Acts Chapter 17:1-15/Commentary

The Book of Acts Chapter 17:1-15 17:1 “Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica”: The use of the term “they” infers that Luke had remained in Philippi to work with that new congregation (16:10 “we”). Luke will once again join Paul in Acts 20:5.

“Departing from Philippi, Paul and his party traveled by the Egnatian Way one hundred miles to Thessalonica, capital of the province of Macedonia. Apparently nightly stops (or stops) were made at Amphipolis (33 miles from Philippi), Apollonia (30 miles from Amphipolis) until they reached Thessalonica” (Kent p. 137). “Came to Thessalonica”: This was the seaport for the second district of Macedonia, it served as the capital not only for this district but also for the whole Roman province of Macedonia, and it was the largest city in this province. “It was a harbor town, situated at the head of the Thermaic Gulf. Commanding trade by sea across the Aegean and by land along the east-west Via Egnatia, it was a flourishing commercial center, and was proud of having been made a free city in 42 B.C.” (Stott p. 270).

17:1 “Where there was a synagogue of the Jews”: The Greek construction here might imply that a synagogue existed here while synagogues did not exist in Amphipolis and Apollonia. Such a synagogue always gave Paul a place to begin preaching the gospel “among people who had been brought to a readiness for Christ by the ‘tutor’ (Galatians 3:24)” (Reese p. 611).

17:2 “And according to Paul’s custom”: His regular habit in preaching was to preach to the Jews first (Acts 13:14,15; Romans 1:16). “We may

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learn from Paul’s methods some methods for evangelism in our own day.

The evangelist will have or develop a prospect list, indicating what people are the nearest ready to accept the Gospel. He will approach these first, using their present level of understanding to build Christian teaching and commitment. He will seldom win all of them, and in the process he will probably win some whom he did not expect to be receptive. Somewhere in the process he will probably reach a point where responsiveness becomes negligible and opposition sets in. The wisest worker will then shift his approach to take advantage of greater responsiveness in others, and will go on to reap and glean the greatest possible harvest” (Reese p. 612). “For three Sabbaths”: This does not mean that Paul thought that the Sabbath Day was still a law that he had to keep, rather he is in a Jewish synagogue on the Sabbath not for the purpose of keeping the Old Law but for the purpose of trying to save those who are lost! The people who were keeping the Sabbath in the synagogue were lost. Remember, Paul also would have worked and preached during the week to others as well.

17:2 “Reasoned with them from the Scriptures”: This would have involved citing Old Testament passages and seeing how they found their application in Jesus. Observe that Paul presents a very logical and orderly presentation of Scripture.

17:3 “Explaining”: He was unfolding the passages; make the passages plain and understandable for all. Compare this section with how Jesus taught in Luke 24:25-27. “And giving evidence”: That is, to bring forth passages and use them as proof or to build a case, and what Paul is proving is found in the next statement. “That the Christ had to suffer”: The Jews needed to hear this because they were under the false impression that the Messiah would simply be a glorious earthly king like David or Solomon. They needed to hear the Scriptures that clearly predicted Jesus’ death (Isaiah 53; Psalm 22, 69). “And rise again from the dead”: The Old Testament had equally taught that the Messiah would be raised from the dead (Isaiah 53:10; Psalm 16:10; the example of Jonah, Matthew 12:40; Psalms 2:1-7). “Saying, ‘This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ”: Paul first outlined in detail what the Old Testament said about the Messiah and then connected all those specific and amazing details to what had actually happened to Jesus.

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Paul sought to convince people with the Scriptures and evidence. No emotional appeals to mere feelings or a better felt than told experience, but rather, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ (Romans 10:17).

17:4 “Some were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a great multitude of the God-fearing Greeks”: It looks like that a few Jews from the synagogue were persuaded (“some”) but far more converts were gained among the God-fearing Gentiles. Such people were proselytes. The letter back to this congregation informs us that a number of idolaters were converted as well (1 Thess. 1:9). In chapter 20:4 Aristarchus and Secundus are mentioned as being two members from Thessalonica. “And a number of the leading women”: Compare with 13:50. “In the Macedonian towns, Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea, there is a specific mention of women among the converts.

Women were freer to take part in public activities in Macedonia than in many parts of the Roman Empire” (Reese p. 613). This also reveals that one can be a prominent woman in the community and still have a love for the truth.

17:5 “But the Jews becoming jealous”: Repeatedly the Bible mentions Jewish jealousy as the reason why Jesus was executed and why the early Christians were persecuted (Acts 13:50). The jealousy appears to be connected with the fact that Paul and Silas through their preaching were taking families away from the synagogue and at times growing into a bigger group than the local synagogue. “Taking along some wicked men from the market place”: The term “wicked” here implies a delight in doing harm to others. “They would be men who had no steady jobs and who just loafed around the forum. Such men are always ready to earn a quick dollar” (Reese p. 614). “Formed a mob and set the city in an uproar”: Such wicked men were hired to stir up trouble. They probably had no true convictions of their own, except for the conviction to make a quick and easy dollar. Again notice that the Jewish leadership does not offer to meet Paul in a public debate concerning the Scriptures and Jesus. “Coming upon the house of Jason”: We are not told much about Jason, but see Romans 16:21. But apparently, Paul and Silas had been staying in the home of this Christian and the Jewish leaders thought they might be here. “They were seeking to bring them out to the people”: This may refer to bringing Paul and Saul out to an 3

assembly of the citizens for a trial and a hopeful stoning or other punishment. The city of Thessalonica was a free city and did have a citizen’s council.

17:6 “When they did not find them”: Paul and Silas were actually somewhere else. “They began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities”: “Someone usually suffers the wrath of a mob like this; and since they did not find Paul and Silas, they pick on Jason and some Christians who happened to be there when the mob arrived” (Reese pp. 614-615). Of course, the word “drag” indicates violence and rough treatment. “City authorities”: The Greek term here is politarchs and is a very usual term that occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. For a long time critics of the Bible had accused Luke of inaccuracy here because this term was also unknown in secular sources as well. Yet the existence and accuracy of this term has been confirmed from a number of contemporary Macedonian inscriptions. “From five inscriptions referring to Thessalonica, it appears that a body of five politiarchs ruled the city during the first century A.D.” (Stott p. 272).

Was usual, Luke is right and the critics are wrong---again. “These men who have upset the world have come here also”: The accusation is that Christians are disturbers of the peace and now they have come to this city. More specific accusations will be noted in the next verse. Yet, Christianity is supposed to “upset” the world, because the world is in the grasp of Satan and needs to be made uncomfortable (1 John 5:19).

17:7 “And Jason has welcomed them”: That is, Jason (who appears to be a well known person in the community), has been aiding and abetting such men. “They all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar”: Notice the word all. They are “all” like this. “Saying that there is another king, Jesus”: To this charge the city authorities would have to take note, because only Rome could give the permission for the name “king” to be used. The religious leaders who pressed for Jesus’ death made a similar accusation (Luke 23:2; John 19:12). Apparently Paul had been preaching the truth that Jesus is presently a king and ruling at God’s right hand.

17:8 “And they stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things”: The ironic thing is that the Jews and their thugs had actually caused more disturbance when they dragged Jason and the 4

other Christians before the court, than Paul and Silas had caused. The citizens and rulers in this city might have been worried about what the Roman government might do if they heard a rumor about a new king in Thessalonica.

17:9 “And when they had received a pledge from Jason and the others, they released them”: Apparently this pledge was in the form of a monetary bond or some other security they were forced to put up.

Now Jason or any other Christian could never accept the condition that one must simply stop talking about Jesus (Acts 5:29). Therefore, the “pledge” probably included the condition that unless Paul and Silas left town, Jason and these Christians would forfeit the bond or surety. Paul and Silas could leave town, and the gospel could still spread in Thessalonica through the preaching of others, like Jason. Observe that God does not except Paul to stay in a town if he is not wanted or it his presence is becoming too distracting.

17:10 “By night”: The new Christians here get Paul and Silas out of town at night, probably because Paul’s enemies in Thessalonica would have still harmed him if they could find him. We are not sure how long Paul was in Thessalonica but he was here long enough to receive monetary support twice from the church in Philippi (Philippians 4:1516). He was also here long enough to preach on a number of different topics (1 Thess. 4:13-5:5; 2 Thessalonians 3:7ff). “To Berea”: This city was 50 miles SW of Thessalonica. “They went into the synagogue of the Jews”: Even after being forced to leave a town, Paul goes right back to work.

17:11 “Now these were more noble-minded”: The word noble often means “well born” or “of noble birth”. But here the word applies to a noble attitude. Unlike the Jews in Thessalonica who were only willing to listen to three sermons, the Jews in Berea were far more receptive to the gospel message. “For”: This is why God calls them noble-minded.

“They received the word with great eagerness”: They were very eager to listen and learn. Notice that such people are not saved, yet neither are they depraved. How we approach the initial study of the Bible is important. Are we eager to learn or are we hesitant? Observe that the receptiveness and honesty of people can vary from town to town. “Examining”: Instead of attacking the preacher, they examined 5

carefully with critical thinking and the Old Testament Scriptures what he was presenting. “They combined receptivity with critical questioning” (Stott p. 274). The word translated examine here is used of judicial investigations. “It implies integrity and absence of bias. Ever since then, the adjective ‘Berean’ has been applied to people who study the Scriptures with impartiality and care” (p. 274). “The Scriptures”: Truth has nothing to fear when the Bible is opened. Such Scriptures could be examined daily in the synagogue, or Paul may have had with him a copy of various Old Testament books as well. “Daily”: When salvation is on the line one cannot spend too much time in study, there is an urgency to resolve this issue. “To see whether these things were so”: They were not gullible but neither did they have a closed mind.

Their primary concern was “what do the Scriptures teach?” The gospel will always have good success when people have the same attitude.

17:12 “Many of them therefore believed”: Because faith is the natural result of such an honest investigation (Romans 10:17). Please note that unbelievers or atheists are not produced by a honest investigation of the facts and the Scriptures, but Christians are produced. “Along with a number of prominent Greek women and men”: This would include city leaders, businessmen, and apparently the spouses of such. Observe that Paul never writes a letter specifically to the Berean congregation, yet it is clear that they would have read the letters to other churches (Colossians 4:16).

17:13 “Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there likewise”: The same evil zeal that characterized the unbelieving Jews on the first journey in Antioch and Iconium is also found among the Jews in Thessalonica. They claim that Paul is stirring up trouble, yet Thessalonica and Berea both were at peace until they got agitated. They wanted so badly to silence Paul that they were willing to travel 50 miles to do it. Compare with 1 Thessalonians 2:15.

17:14 “As far as the sea”: The journey from Berea to the nearest seaport would have been around 20 miles. “Silas and Timothy remained there”: The last time that Timothy was specifically mentioned, he was in Philippi (16:40). It was Paul’s custom to leave

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someone with a new congregation for a while. Thus Luke stays in Philippi, Silas and Timothy stay in Berea.

17:15 “Now those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens”: brethren escorted Paul to Athens. The distance between Berea to Athens by land was 250 miles, or about 12 days, but it was only 3 days by sea. “Receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible”: Acts 18:5 will inform us that Silas will not catch up to Paul until Paul is in Corinth. From 1 Thessalonians 3:1, we learn that Timothy did come to Athens, but Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to strengthen that congregation.

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