Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadWilliam Burkitt Notes and Observations - Acts 16:11 - 16:11
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
A farther account is here given of St. Paul's travels to preach the gospel; he departs from Troas to Samothracia, from thence to Neapolis, and thence to Philippi, the chief city of Macedonia. Here on the sabbath-day he went out of the city to the river's side, where a meeting place for prayer, say some, was built, and made use of, as being remote from the noise and observation of the multitude.
In this oratory, St. Paul preached to the women, they being both most numerous and most zealous; and God gives him the seal of his ministry in the conversion of Lydia.
In which famous conversion observe how particularly the Holy Ghost is in relating the several circumstances belonging to it; she is described by her person and sex, a certain woman; by her name Lydia; by her calling and employment, a seller of purple; by her city, Thyatira; by her pious disposition, she worshipped God.
Her conversion is described,
1. By the efficient cause of it; the Lord opened her heart.
2. By the instrumental cause of it; her attending to the things that were spoken of Paul.
Learn, 1. That the hearts of persons are naturally shut up and fast barred against Jesus Christ.
2. That the opening of the heart to receive Jesus Christ, is the peculiar effect of the sovereign power and omnipotent grace of God.
3. That till God opens the heart of a sinner, the preaching of the gospel little affecteth, though never so plainly and persuasuvely preached. That when once the heart is opened, the ear will not be shut, the person is truly attentive to the preaching of the gospel: The Lord opened Lydia's heart, and she attended.
Observe, next, The seal of her conversion and salvation received by her: She was baptized, and her whole house. It was the ordinary way of the apostles to baptize households; not that they were sure that they were all believers, or that the family governors could make them so; but it was their duty to devote all their power to God, and to do their utmost to persuade; and God usually succeeded their endeavours.
Note here, That the church of God for near seventeen hundred years, never refused the baptizing of infants of believing parents, as being taken into covenant with themselves. Having then for so many ages been in the possession of this privilege, we may more reasonably require the Anabaptists to prove by express scripture, that the children were not baptized by the apostles, (when they baptized whole families, yea, whole nations, according to their commission, Mat_28:19) than they can require us to prove that they were.
Lydia and her house were baptized, says the text; that is, says the Syriac, Lydia and her children. Lydia, by reason of her faith in Christ, having a right to baptism, all her family, upon her undertaking to bring them up in the knowledge of Christ, were admitted to the ordinance with her.
Observe lastly, A special fruit and evidence of Lydia's conversion: she constrained the apostles with an amicable violence, by fervent entreaties and passionate importunities, to receive the civilities of her house. Converted persons have so much love to Christ's ministers, who were the instruments of their conversion, that they greatly desire to express it by all acts of possible kindness. If ye have judged me faithful, come into my house, and abide there; and she constrained us.