Don't Make Others Do Your Work

Sunday, June 2nd, 2024

Followup from Last Lesson

Last week’s question: What will you do this coming week to shift the way you look at people and their situation? [Give people an opportunity to share what they did and how it went.]

Introductory information

Paul is on his second missionary journey, and currently traveling with Silas and Timothy

While Luke had joined the group in Troas (Acts 16:10) it seems that he stayed in Philippi and didn’t continue on with the rest of the team, because his language changed again from “us/we” back to “them” when they left Philippi to continue on their journey (Acts 16:40)

Paul, Silas, and Timothy are now pressing deeper into the Roman world and spreading the Gospel to new cities in Greece (see map)

READ

Question to consider as we read:

Whose job is it to teach you?

Acts 17:1–15 CSB

1 After they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As usual, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and rise from the dead: “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah.” 4 Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, including a large number of God-fearing Greeks, as well as a number of the leading women. 5 But the Jews became jealous, and they brought together some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city. Attacking Jason’s house, they searched for them to bring them out to the public assembly. 6 When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too, 7 and Jason has welcomed them. They are all acting contrary to Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king—Jesus.” 8 The crowd and city officials who heard these things were upset. 9 After taking a security bond from Jason and the others, they released them. 10 As soon as it was night, the brothers and sisters sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. Upon arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Consequently, many of them believed, including a number of the prominent Greek women as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul at Berea, they came there too, agitating and upsetting the crowds. 14 Then the brothers and sisters immediately sent Paul away to go to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed on there. 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible, they departed.

EXAMINE

What are the key points in this passage?

#1 | Paul had to work to convince the people of Thessalonica

For three straight weeks, Paul worked to convince the Jews that Jesus was their Messiah

Acts 17:2–3 ...Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and rise from the dead: “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah.”

Can you imagine anyone making a better argument for this than Paul? And yet, few of the Jews were convinced.

The evidence was there in their scriptures, yet the Jews couldn’t see it, because they wouldn’t see it

Acts 17:4–5 Some of them were persuaded... But the Jews became jealous...

The way the Jews’ became jealous of the Greeks shows that they were not open-minded or ready for change

They wanted a message that reinforced their views and values - not one that called them to change and embrace all people

#2 | The Bereans did the work to convince themselves

Luke immediately points out how the Berean Jews were different from the Thessalonian Jews

Acts 17:11 The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness...

“Noble character” here refers to having an open-mind (1)

“Eagerness” here refers to their readiness to listen and learn

Unlike the Thessalonians, the Bereans just wanted the truth - even if it contradicted their own established understanding, values, and views

The Bereans didn’t make it Paul’s job to convince them - they made it their own responsibility to know the truth

Acts 17:11–12 … [they] examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Consequently, many of them believed...

It’s important to note how their open-mindedness didn’t make them gullible

They didn’t simply accept what Paul was teaching - they investigated the scriptures for themselves to "fact check” what Paul was teaching before they accepted it

#3 | The Bereans set a wonderful example for us (2)

The Bereans were curious and thorough, but not skeptical or cynical

Being skeptical and cynical is the lazy imitation of diligence - you look wise and discerning without having to do any actual work

Being curious and thorough is actual work - you have to investigate, wrestle with questions, and be teachable

It’s hard to be teachable - it is far more easy to just believe you already know what you need to know

The Bereans’ approach safeguarded them from being misled

If Paul had been teaching something false, they would have discovered it when studying the scriptures

Consider Paul’s instruction to Timothy, in a letter he wrote to him some years later: (2 Timothy 3:14–17) “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you, 15 and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Also consider this harsh rebuke from the writer of Hebrews: (Hebrews 5:11–14) “We have a great deal to say about this, and it is difficult to explain, since you have become too lazy to understand. 12 Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food. 13 Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.”

If we aren’t diligent to know and understand the revelation of God we have received, our walk with the Lord will go in circles and we will not mature

APPLY

Explore and apply the passage with these questions:

[These questions must be focused, yet very open-ended. Allow the conversation to go where people take it - we want to encourage everyone to share and explore the topics of the passage. You don’t have to ask all these questions. Sometimes a group may only get through one or two questions. Select the questions you think are right for the conversation. Then, as it comes time to wrap up, refocus the conversation to “land the plane.”]

What stood out to you in this passage? What other differences do you notice between the Thessalonians and the Bereans?

In what ways have you acted like the Thessalonians?

What convicted you or grabbed your attention, in the way the Bereans approached Paul’s teaching?

What lesson did you learn today that you are going to apply this week?

Where we want to “land the plane”

We each need to do the work of knowing the scriptures for ourselves and not rely on others to do it for us, so that we can grow in maturity and be safeguarded from being misled

REFLECT

Prayer Points for Today

Ask the Lord to make the scriptures come alive to us as we read, empowering us to know and understand His Word.

Devotional Question for the Week

How does your attitude and approach towards the scriptures need to change?

FOOTNOTES

More “Noble Character” With admirable freedom from prejudice, they brought the missionaries’ claims to the touchstone of scripture. This seems to be meant here by ἐυγενέστεροι, “more open-minded,” lit. “more noble.” F. F. Bruce, The Book of the Acts, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1988), 327.

The Bereans’ Example. Their procedure is worthy of imitation by all who have some new form of religious teaching pressed on their acceptance. These Beroean Jews would have been surprised could they have foreseen how many Christian groups of later days would call themselves “Beroeans” after their noble example of Bible study. F. F. Bruce, The Book of the Acts, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1988), 327.

Jason’s “Security Bond” Jason and his associates were made responsible for seeing that there was no more trouble; they had to give security for the missionaries’ good conduct, and this meant in practice that the missionaries had to leave the city quietly and not return. F. F. Bruce, The Book of the Acts, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1988), 325–326.