FBCHS Bible Study -Lydia: Called to Serve

Lydia: Called to Serve

Acts 16:11-15, 40;

1 Corinthians 1:26-30

The detailed account of Lydia is quite remarkable, considering that it was such a male dominated world. In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke gives her prominent coverage: the first Christian in Europe. Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, who lived in the city of Philippi in Greece is regarded as the first documented convert to the Christian faith. In Acts we read: “Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 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.”

The historical context is rather interesting. Being a true missionary, Paul first visited the important centers. This is how his second missionary journey brought him to Greece. He went to Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth—important trading centers and major centers of learning. Later, he also visited Athens, which was the cultural and spiritual center on the Mediterranean at the time.