dyed purple cloth, an expensive commodity in ancient times). Lydia was a believer in God, a Jewish proselyte, a "seller of purple cloth" (i.e. Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is the leading city of the district of Macedonia, and a Roman colony." (Acts 16:7-12 RSV) And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing beseeching him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." "And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. "And when they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. Turkey is in Asia, and Paul apparently intended to concentrate in the same area on his second missionary journey (see Paul's Second Missionary Journey), but Jesus willed otherwise - The Lord decided that it was time for the Gospel to go across The Aegean Sea to Europe: Paul's First Missionary Journey was limited to Asia Minor, which corresponds to Turkey today. Although she is mentioned only briefly in the Scriptures, she holds a prominent place in Bible History - Lydia is the first recorded Christian in Europe to be converted by Paul, and her home became the place where the subsequent first church (the literal Biblical meaning of church is called out ones, the people) in Europe gathered to worship. Lydia was originally from Thyatira (where one of The Seven Churches of Asia were later located), but was a resident in Philippi, in Greece, when the apostle Paul travelled there.
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