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Greek St. Lydia The Philippisia was born in Asia Minor at the city of Thiatira, in 1st century A.D. Occupational reasons forced her to travel in city of Philippi in Greek Macedonia .The name Philippi is given to this city from Greek king Philip of Macedonia. Philippi was a Greek developed commercial city with cosmopolitan way of life. Evangelist Lukas, in Holy Bible says that St. Lydia was "porfiropolis", that is merchant of purple cloth, a Roman precious kind of cloth. She was also a religious woman (believed in twelve gods),she respected the gods very much and the real God decided to make her the first Christian in Greece, and the first christian in Europe . Apostle Paul those days was in Troy or Ilion, that was called also Troada, during his second trip in Asia Minor. Apostle Paul
saw a dream. A man from Greece Macedonia, told him "come to Macedonia and help us".This dream was an invitation from God to Apostle Paul in order to christianize Europe, starting from Greece Macedonia. |
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Apostle Paul with Silas, passed through Samothrace , reached the port of Neapolis, todays Kavala and they went to Philippi.At the river Gaggitis or Zigactos they found a crowd who used to pray there for 12 gods. Leader of this crowd was St. Lydia who learned first from Apostle Paul that Real God is Jesus Christ.
She was baptized in the Gaggitis river first and then many idolaters became Christians. From this moment started the christianization of Europe. St. Lydia made her home a place for Christian meetings.She christianized the people of her family, and she started teaching people in her area, she became an "equal Apostle" and she became saint. The Greek Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of St. Lydia every year in May,20. |
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