GetWisdom PaperturnSampler FINAL SinglePages - Flipbook - Page 93
LIVING IN AUTHENTICITY
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PHILIPPIANS
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tide changing within the community of Jesus followers as men and
women come together in their love of Jesus.
3. What do we learn about Lydia in Acts 16:14-15?
History Lesson
Because Lydia sold “purple goods,” her customers would have
been the wealthy elite, as extracting this dye took a substantial amount of labor and it was highly valued. Tyrian purple,
derived from marine mollusks, was especially costly: extracting this dye involved tens of thousands of snails and was quite
arduous. Lydia’s hometown of Thyatira was well-known for
manufacturing a less expensive and more reddish dye from
roots of the madder plant (known today as “Turkey red”). However, since Scripture specifically describes her as a seller of
purple (porphyroplis; πορφυρπωλις, pronounced por-foo-ropo-lis) goods, she was likely selling textiles of the more valuable
Tyrian purple.11
I love so many things about Lydia and Paul’s interaction. She
wasted no time telling her entire household everything she learned
from Paul as the Lord opened her heart to His wisdom. And then she
opened her home to Paul and his companions!
Opening my door and inviting people in is something God asked
me to do years ago when I was relatively new to Denver and had no
friends. Although we were fixing up a previously uninhabitable house
at the time, I decided to obey and offer what I had with a thankful
heart. I welcomed in anyone I could possibly think of.
Lydia was a successful businesswoman who likely had a large and
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