Act 17:1-10 | 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 17:1-10

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).

Reactions on the Preaching

The authority with which Paul and Silas spoke is not without result. They spoke the Word with conviction (1Thes 1:5). This made such an impression on three groups of people that they joined Paul and Silas. The first group consists of “some of them”, that is some of the Jews, because in their synagogue they have spoken (Acts 17:1). The second group is formed by “a large number of the God-fearing Greeks”. These are not proselytes, but worshipers of the God of Israel who adhere to the Noahite covenant. The third group is “a number of the leading women”.

Even today, women are often in the majority when it comes to responding to the gospel. This may have to do with the fact that a woman is by her nature more familiar with the suffering in the world. She experiences this personally, for example in giving birth to children to which pain is connected (Gen 3:16). She also wonders, more than men do, why suffering is in the world and therefore often opens herself to the gospel. Men are more often insensitive to the consequences of sin.

After the three groups that joined Paul and Silas, a group that strongly opposes the gospel comes forward. The majority of the Jews does not want the message that Paul brings. As we always see, they reject the gospel and also begrudge others to hear about it. They take along people who hang around – this is the literal meaning of the word “mob” – in the marketplace. These idlers are easily persuaded to cause a popular uproar and bring the city into turmoil.

They head for Jason’s house, assuming they will find Paul and Silas there. Apparently Jason has given shelter to both preachers. Their intention is to bring Paul and Silas out to the people, that is to say, to have them sentenced by a people’s assembly. But they do not find Paul and Silas in Jason’s house.

In their frustration about this they seize Jason and some brethren and drag them before the city authorities, while shouting against them the accusation they had intended for Paul and Silas. In this way Jason and the brethren share in the persecution for the sake of the gospel because they identified with it because they accommodated Paul and Silas. Luke speaks more often about hospitality (Acts 16:15 ; Acts 18:3 ; Acts 21:16). The Lord Jesus expresses His appreciation about it (Mt 25:38-40; cf. 1Pet 4:9; 3Jn 1:5-8).

The accusation is that they upset the world. Thus they give unintentional testimony of the power of Christendom. At the same time they also say that Christendom is dangerous to the state. Nowadays Christians who are faithful to the Bible are also increasingly confronted with such an accusation. They are quickly called fundamentalists, people who are a danger to society. The uproar of the world – by which is meant the Roman world empire (cf. Lk 2:1) – finds its origin, according to the prosecutors, in the preaching of another king than the emperor: “Jesus”.

The word “another” has the meaning of “another of some other kind”, i.e. not of the kind of Caesar. It does not refer to just another person than Caesar, but to Someone Who is different according to His Being. If it is Someone Who has all authority in heaven and on earth, He is the greatest imaginable threat to the empire. We see here, just like when the Lord Jesus stood before Pilate, that it is about the contrast between Christ and the Roman Empire, which will also be seen in the end time.

The Jews still prefer to acknowledge the emperor as their king rather than accept Jesus as their King. After all, they already told Pilate that they had no king but Caesar (Jn 19:15b). In the end time the apostate people will confirm that choice by accepting the antichrist as their messiah and with him the dictator of the restored Roman Empire (Rev 13:11; Rev 13:1).

The accusation shows that Paul and Silas spoke about the kingship of the Lord Jesus. This kingship is also central in the two letters that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. He mentions it in almost every chapter. The kingship of Christ means that He has a kingdom. That kingdom is not yet public on earth, but it is present. It is present in the hearts of those who acknowledge Him as Lord over their life (Rom 14:17). However, it will also be openly established on earth when the Lord Jesus returns from heaven and takes His place on His throne on earth.

The first part of the accusation is not justified. Paul and Silas have nowhere acted against the emperor’s decrees. Nowhere Christians are called upon to build the kingdom of God through political activities, but to wait for Him Who will do so.

With their actions, the Jews – and not the preachers of the gospel – stir up all those who hear their accusations. Opponents of the gospel never bring peace. Nor can they because the arguments they put forward against the gospel are baseless. Opponents of the gospel never have a clear story, but are vague in their language, no matter how self-confident they may speak.

Jason and those who were dragged with him before the city authorities are released after having paid a pledge. There is nothing else to do against them. It seems that they can’t be punished for dealing with the subversive preachers. However, the city authorities do want a guarantee in the form of a pledge to ensure that they will not continue to support these intruders.

Paul and Silas in Berea

The brethren think that Paul and Silas should leave Thessalonica. It is far too dangerous for them to stay there. Paul and Silas listen to the brethren. They recognize the voice of the Lord in what the brethren say. The brethren also decide where to go because they send them away to Berea. Paul and Silas leave unnoticed in the night. When they arrive in Berea, they act in the same way as always and go first to the synagogue of the Jews.

Luke calls the Jews they find in the synagogue “more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica”. They are not noble by origin, but the nobility of these Jews is the willingness with which they receive the Word. It is a nobleness of mind, of spirit.

The fact that they willingly accept the Word does not mean that they accept it blindly. They examine it in the light of the Scriptures. They hear all kinds of things about the Messiah, but they want to examine in the Old Testament whether what they hear is in accordance with what is written there. Examining means comparing Scripture with Scripture; it is a thorough examination. They don’t just do that on a certain occasion, but “daily”. Because of that examination many people come to faith. That faith is firmly based on the Word.

We see in the order – first receiving with great eagerness and then examining – an important clue for fruitful Bible study. It begins with an eagerness to learn; then comes the study of the Bible. Doing Bible study without the eagerness to do what the Bible says leads to formalism and legalism. It does not lead to knowing God’s thoughts, but to pride.

In addition to the many Jews who believe, many prominent Greek women and men also believe. The women are mentioned first, which may indicate that they are in the majority, or that they are more quickly convinced than the men.

This victory through the gospel in Berea is brought to the attention of the Jews in Thessalonica. That message hits them like a hammer. The impact is explosive. The Jews from Thessalonica go to Berea. Their jealousy of and hatred against the gospel are so great that they are willing to travel the distance of seventy to eighty kilometers to oppose the gospel also in Berea. They manipulate the crowds with their false ideas about the gospel, which also causes turmoil and confusion there. Also in Berea the brethren consider it advisable that Paul leaves.

The hatred of the Jews concentrates on Paul. Silas and Timothy can stay to teach the believers in Berea further in the faith. The brethren tell Paul to travel as far as the sea. Some of the brethren also go with him to accompany him. These brethren accompany him all the way to Athens. The accompaniment over such a long distance also proves their willing participation in the gospel. They are willing to do something for it. From there they return to Berea.

Paul gives them the message for Silas and Timothy that they will join him in Athens as soon as possible. By this he does not mean to put pressure on their service, but he expresses his desire for their company. He is very fond of their company because of the support in the service they give him. It is important that servants do not go their way as loners, but acknowledge that they need each other. It is an acknowledgment of the diversity of the gifts that the Lord has given which complement each other.