Lydia Demonstrates Faithfulness (Acts 16:6-15, 40) Lydia was a wealthy woman. She was a dealer or seller of purple cloth or fabrics which were in great demand among the rich. This purple cloth was used as the official toga at Rome and in the Roman colonies. Her business could have had a home office in Thyatira, with Philippi being a branch office. More convincing is the fact she provided room and board to Paul and his three missionary companions (v. 15). Herein lies another special characteristic of Lydia’s life. She was generous with her hospitality. One of the marks of faithfulness among believers is a willingness to share and provide for the needs of others, and Lydia did this well. After her conversion she invited these four missionaries to stay at her home while they preached, and she would not take no for an answer. One translation reads, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” She insisted that these men allow her this privilege to serve. It’s worth noting how rare it was for Paul to accept aid from his converts while he was still preaching in their city or town. He did not want opponents to accuse him of preaching for a profit. But he could not decline such a generous and faithful woman desiring to minister to their needs in such a practical way. Lydia was not only generous, she was faithful in her worship to God (v. 14) even though she had yet to hear and respond to the “good news” of Jesus Christ. She most likely had come to know the God of the Hebrews through the Jews in Thyatira, for there was a Jewish population there. She must have listened intently as Paul and his companions spoke about Jesus, for the Lord opened her heart to respond. The same Spirit that moved and directed these missionaries to Macedonia moved and directed Lydia’s heart, and she believed and obeyed the command to be baptized. Paul and his friends explained baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and it appears she was the first to respond. She and her household were baptized, which indicates she was a faithful witness to those in her house (family or servants) and possibly brought those who lived with her or worked for her to hear these gospel preachers. Much can be learned about Lydia’s faithful life and witness. She was a doer, a worker, a faithful example, and a servant to others. She not only opened her heart to God, she opened her home to God’s people. Her house likely became the meeting place of the First Christian Church of Philippi. It was the first place Paul and Silas went upon their release from prison because it’s where the believers were gathering (v. 40). Lydia’s generosity and hospitality most likely continued as the church meeting in her home grew and their financial support for Paul and his companions increased. Paul would later write to the Philippian church thanking them for their gifts and offerings to help in his work and the spread of the gospel, and there is little doubt that Lydia was among those who continued to lead the way with generous support (Philippians 4:2, 3, 15). Her faithfulness was demonstrated in many good works. And whether we faithfully share the home or wealth God has given, or are faithful in prayer or the preaching and teaching of his Word, may the same be said of us, that our faithfulness is demonstrated by our many good works. From a Sunday School lesson. http://www.christianstandard.com/sundayschool.asp?id=107

Lydia was a Gentile ....she became a Christian during Pauls travels and teaching to Gentiles..... God chose Paul to be a teacher of the Gentiles too....and what better choice could HE of made...Paul a devout Jew...who was shown his wrong WAY to the WAY by God Himself....Paul was not just to witness to Jews, Gentiles too....

Lydia and her household were among the first persons in Europe to accept Christianity as a result of the apostle Paul’s activity at Philippi in about 50 C.E. Originally she lived at Thyatira, a city in Asia Minor known for its dyeing industry. Later, at Philippi in Macedonia, Lydia sold purple, either the dye or garments and fabrics colored therewith. It appears that she was the head of her household (this could include slaves and servants), and therefore, she was possibly widowed or single.—Ac 16:14, 15. “A worshiper of God,” Lydia probably was a Jewish proselyte. It may be that there were few Jews and no synagogue at Philippi so that on the Sabbath day she and other devout women assembled by a river outside the city. When the apostle Paul preached to these women, Lydia listened attentively. After being baptized along with her household, she entreated Paul and his companions to stay with her, saying: “If you men have judged me to be faithful to Jehovah, enter into my house.” Such genuine offer of hospitality simply could not be refused. The writer of Acts, Paul’s traveling companion Luke, adds: “She just made us come.”—Ac 16:11-15. Later, after Paul and Silas were released from prison, they again went to the home of Lydia. There they encouraged the brothers and then left Philippi". —Acts 16:36-40. (Taken from "Insight on the Scriptures" Volume II) Perhaps at least partly because of Lydia’s hospitality, Paul wrote to the Philippians: “I thank my God always upon every remembrance of you in every supplication of mine for all of you, as I offer my supplication with joy, because of the contribution you have made to the good news from the first day until this moment.”—Php 1:3-5.