“Wakugulitsa Chibakuwa”

Lidiya anali kukhala ku Filipi, mzinda waukulu wa Makedoniya. Komabe, anali wa ku Tiyatira, mzinda wa chigawo cha Lidiya, kumadzulo kwa Asia Minor. Chifukwa cha zimenezi, ena amanena kuti “Lidiya” linali dzina losemerera lopatsidwa kwa iye ku Filipi. M’mawu ena, iye anali “Mlidiya,” monga momwedi mkazi amene Yesu Kristu anachitirako umboni anatchedwera “mkazi Msamariya.” (Yohane 4:9) Lidiya ankagulitsa “chibakuwa” kapena zinthu zonika ndi mtundu umenewo. (Machitidwe 16:12, 14) Zolembedwa zofukulidwa ndi akatswiri ofukula mabwinja zimachitira umboni kuti ku Tiyatira ndi ku Filipi kunali onika zinthu. Nkotheka kuti Lidiya anasamukirako chifukwa cha ntchito yake, kaya kuti akachite malonda ake kapena monga woimira kampani ya onika a ku Tiyatira.

Chibakuwa chinali kupangidwa ndi zinthu zosiyanasiyana. Chokwera mtengo koposa chinali chochokera ku nkhono zina za m’madzi. Malinga ndi kunena kwa Martial, wolemba ndakatulo wachiroma wa m’zaka za zana loyamba, chofunda cha chibakuwa chabwino koposa cha ku Turo (malo ena kumene zimenezi zinali kupangidwa) chinali kugulidwa ndi ndalama zofika 10,000 sesterces, kapena madinari 2,500, ndalama zolingana ndi malipiro a wantchito a masiku 2,500. Mwachionekere, zovala zotero zinali zinthu zambambande zimene oŵerengeka okha ndiwo anali kukhala nazo. Chotero Lidiya angakhale anali wopeza bwino kwambiri m’zachuma. Mulimonse mmene zinalili, iye anakhoza kuchereza mtumwi Paulo ndi anzake​—Luka, Sila, Timoteo, ndipo mwinamwake ndi enanso.

“Anapembedza Mulungu”

Lidiya “anapembedza Mulungu,” koma mwina iyeyo anali wotembenukira ku Chiyuda wofunafuna choonadi chachipembedzo. Ngakhale kuti anali ndi ntchito yabwino, Lidiya anali wosakonda chuma. M’malo mwake, anapatula nthaŵi ya zinthu zauzimu. “[Yehova anatsegula mtima wake, NW], kuti amvere zimene anazinena Paulo,” ndipo Lidiya analandira choonadi. Kwenikweni, ‘iye ndi a pabanja pake anabatizidwa.’​—Machitidwe 16:14, 15.