New Testament narrative
One of those women was Lydia, a Gentile God-worshipper from the city of Thyatira, a dealer in purple cloth. As she listened, the Lord enabled her to embrace Paul's message.
Lydia was the first convert to the Christian faith in the colonial Roman city of Philippi (Acts 16:11-15), located in the district of Macedonia.
Keeping Sight of a Life Bigger than Ourselves
While there are countless Biblical stories about giving, money and wealth; Lydia challenges us to reflect on our role of being prepared for the moment, seeking something bigger than ourselves, and being willing to invite others to experience what we have experienced.
She's smart, capable and hardworking — consequently, she does have some nice things. “She is clothed in fine linen” — it's the term for the imported fine white linen of Egypt. She's also, “clothed in… purple.” The ancient's basically wore wool or linen (from flax), so most clothing was some variation of off-white.
Likewise, the Veil in the Temple that tore at Jesus' crucifixion had the same color scheme: Blue for sky was the color for deity; red for the red Judean hills was the color for mankind. Being blended to purple represented the God-Man who, by his death, became the Door, our only Access to the Father.
In the ancient Middle East, purple was a symbol of prestige: To produce dye of this "royal" color, people had to collect and smash sea snails for their juices. Priests and royalty, including Kings David and Solomon, are often described in the Bible wearing clothing dyed with these extracts.
She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
According to Coleman Baker, "Lydia is described as a “worshipper of God” (probably synonymous with “God-fearer,” used elsewhere in Acts) “from the city of Thyatira” (located in Western Asia Minor) and “a dealer in purple cloth” (a luxury item in the ancient Mediterranean).
Lydia was a worshipper of God but she did not know about Jesus. So Paul told Lydia about Jesus. Jesus was God's Son and he had died on the cross for her sins. Lydia learned that after Jesus died he was buried and then rose again on the third day.
Luke calls her “a dealer in purple cloth” and a God fearer or worshipper of God. Lydia was a successful businesswoman who sold luxury textiles dyed purple. It was only the wealthy who wore garments dyed purple or had purple furnishings in their homes.
Acts 16:14 TLV
A woman named Lydia—a seller of purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, a God-fearer—was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.
The Lydians were said to be the originators of gold and silver coins. During their brief hegemony over Asia Minor from the middle of the 7th to the middle of the 6th century bc, the Lydians profoundly influenced the Ionian Greeks to their west.
Purple was a kingly color, and the soldiers mockingly put this robe on Jesus Christ because He had claimed to be the king of the Jews. Of course, in reality He is much more than that—He is the “King of kings, and Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16).
God comes down in a pillar of cloud and rebukes them, emphasizing the supreme prophetic authority of Moses. After God departs, Miriam appears white with a skin disease (tzaraath, traditionally translated as "leprosy").
Queen Athaliah is the only woman in the Hebrew Bible reported as having reigned as a monarch within Israel/Judah. After her son's brief rule, she kills the remaining members of the dynasty and reigns for six years, when she is overthrown.
As a wealthy and influential businesswoman, Lydia sold articles dyed purple, a prized color made from certain mollusks—a respectable and lucrative trade. She had a spacious home that could accommodate many guests and servants to meet their needs. This had to be a rare achievement in her day.
Lydia is described as having “high animal spirits and a sort of natural self-consequence.” She is attractive and charismatic, but she is also reckless and impulsive.
It ranked number 90 in 2021. Nicknames: Dee, Dia, Didi, Lady, Lia, Liddie, Liddy, Lids, Lili.
Apparently, Lydia moved to Philippi to sell her cloth in that city. Some archaeologists have found inscriptions relating to a Dyers' Guild in the city of Thyatira. It is possible that Lydia was involved with this organization, but there's no Bible Evidence for it.
Secondary to Fred Waterford, the following prominent villain in the series is Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd), the head of the handmaid system in charge of indoctrination and discipline.
Lydia is the first recorded person in Europe to become a follower of Jesus Christ. She was Saint Paul's first baptized convert at Philippi. What we know of Lydia is found in the Acts of the Apostles. She was from Thyatira, an industrial center located in what is now western Turkey.
The 3 Colors of Ministry presents a holistic approach to identifying and developing your spiritual gifts. It is based on the three dimensions of God's nature, for which the author has chosen the colors of green, red and blue.
The color purple is often used to symbolize creativity, royalty, femininity, and spirituality. In some cases, purple is used to symbolize wealth and extravagence. It is also sometimes associated with magic, peace, and pride.
The color purple represents all the good things in the world that God creates for men and women to enjoy.