My latest book, courtesy of Whitaker House, is called “Lydia, Woman of Philippi.” She’s only mentioned in Chapter 16 of The Book of Acts, but like Claudia in a previous book, who appears only in one line in the New Testament, there is more to her. Lydia was a Gentile who had moved from Thyatira to Philippi and sold the expensive purple cloth used on togas for the elite. She was a God-fearer, a Gentile who believed in the Jewish God and attending the synagogue. She met the Apostle Paul at the river where she and her household had come to pray as there was no synagogue in Philippi. She accepted Jesus the Christ as her Savior and invited Paul and his companions, Timothy, Silas and Doctor Luke, to stay in her villa. From that beginning a fledgling church was formed. Years later, when Paul writes to the Philippian church, they have deacons and Elders and the church has grown considerably. She was a key person in the founding of that church and it was so interesting to read about Thyatira, and later Philippi, which was a Roman colony where many soldiers retired. Don’t be afraid of research or attempting historical fiction. It is amazing what interesting information you come across! Sometimes the story practically writes itself!
Digging into History
