Women were not seen as equal to men in the society of the New Testament. After all, she sells purple dye, her whole family gets baptized, and she provides a means for Paul to have a temporary home. Why Does the Bible Mention Lydia Specifically? The fact that Lydia appears in several instances in one chapter shows she had a strong impact on Paul’s ministry, as catalogued by the historian Luke. No doubt, that man was well-known in his region for his wealth. We have to keep in mind that the fact the Bible named her shows a great deal of importance.Īfter all, the rich young ruler in Luke 18 doesn’t receive an explicit name reference. This does not mean she played a minor role in Paul’s ministry or in the New Testament. Sadly, apart from Acts 16, we don’t see any other explicit instances where Lydia appears. Photo credit: ©Getty Images/dmbaker Where Does Lydia Appear in the Bible? Lydia later puts this wealth to good use by showing Paul and his companions hospitality and putting them up in her home. Only royals and the rich could afford purple outfits. First, Lydia most likely accrued a great deal of wealth from selling purple cloth. Most likely from the details given about Lydia, we can come to a few conclusions. Lydia no longer lives in Thyatira when Paul meets her, but rather, in the city of Philippi, a city in Macedonia. She comes from Thyatira, a wealthy town known for its trade guilds and purple dye. Who Was Lydia?Īs mentioned before Lydia sells purple cloth. In this article, we’ll dive into who she is, why she receives a special mention in the New Testament, and what we can learn from her example. Lydia appears in several verses in Acts 16. These may appear like minor details, but we should note that even important people in the early Church maybe got a verse or two of dedication from Paul. Second, after she and her entire family accepts Jesus Christ and are baptized, they invite Paul and Silas (a ministry companion of Paul’s) into their home. We’ll dive more into the importance of this later, but readers should take note that not every regular Gentile or Jew got a chance to wear this special color two millennia ago. Although Lydia only appears in one chapter in Acts 16, we do learn a few really interesting details about her.įirst, she sells purple cloth. The New Testament mentions several women who happen to appear in Paul’s ministry, Lydia being one of them.
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