Act 17:2 | KingComments | STEP | When Paul, Silas and Timothy have left Philippi, they travel south to Amphipolis and Apollonia. In Apollonia they head west and then arrive in Thessalonica. The special mention that there is a synagogue of the Jews there may be an indication that there was no synagogue in the two previous cities and that he therefore passed those cities. We know that Paul acts as much as possible according to the principle ‘first the Jew and then the Greek’. It is his “custom” ( ; cf. ) to first look for a synagogue in a city where he comes. A synagogue has the advantage that there are not only Jews but also Gentiles who are interested in the God of Israel. It is a nice springboard to bring the gospel to prepared people. The synagogue is a place of learning where the Jews not only meet on Sabbath, but also on other days. It is therefore plausible that Paul, although conversing with the visitors of the synagogue mainly on the Sabbaths, also on other days converses with interested people. The fact that Luke speaks of “three Sabbaths” also gives an indication of the time Paul spends in Thessalonica. That must be between three and four weeks. In those more than three weeks he reasons with them from the Scriptures. He opens these to them and quotes from them to show that the Christ, that is the Messiah, had to suffer at His coming and rise from the dead. He must first make this clear to them because they were looking for a messiah who, as their political leader, would free them from the yoke of the Romans. However, the Scriptures speak a different language and that is what he first tells them. Then he can simply point to the Lord Jesus as the Messiah and say that in Him He has come. The Christ of Whom he has just shown from the Scriptures what should happen to Him, is none other than “Jesus”, the subject of his proclamation. This one verse summarizes the core of the gospel, as it can be proclaimed today especially to the Jews. That core is that the Messiah Jesus came, suffered, died and rose again from the dead. In these few weeks that Paul has been in Thessalonica, he has not only preached the gospel, but has also spoken about prophetic truths in which he has emphasized the second coming of Christ. His letters to them bear witness to this. In his second letter to them he reminds them of his oral teaching when he was with them ( ).

‏ Acts 17:2

Preaching of Paul in Thessalonica

When Paul, Silas and Timothy have left Philippi, they travel south to Amphipolis and Apollonia. In Apollonia they head west and then arrive in Thessalonica. The special mention that there is a synagogue of the Jews there may be an indication that there was no synagogue in the two previous cities and that he therefore passed those cities. We know that Paul acts as much as possible according to the principle ‘first the Jew and then the Greek’. It is his “custom” (Acts 17:2; cf. Lk 4:16) to first look for a synagogue in a city where he comes.

A synagogue has the advantage that there are not only Jews but also Gentiles who are interested in the God of Israel. It is a nice springboard to bring the gospel to prepared people. The synagogue is a place of learning where the Jews not only meet on Sabbath, but also on other days. It is therefore plausible that Paul, although conversing with the visitors of the synagogue mainly on the Sabbaths, also on other days converses with interested people.

The fact that Luke speaks of “three Sabbaths” also gives an indication of the time Paul spends in Thessalonica. That must be between three and four weeks. In those more than three weeks he reasons with them from the Scriptures. He opens these to them and quotes from them to show that the Christ, that is the Messiah, had to suffer at His coming and rise from the dead. He must first make this clear to them because they were looking for a messiah who, as their political leader, would free them from the yoke of the Romans. However, the Scriptures speak a different language and that is what he first tells them. Then he can simply point to the Lord Jesus as the Messiah and say that in Him He has come.

The Christ of Whom he has just shown from the Scriptures what should happen to Him, is none other than “Jesus”, the subject of his proclamation. This one verse summarizes the core of the gospel, as it can be proclaimed today especially to the Jews. That core is that the Messiah Jesus came, suffered, died and rose again from the dead.

In these few weeks that Paul has been in Thessalonica, he has not only preached the gospel, but has also spoken about prophetic truths in which he has emphasized the second coming of Christ. His letters to them bear witness to this. In his second letter to them he reminds them of his oral teaching when he was with them (2Thes 2:5).