By Sue Schneider
Editor’s note: for Women’s History Month, we’re sharing reflections on bold women found in the Bible.
From the very start, the book of Acts describes the baby church growing by leaps and bounds in every direction. So, it is intriguing that in Acts 16:6-7, we’re told that when Paul and his missionary friends wanted to visit Asia, they were prevented from doing so by the Holy Spirit! We are not told what that looked like or why, just that they pivot, as good mission developers do.
Based on a dream, they head instead toward Macedonia, which—in case your global geography is as weak as mine—is not in Asia; it’s in Europe. This crazy upending of plans is a prelude to their meeting Lydia, who, as far as we know, becomes the first Christian convert in Europe. Paul may never have met this bold woman if his own plans had worked out, and the Christian church would have been much poorer for it.
In Acts 16: 14 Paul encounters Lydia worshipping with a group of faithful women by the river outside the city gates of Philippi. Why are they there? Possibly there was no Jewish synagogue in this important Roman city at the time, or the women did not feel connected there. Like much of the book of Acts, what the location of the story underscores is the fact that the expanding Jesus movement is not restricted to Jewish men. Right away, Lydia is called as “a worshiper of God”— a description used for devout Gentiles—so clearly, she has been on her own spiritual journey before Paul came to town.
But evidently Paul’s teachings provide her with clarity for which she has been yearning. After “the Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul” (Acts 16:14), Lydia is baptized, along with what is described as “her whole household.” Lydia was a recognized leader and provider in her own right, as she is not identified by her relationship with a man (father, husband, or other). In addition to being the head of her own household, Lydia is also described as a savvy businesswoman from the city of Thyratira, the capitol of the lucrative purple dye industry. Purple was a symbol of power and honor in the ancient world, partially because purple dye was so difficult and expensive to make. If Lydia was designing and dealing in purple clothing—which would have required considerable capital investment—she was rich and influential.
Moved by her growing faith, Lydia responds generously, inviting Paul and his whole entourage to move into her home. Her hospitality does not stop with her care of and support for the missionaries. By the end of Paul’s stay in Philippi, a new church is meeting regularly in Lydia’s home. Studying, growing, and spreading Gospel in that region took place under Lydia’s protection and care. It’s likely that when Paul left the area, a certain woman named Lydia had become the overseer and patron—maybe even the pastor?—of the first church plant in Europe.
May we all be as moved by the Spirit to use our resources and connections to share the Good News as Lydia!
Sue Schneider was born and grew up in the Philippines, the middle child of Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod missionaries. Her first career was teaching English on the middle, high school, and college levels. She graduated from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in 2002, and has served as a pastor in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Washington.