Acts 16:14-15

Context

Acts 16 recounts events from Paul's second missionary journey. After Paul sees a vision of a man of Macedonia pleading, "Come over into Macedonia, and help us," the missionary party crosses the sea and arrives at Philippi, a Roman colony (Acts 16:9-12). On the Sabbath they go out to a riverside in search of a place of prayer and speak to the women gathered there (16:13). Among them is Lydia.

Lydia, from Thyatira in Asia Minor, was "a seller of purple." Purple here refers to a costly dye or to cloth colored with it. The text describes Lydia as one "which worshipped God," which is commonly taken to mean that she was a Gentile who worshiped the God of Israel without being Jewish. The passage is narrated in the first person plural ("we"), and it has traditionally been understood as the record of the author, Luke, who was traveling with Paul. Lydia is often described as the first person on European soil to receive the gospel. It was also to Lydia's house that Paul and Silas returned after their release from prison to comfort the brethren (16:40).

Interpretation

• Divine initiative in conversion: The phrase "whose heart the Lord opened" is frequently cited as evidence that faith originates in the work of God. The Reformed tradition reads the scene as an example of "effectual calling" (calling), by which God actually brings the elect to faith. The Wesleyan tradition reads it as an example of prevenient grace, the grace God gives beforehand so that a person is able to respond. This tradition also emphasizes Lydia's own response in hearing and heeding the word.
• Household baptism: The statement that "she was baptized, and her household" is grouped with the accounts of the households of the Philippian jailer (16:31-34), Cornelius (11:14), and Stephanas (1 Corinthians 1:16) as one of the "household baptism" texts.
• Hospitality and the beginning of the church: Lydia "constrained" the missionaries to stay at her house. This is read as an example of faith issuing immediately in hospitality. Because Lydia's house became a meeting place for the believers in Philippi, the passage is also treated as a glimpse of the early house church.

Controversies and Issues

The chief controversy surrounding this passage is the infant baptism debate. Denominations that practice infant baptism, such as Presbyterians, Methodists, and Anglicans, cite the statement that her "household" was baptized as one piece of supporting evidence. In the original language, "household" denotes an entire domestic unit, including family members and servants, and these denominations hold that God's covenant is given to households as units. Denominations that baptize only those who have professed faith, such as Baptists, see it differently. They argue that the passage cannot serve as a basis for infant baptism, since it makes no mention of young children and it is unknown whether Lydia had a husband or children. Both sides generally acknowledge that this passage alone does not settle the question. Nor does the text state whether the baptism was administered by sprinkling or by immersion (see Baptism and Immersion).

Perspective: Korean Protestant practiceHow this idea is used in Korean churches, kept from the original Korean article.

In the preaching of Korean churches, Lydia is often presented as a model of a woman believer who heard and responded to the word and who opened her home to serve ministers of the gospel. Some Korean churches use the name "Lydia" for groups such as a Women's Missionary Society or other women's mission fellowships.

Related Passages

• Acts 16:30-34
• Acts 11:14
• Acts 2:39-41
• 1 Corinthians 1:16
• Acts 16:40