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Lydia is a business woman originally from Thyatira, a city famous for the production of dye.
Lydia learned the trade, sold garments dyed purple, and traveled throughout Europe selling her
line of clothing. She moved to Philippi because of the wealth and location of the city. Her heart
is open to the Lord. God sends Paul and his team to give her the gospel. The “opening” of her
heart is the drawing ministry of the Holy Spirit. Her desire is to know and this is all the Holy
Spirit needs. She becomes born again.

Act 16:15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have
judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained
us.

And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought (continually questioned) us,
saying, if ye have judged (discerned) me to be faithful (committed) to the Lord, come into my
house, and abide (base yourself) there. And she constrained (continue to persuade) us.

Lydia lives in Philippi and has a family. Being a key leader of the revival in the city, she runs
home and leads her family to the Lord, and they are also all baptized.
Before this time, Paul and his team having stayed to themselves. Once she is baptized and
becomes more committed to the Lord, she desires more teaching. There is no church in town,
so she invites Paul and the others to move into her large house. Paul and the team accept her
invitation and after this, go into the city from time to time to speak, pray, and evangelize.
Lydia’s house becomes the home of the church at Philippi.

CONVERSION OF THE DEMON POSSESSED WOMAN

Act 16:16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of
divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination
(puthos: soothsaying) met us, which brought her masters (owners) much gain (profit) by
soothsaying (fortune-telling):

Paul is probably taking his team to the same place of prayer by the river, where he is
confronted by this girl. A “damsel” is a Greek slave. At first, Paul does not perceive her
problem and tolerates her presence. What Paul does not immediately realize is that she has
been sent by Satan to stop his ministry in the city of Philippi. She is demon-possessed and is
being used by her owners to make a great financial profit. They have been using her for
fortune-telling, but for many days insists on going to the place where the prayer meeting is
being held and speaking out about Paul and his team.

The demon possessing her is called “a spirit of divination.” The Greek word here is puyov, from
which the English word python is derived. In Greek mythology the python was the guard over
the oracle of Apollo. The oracle was the hidden knowledge of the gods. The python rose from
mud pits and guarded the secret until Apollo slew it in the caves of Mount Parnasus. The oracle