Sermon for May 25, 2025: Gather based upon Acts 16:9-5

​Acts 16:9-15 Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi (New International Version)

During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 

After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district[a] of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 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.

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     I want to know more about these women, the women gathered at the place of prayer down by the river. It appears that they weren’t just hanging out on the beach when Paul encountered them. In his notes on the text, Christopher Matthews points out in the broader Jewish Diaspora in Ancient Rome, it seems like many Jewish synagogues would have been built near water. What has probably happened is that Paul, upon receiving this vision to go to Macedonia, headed to the Jewish community in the first good-sized city where he and his compatriot Silas traveled. Matthews notes that Phillipi was an important city in Macedonia. It was a city largely populated with former Roman soldiers who had been discharged from the army and received grants of land to settle there.

     It was the Sabbath, so, of course, the Jewish faithful have gathered. The men aren’t mentioned at all, did you notice that? This is a gathering of women, both Jewish women and Gentile “worshippers of God.” “Worshipper of God” isn’t simply a description of a religious person. It is, according to Matthews, a specific term for people who were not yet Jewish but seriously considered converting. They usually were learning a lot about Judaism and regularly worshiping in Jewish community. Mitzi Smith points out that there are two other “worshipers of God” with prominent stories in Acts- the unnamed Ethiopian eunuch in chapter 8 and the centurion Cornelius in chapter 10.

     The Eunuch, though faithful, was never going to fully be able to convert given the prohibitions on having people with his particular gender identity be active in their community. Philip, though, was moved by his faith, and welcomed him to follow Jesus. The eunuch asked to be baptized and Phillip said yes, making him the first Gentile follower of Jesus in Acts. Cornelius, too, was welcomed to the Body of Christ, this time by Peter. Remember, Peter had a vision showing that you didn’t have to be Jewish to follow Jesus. He had this vision while interacting with Cornelius. The book of Acts is mostly about Jesus’ earliest followers figuring out how to be the church without having him physically with them. They rely on the Spirit for so much. And, the Spirit keeps showing them that the divisions they thought were vital for maintaining safety and a sense of shared identity were, in fact, not the most important parts of building the body of Christ. Philip learned from the eunuch. Peter from Cornelius. And, now, Paul from the women and Lydia.

     I want to know more about the women in the crowd, but we are mostly told just about one of them: Lydia. She is, as I said, a Gentile and is from the city of Thyatira, in what is now Western Turkey. Matthews notes that Thyatira was known for its dye industry. Lydia worked in that industry, specifically as a dealer of purple cloth. Gail O’Day points out in her commentary on Acts that purple cloth is a luxury item in this era. Creating the dye involved processing fluid from a particular kind of sea snail. I read that it took 12,000 snails to create 1 gram of dye. I’m not sure if it’s accurate, but the same article said that one pound of that dye would cost something like $66,000 in today’s money. Lydia was likely quite wealthy herself.

     Women in much of the Bible are not described as owning their own business or as owning their own homes. In her commentary on this text, Choi Hee An points out that Lydia is described as doing both, with no mention of other significant adult men (like spouses or fathers or grown sons). She is the head of the household and has the power to direct the spiritual life of her household. When she is moved by Paul, she asks to have herself and her whole household baptized. And, he does it. Whatever resistance he had to baptizing Gentiles is gone, thanks to the Holy Spirit and the very obvious faith of Lydia.

     Whatever spiritual seeking she had been doing, she has found something meaningful in the Gospel as shared by Paul and Silas. Her new insight into the nature of God leads her to discern a call to use her resources to support the ministry that is meaningful to her. This is the hope of all ministers: that people will hear the Word and be moved to act on it. She has many resources to share and chooses to share them. She says to Paul, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my house.” This hospitality, which was foundational to the Jewish practice she had been learning, was also central to Christian faith. You can’t have Christianity without welcome. Lydia learned that lesson fast.

     Paul will meet more people in Phillipi, including another woman, well, a girl really, whom he will help. But, not everyone will see the work he and Silas do as a gift. Very shortly after today’s reading, they encounter some other wealthy people. They are not moved by Paul and Silas’ work, and, in fact, are threatened by it. They use their power to target Paul and Silas for violence at the hands of the government. Wealthy people who worry about protecting their money can be dangerous, even for a citizen of Rome like Paul. Silas had even fewer protections. With God’s help, they would get out of the city alive. But, only just barely.

     When we hear a good word from strangers, may we be like Lydia and embrace it. When the Spirit invites us to reconsider who we believe is worth saving, may we be like Paul and go where the vision points us. Like Silas, may we be solid partners, even when the journey is hard. And, like the women who gather at the river, may we come together in hopes of catching sight of the Divine. In this Easter season, may the Spirit gather us up, and send us out. May we be confident that those who need to hear what we say will hear it.

Resources consulted while writing this sermon:

Jennifer T. Kaalund: https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/sixth-sunday-of-easter-3/commentary-on-acts-169-15-4

Mitzi Smith: https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/sixth-sunday-of-easter-3/commentary-on-acts-169-15-3

Christopher R. Matthews' notes on Acts in The New Oxford Annotated Bible: The New Revised Standard Version with Apocryphya, ed. Michael Coogan (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001)

Gail R. O'Day, "Acts," The Women's Bible Commentary (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998)
Choi Hee An, "Sixth Sunday of Easter," Preaching God's transforming justice: A Lectionary Commentary, Year C Featuring 22 New Holy Days for Justice, eds Dale P.  Andrews, Dawn Ottoni-Wilhelm, and Ronald J. Allen (Louisville: John Knox Press, 2012)
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More info about purple dye: https://historyfacts.com/world-history/fact/purple-became-the-color-of-royalty-because-the-dye-was-so-expensive/
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