Among those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.
Parallel translations
- WEB A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened to listen to the things which were spoken by Paul.
- KJV And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
- NKJV Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.
- NASB 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.
- NLT One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The Lord opened Lydia's heart so she believed Paul's message; she is the first named European convert.
Overview
Lydia was a successful businesswoman and a worshiper of God, yet her conversion is credited to the Lord opening her heart. This is a clear picture of God's sovereign grace: the outward word is preached, but only the inward work of God makes one truly receptive. Salvation is His gift from first to last, not the achievement of the willing or the religious.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 21
- Luke 24:45Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
- Eph 1:17–18that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him.
- Isa 50:5The Lord GOD has opened My ears, and I have not been rebellious, nor have I turned back.
- John 6:44–45“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.
- Rev 3:20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.
- 2 Cor 3:14–16But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed.
- Rom 9:16So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
- 2 Cor 4:4–6The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
- 1 Cor 3:6–7I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.
- Phil 2:13For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
- Acts 11:21The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
- Rev 3:7To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.
- Acts 18:7So Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titus Justus, a worshiper of God.
- Jas 1:16–17Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
- Rev 2:18–24To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like a blazing fire and whose feet are like polished bronze.
- Acts 8:27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship,
- Acts 10:2He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to the people and prayed to God regularly.
- John 12:20Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast.
- Ps 110:3Your people shall be willing on Your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn, to You belongs the dew of Your youth.
- Rev 1:11saying, “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
- Song 5:4My beloved put his hand to the latch; my heart pounded for him.
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Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
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Original language
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