Lydia's Appreciation - From This Week's Congregation Book Study

[jdcarlson]

In this week's lesson, we discussed Lydia, and how she re-acted to the kingdom message.

 

The lesson makes the point that it was when going with Paul to Macedonia that Lukes switches from writing in the "third person" (they, them) to the "first person" (we, us).

 

So when they came to the women at the river Gangites, and met the women, this would have been the first time Luke had been with Paul when Paul spoke to ones about Jesus. When Lydia was baptized, she invited Paul, Luke, Silas, and Timothy to stay at her house. This week's lesson did not comment on the last sentence of verse 15. But it stood out to me. It says "And she just made us come."

 

We do not have the record of how others may have responded when they learned the truth. But this was the first time Luke had the experience of someone's reaction when first having their spiritual eyes opened. Apparently it made quite an impression on Luke. Thus, the final sentence of that verse.

 

This reminds me of an experience some 65 years or so when I was newly married. My wife's older brother ran an upholstry shop. He would talk about how customers would rave about how much better their furniture looked when he finished. In my mind I dismissed these comments as hyperbolic "boasting."

 

Then, one day he had a sofa to deliver. He had no one to help him with it, so he asked me to take an hour out of my pioneering that day to help him carry the sofa from his truck to the customer's house. I agreed.

 

When we got there wife of the customer just began really "going overboard" about how beautiful the re-upholstered furniture was. She just kept on and kept on. It was to the point that I was embarassed and I went back out to wait in the truck.

 

That was the first time I hear my brother-in-law's customer rave about re-upholstered furnitue. After that I helped him carry things a few more times. Yes, the customers "raved on" about his work. But, by then I was used to it and I did not have to go wait in the truck.

 

When I read that last sentence of verse 15, I remember the first time I helped deliver furniture, and the impression the customer's reaction made on me. How many more times did Luke later experience the same reaction to those whom he visited with Paul? There is no way to know. But  -  this (Acts 16:15) was the first time for Luke. Apparently it made an impression on him.

 

Of course the Bible record of history is necessarily brief (otherwise it would be much longer) and a lot of details are not there. But how many times can we imagine a similar response by ones whose spiritual eyes are opened, yet the Bible account merely says "many of them became believers," or similar wording. How many more reactions like Lydia are hidden in the "many of them became believers"?

 

For ones like myself who were "raised in the truth" we never had the experience of having our spiritual eyes opened and realizing we had been taught lies all our life, but now we know what is right!

 

But, for those who came out of false religion to recognize the truth of the Bible, perhaps you can appreciate the reaction of Lydia.

 

Thanks,

 

Jim

 

 

[Chris7]

Thanks Jim, yes such appreciation!

This week we will have the box “Lydia —The Seller of Purple.”

And some great study Bible notes from Acts 16:14 for example…..

Jehovah opened her heart wide: 

Lydia is identified as a worshipper of God, an expression that suggests that she was a Jewish proselyte. (Ac 13:43) On the Sabbath, she had gathered with other women at a place of prayer at a river outside Philippi. (Ac 16:13) It may be that there were few Jews and no synagogue in Philippi. Lydia may have become acquainted with the worship of Jehovah in her home city, Thyatira, which had a large Jewish population and a Jewish meeting place. Jehovah, the God whom she worshipped, noticed that she was listening attentively.

Edited October 7 by Chris7

[Chris7]

For additional research….

Lydia—Hospitable Worshiper of God — Watchtower 1996
https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1996686

[Mike047]

A good reminder, too, that wealth is no barrier to anyone if their heart is open to the Christian message.