God’s View of Women: Part Two

Many people have debated the place of women in the workplace. We’re saving the discussion of women as mothers and homemakers for another post, so let’s see what the Scriptures say about women in business.

One of the most straightforward passages about women in business is found in Acts 16:13-15:

“And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’ And she prevailed upon us.”

Lydia was a tycoon in her day. Forbes would probably have her in their top 100 women list. From the passage, we can deduce a few things:

1. She was very wealthy. Luke notes that she was “a seller of purple goods.” Today, we can wear clothes of any color, but 2,000 years ago, dyes were organic and some colors were very rare. Purple was among the most rare. She must have been very wealthy in order to afford her own stock.
2. She was very committed to her business. The passage notes that she is from Thyatira. This puts her around 250 miles away from home. Today, 250 miles is more than most want to travel for business, can you imagine the journey 2,000 years ago?
3. She was probably the CEO of her company. Luke makes no mention of a boss accompanying her on her travels. It does mention “her household,” so she did travel with her family, quite possibly with a husband.  She either rented a house in Philippi or owned one in the city. She was independent and handled her business on her own.

Luke records that this wealthy business woman was the first convert to Christianity in Europe and she greatly aided Paul on his missionary journey. God never commands women to reject the business world. God simply reminds women (and men) that their priority is first at home, not at work.

Another passage from the scriptures tells of the ideal woman. In this section, God paints a picture of an virtuous woman: one that is hard working, loves her family, and one that does business in the community. In this passage we see that an ideal woman knows such business practices as real estate, marketing, and buying and selling. And because of her business practices, she earns wealth. God says that a woman like this is to be revered and praised for her work.

So, are women to be kept home and discouraged away from a professional life? No, they are to work if they wish, as long as they keep their priorities straight. (Men are also commanded to keep their priorities in line: family first, career second.) God extols hard-working women: both stay-at-home moms and business tycoons alike. The key word is priorities.

More posts to follow.

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Posts in this series:

1. Introduction
2. Women in Business

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