Mary, the mother of mark, offering her home as a meeting place for the apostles acts 12. The bible is an ancient text, no matter which book you are reading. The first converts to the gospel of christ are the 3,000 converted that is recorded in acts 2. There are only two mentions of her by name in scripturein acts 16 we find the record of her conversion and her subsequent baptism acts 16. Dunham sixth sunday of easter may 26, 2019 its just seven verses long, and certainly not one of the bestknown passages from the new testament, but the tightlywoven little story barbara read moments ago has captured the interest of students of scripture for a long time. Lydia was a prosperous clothmerchant and a person of means. Lydia or even more simply the woman of purple, lydia is given other titles. These verses describe pauls experiences and work with silas in philippi, including the conversion of the philippian jailer. Those at philippi partook in pauls proclamation by praying for him and sending financial support 4. Express to children that a man named paul taught a woman named lydia and others about jesus. These widows were among the needy who were to benefit from the funds raised from sales of property acts 2.
These were men of the synagogue called the libertines, and some of the cyrenians, alexandrians, cilicians and asians. Deacon there is the same diakonos paul employs in romans 16. Lydia, a seller of purple, a woman evidently of wealth and importance, was w on for christ with her household. These two verses reveal a lot about the woman, lydia. Women in ancient christianity from jesus to christ the first.
Color by code, paul taught lydia about jesus crayons or. The women were among the first christian converts in samaria acts 8. New testament women frequently carried out diaconal ministry, in the broad sense of the word. Home bible studies, home prayer cells, entertainment of christian workers, entertainment of lonely people, and provision of a. It was not an original greek name, but probably phoenician, and a common name meaning bending. Apostles made him bishop of tralles116, an ancient city of lydia in asia minor, on the nor. These werent lydia s first words to the apostle paul. A notable woman in the church of cenchreae, she was trusted by paul to deliver his letter to the romans. The role of deacons in congregational churches national. The account of lydia in acts moves on with the statement, after paul and silas came out of prison, they went to lydia s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. One deacon attends monthly session meeting to report about deacon activities organized and served deacon s dinner on pentecost sunday, 05212017 organized a luncheon for furthest pew church members on 09212017 a deacon representative served on the worship committee. Pauls preaching moves her, and she invites him to stay at her house. He performed great wonders and signs among the people. The kind of conversation that comes from listening eagerly to one another with open hearts and minds.
Consider dorcas, who was full of good works and acts of charity acts 9. Express to children that a man named paul taught a woman named lydia about jesus. It is speculated that luke the author of acts and the physician companion of. There was only one convert at first, a woman named lydia. Acts 2123pauls arrest in jerusalem acts 24governor felix acts 2526king agrippa acts 27pauls voyage acts 28paul arrives in rome the book of acts acts 1ascension of christ acts 2birth of the church acts 34healing of the lame man acts 5ananias and sapphira. Pauls confidence repeated six times in this epistle certainly seems out of character for a man waiting to face trial and possible martyrdom. Or tryphena and tryphosa, women described as workers in the lord rom. Although lydia only appears in one chapter in acts 16, we do learn a few really interesting details about her life and story. Troas was the chief port city on the northwest coast of asia minor. In this chapter i will examine the final passage of scripture regarding deacons. Like timothy, do i have a reputation for being a devoted christian. This chapter has the continuation of the second missionary tour, relating the revisiting of lystra and derbe acts 16. Unfortunately the expression is grasped by some as a proof that a persons conversion is a special conviction of irresistable grace. Pricilla offering her house to paul, and along with her husband, having a bible study with the apostles acts 18.
You know, this 16th chapter of acts is the household chapter. You know that overpoweringintoxicating feeling when youre annoyed. This distinction is based on the pattern found in acts 6. As lydia in philippi, as priscilla who is herself mentioned in v.
When they received the holy spirit, jesus said they would receive power, and in the power of the holy spirit the disciples would be witnesses for jesus in jerusalem, and in all judea and samaria. As in many places, pauls teaching and preaching created controversy. From there we traveled to philippi, a roman colony and the leading city of that district of macedonia. He also tells us of pauls healing of a slave girl with a spirit of divination, of a riot, of pauls being flogged and imprisoned, and of the conversion of the gaoler and his household see acts 16. I want to show some fundamentals about what the bible teaches concerning the role of women in the church. Or lydia, who clothed the philippians in purple 16. Series studies in conversions of the book of acts lesson six the lydia and the jailer acts 16.
She was able to lodge paul, timothy, and their companions in her house, which paul used as a local base of operations acts 16. Lydia s significance was not confined to her being a disciple or hostess to travelling disciples, but her role in making her house as the home of embryonic church in philippi. Women in ministry leadership statement brethren in christ u. Paul attended, first of all, not the synagogue, but a prayer meeting of women acts 16. I am writing to all of gods holy people in philippi who belong to christ jesus, including the church leaders and deacons. Like lydia, do i put my faith and my resources out there for god to use as he desires. Reflecting on the characters of acts chapter 16, we can ask ourselves the following questions. He was preaching of a king, a messiah in a major city of the roman empire. Deacons, too, have a crucial role in the life and the health of the local church, but their role is different from the elders.
She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortunetelling. The widows mentioned were women who had not only lost their husbands, but also had no means of their own to live on, and lacked any family to support them 1timothy 5. When paul on his second missionary journey carried his preaching out of asia and into europe, he began at the city of philippi in macedonia north of greece. His first concern was to make contact with the jews living there. There paul, silas, and others were joined by luke, for the they of acts 16. The was founded by paul eleven years earlier on his second missionary journey acts 16. Offer a variety of nonfantasy wooden or cardboard puzzles for children to work. The place of prayer here is probably to be understood as a synagogue. Such support for preaching and preachers actually began with lydia, the first convert in the city acts 16. The first time they heard his voice pastor craig sweeney february 21, 2021 this letter is from paul and timothy, slaves of christ jesus.
From the story of lydia we can glean a few useful details about conversion, specifically about the conversion of jewish believers. From troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for samothrace, and the next day we went on to neapolis. She compelled pauls company to come into her house. The biblical role of deacons is to take care of the physical and logistical needs of the church so that the elders can concentrate on their primary calling. Every woman introduced in the scriptures to any extent is in some way remarkable either for her virtues or her vices. Lydia in the bible 3 empowering lessons from her life. Comment that lydia sold purple cloth to earn a living. Second, the involvement of women in the establishment of the philippian church is noteworthy acts 16. Troas was a major seaport on the eastern shore of the aegean sea. Apr 30, 20 the following is a reflection on acts 16. When paul went on to thessalonica, the philippian brethren sent him support more than once phil. Of thyatira, in asia minor, 10,000, turks and arabs. Lydia opened her heart and, together with the whole household of which she was head, was baptized.
The biblical qualifications and responsibilities of deacons. You could have many deacons doing small tasks so long as they were qualified and appointed. We can put a rough date on this since the first deacon stephen was stoned. And today particularly were going to talk about a lady that i call lydia, the liberated lady. A deaconess named phoebe is identified as pauls patron esv, or benefactor niv, a term that literally means defender or protector. When speaking of fundamentals of the faith, the role of women in the church is an important and often misunderstood aspect. Doc the diaconal role of women in the early church andree. Lydia urged her hospitality upon paul and his company when he went to macedonia acts 16. Lydia was from the wealthy city of thyatira in asia minor and a dealer of purple cloth. This practice is confirmed by other texts that also mention women who headed churches in their homes, such as lydia of thyatira acts 16. Lydia in the bible 3 empowering lessons from her life and story. We know she was from thyatira, a city known for burnished bronze and brass, and purple cloth.
Lydia s name is an ethnicon, deriving from her place. The lord opened her heart to respond to pauls message. As such, it should be used to establish a more fully orbed and broadly biblical doctrine of women in ministry leadership. Therefore loosing from troas, we came with a straight course to samothracia, and the next day to neapolis. Luke tells us of pauls meeting with lydia and some other women, and of her baptism acts 16. Lydia offering hospitality to paul acts 16 priscilla offering her house to paul and along with her husband, aquila, having a bible study with apollos acts 18 phoebe delivering a letter to paul in rome romans 16. Lydia was a business woman who made and sold the expensive purple fabric, but she was also a worshiper of god. Even at the conversion of lydia, satans eyes were not open. The name, lydia, meaning the lydian woman, by which she was known indicates that she was from lydia in asia minor. A woman named lydia was the first convert in europe. If you consider me a believer in the lord, she said, come and stay at my house. Lydia learns to follows jesus wyandotte county christian. Paul refers to her both as a servant or deacon greek diakonos and as a helper or patron of many greek prostatis. Today we meet another woman, lydia, who provides us an example of what.
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