The events on the Sabbath (v 13)

“And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were thinking that there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled.” (1) Typically, Paul would visit a synagogue on the Sabbath to preach the gospel. However, there was no synagogue in Philippi. It is surprising that a town of this size lacked a synagogue, which indicates there were not even ten Jewish adult men in the city. (2) So the four looked for a place of prayer. When there was no synagogue, it was customary to gather by a riverside and conduct worship as they would in a synagogue. The river was chosen because it could serve as a ritual bath (mikveh) for purification rites required in Judaism. (3) Paul’s group went to the bank of the Gangites River, about a mile and a half (2.5 km) from town. The “place of prayer” may have been a small structure. In Judaism, a “place of prayer” often refers to a synagogue. (4) No men were present; only women had gathered there. The number of women is not recorded. Although there were no men, Paul preached the gospel to them without hesitation. This was a marked contrast to the former Pharisee Paul. Pharisees of that time prayed, “I thank You that I am not a Gentile, a slave, or a woman.”

Lydia’s conversion (v 14-45)

“A woman named Lydia was listening; she was a seller of purple fabrics from the city of Thyatira, and a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” (1) Among the listeners was a woman named Lydia. She was a businesswoman from the city of Thyatira, a town in the province of Asia famous for its dyeing industry, particularly its production of purple cloth. At the time, purple cloth was a luxury item, and only certain social classes were permitted to wear it in the Roman time. Lydia’s clientele were likely people from the privileged classes. (2) Lydia was a Gentile who worshiped God, meaning she was not yet part of the New Testament church (the “body of Christ”). Nevertheless, she listened attentively to Paul’s message. (3) “The Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.” It was the Lord who opened her heart; she was already prepared to receive the message. The main actor in evangelism is the risen Christ. Paul faithfully proclaimed the gospel entrusted to him by the Lord, and it was the Lord who worked in her heart. Let us remember that Paul did not preach a different gospel.