Articles
Lydia Is Converted - Acts 16
Luke explains that God guided Paul's travel plans. The Spirit forbid them to speak in Asia. Then the Spirit did not permit them to go into Bithynia. Finally, God called them to preach to the people of Macedonia.
As was usual for Paul, he went first to the major city of that region to establish the gospel. Philippi was ‘a leading city of the district of Macedonia’ (16:12). In Paul’s day it had become a Roman colony that was populated by lots of retired Roman soldiers.
In Jewish custom, if there were 10 Jewish men in a city they would build a synagogue. There was no such synagogue in this city. In fact, we don’t know if there were any Jewish men. There were however some women who worshiped God. Again the usual Jewish habit in such cases was to begin meeting in a public place that would be known by all. Here it happened to be by the river just on the outskirts of town, near the main highway. When Paul went there he found a number of women.
Among these women was Lydia. It appears that she was a gentile woman from the area Paul had recently left. Purple dye was made from mollusk’s shells and then used to dye cloth. Such purple cloth was very popular among the Roman people. More importantly, she was a ‘God-fearer’. Many non-Jewish women were attracted to the Jewish religion because of its moral teaching. Most of the time the phrase ‘God-fearer’ or ‘worshiper of God’ indicated not that they had become a proselyte but only that they were learning and joining in the worship of the Jewish religion. She was NOT an ‘infidel’ - an unbeliever. Even before she met Paul, she was spiritually minded and had begun her journey of faith towards God.
Paul did what he always did and began teaching these women about Jesus and the gospel. Wherever the gospel is preached, God is at work in the hearts of people. The sword of the Spirit (the word of God) is used to convict people of their sin and convince them of the salvation that is available in Jesus. Some, as in Stephen’s situation, resist the Holy Spirit. Others, as in Acts 2, are pricked in the heart when they hear these things and are baptized into Christ.
What Lydia did as her heart was opened was to respond to what Paul was preaching. Interestingly enough, yet again, the result was baptism. I do not know all that Paul preached, but I conclude that it included her need of being baptized! That was what she DID when she responded to his preaching.
This is just another example of the pattern of how people became disciples.
- Those that received the word were baptized… 2:41
- When they believed, they were baptized… 8:12
- Simon believed, and was baptized… 8:13
- The eunuch went down into the water was baptized… 8:38
- Paul was baptized (9:18) after he was told to ‘arise and be baptized, washing away your sins..’ (22:16).
- Cornelius was commanded to be baptized in water in the name of the Lord (10:47-48).
Shortly after Lydia believed and was baptized, Paul was thrown in prison and had the opportunity to speak the word of the Lord to him. The result? Immediately he was baptized. Thus he ‘rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household’.
This is how they fulfilled the great commission. They went into all the world and made disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that Jesus had commanded (cp. Matt. 28:18-19). That is how it is to be done today. Hugh DeLong
