Acts 16:8-15 NKJV So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. 11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. 14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.
Acts 16:40 NKJV So they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.
Twelve books in the Old Testament are often referred to as the minor prophets, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi are so spoken of. These books are designated as minor because the contain much less writing than the Major prophets such as Jeremiah and others. They are every bit as important as all other books of the bible.
So when we are beginning our study on the “minor New Testament figures” it is not due to their importance but to our lesser knowledge of them. Yet it is these figures, some known and other unknown which makes up the church of the New Testament and has through out its history.
Each has played an important part in the church local and universal and deserves to be remembered in scripture and or in local congregations. Paul’s second missionary journey took the message of the cross to the heart of the Greeks. After the disagreement of Paul and Barnabas Acts 15:37f each continued the work of the Lord. Paul began in Antioch with Silas and in Lystra Timothy would join the work. They were directed by the Spirit still westward, passing several large and important cities till they arrived at Troas by the sea. The trip was long, Antioch to Troas was about 600+ miles and a good traveler would cover about 20 to 25 miles a day. Surely it was no vacation, the nights were cold as was the ground they slept on, and there was the ever present threat of bandits all along the way.
Apparently, Luke joins the band (v10) for the account is now “we sought” no longer the familiar “they” (v8). Here Paul sees a vision of a man from Macedonia pleading with him to “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” He concludes it is the Lord calling him. So now, four companions strong (Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke) they set sail, first to a small island, Samothrace, the next day to a port of Macedonia Neapolis & finally a major city of the Macedonia region, Philippi.
Philippi was a thoroughly Roman city. The city was called a colony in Acts 16, and though Lystra and Corinth also held that distinction was not so mentioned there. Apparently, there was no significant Jewish presence as no Synagogue seemed to be found. On the Sabbath, they went to the river where small bands of worshippers might gather and there, he finds a group of women, probably proselytes to the Jewish religion. One of these women was called Lydia and she was from the city of Thyatira in the province of Lydia. Surely her name could have been Lydia or a name she was called by where she was from. This was not unusual for that day, and for that matter any other day. There were some fellows in my battalion in the Navy called, Tex, another Montana and one Brooklyn.
Paul sat and talked with her awhile and “the Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.” She and her household were baptized. She begged them to come to her house that she may show hospitality and certainly appreciation for the words of salvation she had just obeyed. Certainly, it is not hard to imagine the partnership that had taken root there by the river. Lydia became a partner in the missionary work of the Lord through Paul. Sometime later when after leaving prison (v40) the church had been established and apparently meeting in her house as Paul goes there to bid farewell to the brethren.
Was Lydia a minor figure in the course of event in the New Testament times? As far as our knowledge goes it would seem so. But over the years I have known many others that might describe as minor in life but major in the work of assisting the sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The church in the first century was spreading by leaps and bounds and there are a great many minor figures who will help it along. Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
Questions:
- Who were Paul’s traveling companions in this story?
- What missionary journey was this?
- What city did they set sail from on the way to Macedonia?
- Which of Paul’s companions joined Paul at Troas?
- What city of Macedonia did Paul go to meet Lydia?
- What was Lydia’s occupation?
- What was Lydia’s hometown? Where was it located?
- What did Lydia do after being baptized?
- What lesson(s) can we take from the story of Lydia’s conversion?
- What do you think is meant by the phrase, “The Lord opened her heart…” (v14)?
