chapter 16 begins, we find them near the town of Lystra, hundreds of miles from Philippi. The last time Paul was in this area, an angry mob stoned him and left him for dead. Nevertheless, God blessed his preaching and many souls were saved. Now one of those believers, a young man named Timothy, joined him on his journey. It was the start of a lifelong partnership in the gospel.
After traveling through Phrygia and Galatia, they came to the border of Asia, but the Holy Spirit forbade them to preach there. So, they turned north and traveled up towards Bithynia, but again God shut the door. Now their only path forward was westward, so they headed on to the seaport of Troas. While there, Paul had a vision of a Macedonian man pleading with him for help. They took this as a sign from God and sailed for Europe.
Even though Paul was an apostle, he still knew what it was to live by faith. Sometimes the Holy Spirit guided him forward by just a single step, and he had to trust God with the unknown future. Sometimes he faced a closed door, but he didn’t let it discourage him. Instead, he turned in a new direction and kept pressing on for Christ. When the door to Asia closed, he turned northward. When the door to Bithynia closed, he turned westward. But when the door to Macedonia opened, he went through it without hesitation, for the glory of God.
An Open Heart
After Paul and his companions landed in Neapolis, they made their way up to Philippi. It was the main city of that region and a Roman colony; many of its residents were Roman citizens (16:12,21). On the Sabbath day, Paul and his friends left the city and went down to the river, where they met a group of women who had gathered to pray. They sat down and shared the gospel with them, just like the Savior did with the Samaritan woman at Sychar’s well.
Lydia was one of the women there that day. She originally came from Thyatira, a city famous for its purple dye. This particular dye was very difficult to produce and, therefore, very expensive to buy. Only the wealthy could afford to own purple clothing or furnishings. As a “seller of purple,” Lydia likely imported goods from her hometown of Thyatira and sold them in Philippi. Her business was quite successful, judging from the size of her house, but she didn’t let her wealth distract her from seeking after God. When most of her Gentile friends were still praying to heathen idols, she instead worshipped the one true God of Israel. As she sought after Him, little did she realize that He was also seeking after her, in a most remarkable way.
In His sovereign mercy, God had redirected Paul away from Asia, towards Europe, so that Lydia – a woman from Asia, who was living in Europe – could hear the good news of the gospel and be saved. Such are His unsearchable ways!
As Paul spoke with her, the Lord opened her heart, and she believed on Christ (16:14). She went home and shared the gospel with her household, and they also believed. Together they obeyed the Lord in baptism.
An Open Home
Lydia’s open heart (towards the gospel) led to her having an open home (for the gospel). First, she invited Paul and his companions to stay with her (16:15). Then, she welcomed the believers to gather at her house, making it the first meeting place of the Philippian church (v40).
Years earlier, the Romans had made Philippi one of their colonies, so that it would serve as a little outpost of Rome in the province of Macedonia. Now that Lydia had become a heavenly citizen (Php 3:20), she similarly wanted her home to be a little outpost of heaven in the dark, sin-soaked city of Philippi. If Philippi was full of greed and oppression (Act 16:16), then her home would be a place of generosity and comfort (v15). If Philippi persecuted the messengers of Christ and drove them away (vv23,39), then her home would welcome them in with kindness and Christian fellowship (v40). The same gospel that transformed her heart also transformed her home.
After Paul and Silas were freed from prison, they stopped by her house one last time before leaving the city to encourage the believers who were gathered there. I wonder if they also brought along some new Christians to introduce to them – the jailer and his family. What a surprise that would have been! The warmth of Lydia’s hospitality nurtured the new believers in Philippi.
We never read about Lydia again after this, but I think we see her character reflected in the Philippian church in years to come. Just like she faithfully stood by Paul and Silas when they were imprisoned at Philippi, so the Philippian church continued standing with Paul throughout his later imprisonments (Php 1:7). Just as she supported his gospel work with practical hospitality, so the Philippian church gave generously to Paul, time and time again, throughout his ministry (4:15-16). When Paul couldn’t come to them, they sent one of their own, Epaphroditus, to minister to him in prison (2:25; 4:18). No wonder Paul called them “my dearly beloved brethren … my joy and crown” (4:1). Through these godly saints, Lydia’s legacy of kindness continued on. Only the Day of Christ will fully reveal the rich fruit of the work that God began in them through an open door, an open heart, and an open home (1:6).
