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found to be a woman belonging to the very province from which, as preachers, they had
been excluded. The words "which worshipped God", which appear in verse 14, indicate
that Lydia was already a proselyte.
Lightfoot draws attention to the place that women occupied in Macedonia as follows:
"It may, I think, be gathered from St. Luke's narrative, that her social position was
higher in this country than in most parts of the civilized world. At Philippi, at
Thessalonica, at Berea, the women--in some cases certainly, in all cases probably, ladies
of birth and rank--take an active part with the apostle (Acts 16: 13; 17: 4, 12). It
forms moreover a striking coincidence, and surely an undesigned coincidence, between
the history and the epistle, that while in the former the gospel is related to have been first
preached to women, and the earlier converts specially mentioned are women, in the latter
we find the peace of the Philippian Church endangered by the feuds of two ladies of
influence, whose zealous aid in the spread of the gospel the apostle gratefully
acknowledges (Phil. 4: 2)."
There are no accidents in Divine Providence. It was peculiarly fitting that this new
departure should be associated with a "colony", a miniature Rome, and it is also
suggestive, in view of the emancipating and enlightening doctrine, that the first to receive
the gospel were women, and not men.
In verse 14 we read that Lydia's heart was "opened", and in the following verse we
find her home opened also. The words "She constrained us" suggest that the Apostle did
not readily accept her invitation. We know, however, that he fully acknowledged the
right of every servant of the Lord to be maintained, at least, by those to whom he
ministered; and he also declared that it would have been quite right for him to have been
accompanied by a wife, or a sister in the Lord, but these privileges he had foregone lest
his sincerity should be called in question.
The only other occurrence of the word translated "constrained" here is Luke 24: 29,
where the Lord "made as though He would have gone further" (verse 28). Lydia's trade
would have demanded a considerable capital, and she may, therefore, have been a woman
of means. The apostles would be grateful indeed to the Lord, Who had gone before,
preparing a place for them, and raising up helpers who were willing to use their material
possessions for the furtherance of the gospel.