Thessalonica & Berea

Introduction

Good morning! Today, we continue in the book of Acts at the beginning of chapter seventeen. This is a fascinating chapter that continues the account of Paul’s missionary journeys, highlighting his time in Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens, continuing the spread of the gospel from the Eastern Mediterranean to the heart of the Greco-Roman world.

In chapter 15, the Jerusalem Counsel of church leadership's decision helped to set loose the spread of the gospel, as gentile Christians were set loose from the burden of the Judaizers.

Then, chapter 15 ends with Paul and Barnabas parting ways, Paul traveling instead with Silas, and picking up Timothy, as well as Luke, at some point, along the way.

[MAPS]

They travel through Asia Minor and Europe, where they preach in Philippi, and encounter some spectacular, transformational conversions. That is, people choosing to believe in Jesus, who didn’t before, and their lives being transformed as a result. From a successful business woman, to a demon-possessed slave girl, to the man in charge of keeping Paul and Silas locked up in prison.

After all that has happened, they continue on their mission. I can imagine that this journey would have been exhausting, even discouraging at times. On this mission from God, they have faced all kinds of challenges, from people trying to lock them up and kill them, to a sharp disagreement that drives brothers apart, to God unexpectedly changing their direction, and sending them one place when they thought they were going another.

Having just recently been released from prison, I might be tempted to just call it a wrap and go home, but no they no they’re not done yet, and in fact, in the last verse of chapter 16, it says they encouraged the brothers before they left. They stop by Lydia’s house just before leaving:

Acts 16:40 LSB

40 And they went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and left.

I don’t know the exact nature of this “encouragement,” but even just telling them about what they had witnessed would have been encouraging alone, don’t you think? For all their hardships, they certainly had a lot to be encouraged by, didn’t they?

Encouraged, even through their circumstances, ironically enough. By their miraculous release from prison, and their spectacular legal victory, or advantage, I should say, that they ended up having in the end, and by the Jailer and his whole household declaring their belief in Christ. I’m sure that was all very encouraging!

And the first thing they did when they got out of prison was to go back to the house of Lydia, to meet the brothers.

I’m sure there were practical reasons for this, but beyond just needing a place to recuperate and prepare to continue their journey, I think this speaks to the value and beauty of Christian fellowship, as they left having benefited by being mutually assured in their ministry.

I know the text says that they stopped by Lydia’s house for the sake of the believers, to encourage them. But I am pretty confident in extrapolating that Paul and Silas also left Lydia’s house having been encouraged by the fellowship themselves as well.

Truly, what better way to prepare to go back on the road, back on the field? It’s just cool to think about them getting to that that “team huddle” if you will, before moving on. Leaders need fellowship just as much as fellowship needs leaders.

But, the city officials are very alarmed about the potential scandal brewing here, begging Paul and Silas to leave, so they do, and that’s where we pick up in chapter 17, moving on from Philippi.

Pray

Lord, may this time together deepen our understanding of your Word and inspire us to be bold in our own witness for Christ. Give us the wisdom to discern the truths in front of us, and the courage to apply them in our daily lives. May the Holy Spirit guide our hearts and minds as we read and ponder these things in the name of Jesus.

Passage

Lets begin reading with verse 1, and we’ll just pause here for a minute.

Acts 17:1–15 (LSB)

1 Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

Remember, in Philippi, there was no synagogue, which is why they were looking for a place of prayer by the water instead. Thessalonica has a synagogue, indicating a larger Jewish population, at least as correlates to how many were practicing Judaism. There’s at least a little bit of a stronger Jewish presence in Thessalonica.

A couple notes and visuals to help you imagine this journey, from Philippi to Thessalonica:

Amphipolis, a Roman military post, and Apollonia are both located on the Egnatian Way, or VIA EGNATIA in the northeastern part of Macedonia.

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The via egnatia was a road constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC, so it had already been there for a couple hundred years by the time Paul traveled on it. It crossed Illyricum, Macedonia, and Thracia, running through territory that is now part of modern Albania, North Macedonia, Greece, and European Turkey as a continuation of the Via Appia.

A pretty impressive road, stretching nearly 700 miles, and apparently you can even still to this day see ancient sections of the road still intact. In other places, the road itself has been modernized, but it still follows the same general route that the Romans established.

Philippi to Amphipolis: 30 miles. Amphipolis to Apollonia: 25 miles. Apollonia to Thessalonica: another 40 miles.

While it may not seem like that far, less than 100 miles, it’s just a seventh of the total length of this road, but that’s quite a bit of ground to cover on foot, almost a hundred miles

Do you think they enjoyed the journey? Looking at the geography, it looks like it could have been rather pleasant under the right circumstances. I do like to think they were able to enjoy it at times. Thank about it. I mean, if they were singing while shackled up in prison, they must have been dancing and skipping on the road, right? The way they partied in prison, it must have been a hoot to hike together.

Anyway, once they arrive, Paul finds the faithful Jews in Thessalonica, he finds the synagogue, and what does he do?

2 And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

3 explaining and setting before them that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is that Christ.”

For three consecutive weeks Paul visited with them, and taught them.

He reasons with them, using the Old Testament as the basis for his arguments, the foundation for his logic in the midst of Jewish scholars. He identifies Jesus as the Messiah, and explains his death and resurrection. He could have used a passage like Isaiah 53:10-12 to explain the divine necessity of the Messiah’s suffering. This was a tough pill to swallow, even for Jesus’s own disciples; especially for them!

I’m sure there was a lot to unpack for people hearing this for the first time. So they stayed and kept explaining, for three weeks what we just state concisely in a couple sentences.

“Jesus is Christ.”

“Jesus lived, died, and rose again.”

It’s one thing to say those things, it’s another to really understand what that means, and how it changes things. Because it does.

The gospel, when heard and understood, has repercussions. It demands a response. So, it’s important to properly understand it! And that can take time, especially if it challenges what we’re used to, or long-held beliefs we find we need to let go of.

You can imagine people hearing it for the first time wanting to return to hear more, as well as the synagogue probably having some newcomers each week as the word spreads.

In fact, while Acts mentions at least three weeks that they were there officially, they could have been there even longer.

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) Chapter 17

The Pauline Epistles suggest that Paul stayed in Thessalonica longer than three or four weeks (including the workdays before, between, and following three successive Sabbaths). According to Phil. 4:16, the church at Philippi sent him aid at least twice, and the Thessalonian epistles indicate that Paul had been able to give extensive doctrinal instruction to the Christians there. Acts does not state that the uproar surrounding Jason, the missionaries’ host (v. 5), occurred immediately after Paul’s third Sabbath of teaching in the synagogue. The conversions listed in v. 4 may have occurred over subsequent weeks, leading eventually to the hardening of Jewish opposition and the mob violence against Jason and other brothers.

Even if it was just three weeks, that seems like plenty of time for their presence to have an effect on this town, as it certainly does. In verses four and five, we see the overall reaction is…well…a mixed-bag, as usual.

4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a great multitude of the God-fearing Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

So, there is a “multitude” and “no small number,” a significant number of people, even people of prominence, from Thessalonica, who joined Paul and Silas. Compared to the next town, the Thessalonians get a bad reputation, but don’t forget that there were some faithful ones in there too!

5 But the Jews, becoming jealous, taking along some wicked men from the marketplace, and forming a mob, set the city in an uproar. And attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the assembly.

6 And when they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also;

7 and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”

What a thing to be accused of! Of aiding and abetting men who have “upset the world!” Who threaten the very foundations of civilization with treasonous claims!

Jason welcomed these men into his home! I’m not sure if he realized what he was getting into when he did, but it’s kind of a cool thing to be known for, don’t you think? To be the guy who hosted the guys who were upsetting the world.

It certainly put him in an uncomfortable position though.

Ironically enough, the ones accusing Paul and Silas and Jason for causing trouble, this “city council,” are the ones actually causing trouble, literally gathering troublemakers to accuse other men of causing trouble. It would almost be funny if it weren’t so serious, the trouble they were being accused of.

In reality, Paul is proclaiming Jesus as the anointed King, yes, but who has come to inaugurate the spiritual kingdom of God. His opponents distort Paul’s message, implying some kind of political insurrection. That’s, of course, not really what they were advocating, but it’s what they were accused of.

Declaring that there was another king besides Caesar was a serious crime in the Roman empire. It’s the same charge used against Jesus to condemn him before Pilate, also falsely.

Threatening the stability of the empire was nothing to be taken lightly, as we see in the next verses:

8 And they disturbed the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.

9 And when they had received the bond from Jason and the others, they released them.

The rumors cause enough stir for the situation to be examined by the city authorities; it became a public matter. But, again, it’s over almost faster than it began…they take some money and send them on their way, because the accusations simply didn’t hold up under scrutiny. The rumors were shown to be just that: rumors.

This clarification seems to be important to Luke, once again showing Christianity to be, in this context, politically “neutral.” That is to say Christianity, and Jesus, does not “replace” any existing kings, governments, and authorities. A Roman would not have to renounce his Roman citizenship or his allegiance to Caesar in order to still recognize Jesus as the king of Kings of Lord of Lords.

One thing we’re being shown through these stories is that Christianity is not a threat to the Roman empire, rather that it should be a recognized and permitted religion, protected from political attack. That’s the argument being made here, that the stories are witness to over and over again.

So, they’re not a threat, but they’re also not really welcome there anymore, as you can imagine, so they get sent away to the next town on their journey, Berea, in verse ten:

10 And the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

Berea’s only about nineteen miles from Thessalonica, so not very far, but just far enough that the rumors, the scandal, the trouble has not reached them yet.

Again, this town has a synagogue, and they head straight for it, where they can find some refuge at least for as long as they keep their mouths shut, right? If they just show up and show that they’re Jewish they’ll be fine, but as soon as they start witnessing about Jesus is when they start causing trouble, isn’t it?

Happily, though, it’s a different story in this city.

11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

12 Therefore many of them believed, along with not a few prominent Greek women and men.

What a great reputation to have, for the believers at Berea to go down in history having been known as more noble-minded. Notice that no one individual person in Berea is even named, but as a whole the Bereans were characterized as being noble in character, humble and eager to receive biblical instruction, and faithful to examine scripture to verify what they were learning. What exemplary disciples! May we all be more like the Bereans than the Thessalonians, in this case, it’s a clear contrast.

It’s interesting to note the three distinct parts to the gospel’s reception in Berea.

They Received the word.

They were open and willing to hearing what Paul had to say.

They Examined the Scriptures.

They compare Paul’s teachings to the written word.

They Believed in large numbers.

Because of their humility, integrity, and discernment, many of them come to faith in Jesus.

We’re going to come back to those three points in a minute, but first let’s continue through the next few verses to see how this ends:

13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, shaking up and disturbing the crowds.

14 Then immediately the brothers sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there.

15 Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.

Those Thessalonians sure are persistent, aren’t they? You have to give them that. They are hellbent on saving their neighboring city from the chaos of these trouble-making hooligans! Again, you almost have to laugh at the irony of how much trouble they caused trying to stop “troublemakers.”

Something interesting happens here though, did you notice that Silas and Timothy stay in Berea to face the opposition there, while Paul gets sent away? Eventually, they will rejoin him in Athens, but this seems to imply that Paul himself had become the focal point of Jewish opposition to the Christian message, at least for the Thessalonians, while his companions were able to get away with mingling in with the crowd for a bit longer. Perhaps a benefit of having been a bit more on the sidelines than in the spotlight up until then. This means that even though Paul left, the ministry continued successfully.

Application & Conclusion

So, what can we learn from this?

Be like Berea, not Thessalonica. Expect to encounter both. Don’t forget about one city while living in the other.

Sometimes it can feel like we’re in a more of a Thessalonica situation, surrounded by more hostility than hospitality. Don’t let that let you lose hope! A) Don’t give up on the Thessalonians, they may surprise you, and B) There may be some very encouraging Bereans in your future just waiting for you to show up, ready.

On the other side of that, on the receiving end, lets model the Bereans, obviously!

Be like Berea. They received the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was true. In our own lives, are we diligently seeking the truth in God's Word? Do we approach the Scriptures with an open heart and a discerning mind?

We are encouraged to cultivate a spirit of eagerness and dedication to studying the Bible, allowing it to shape and guide our lives, in a balance of humility and conviction.

How do we receive, examine, and believe in the Word of God?

Receive

Faith comes first from hearing.

Romans 10:17 LSB

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Our faith in God is made possible and is made ever stronger by our connection to his Word; the revelation of his mind and mission to us. As Jesus responded to the devil in the wilderness, we are meant to literally survive on God’s word.

Matthew 4:3–4 LSB

3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

Jesus responds with a quote from Deuteronomy 8:3, a reference to manna and God’s provision for his people. That’s what manna was supposed to teach them, it says, to fully rely on God for survival.

God’s word should be more essential to us even than food.

Job 23:12 LSB

12 “I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my portion of food.

The more we listen to God, and the more we follow Him, the more we receive the assurance of knowing He is faithful, and the more we learn to recognize the voice of the shepherd:

John 10:27 LSB

27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

That “following” part is important.

To truly “listen” to God’s word involves more than just passively hearing the words, it means “heeding” and obeying God’s word.

James 1:19–27 LSB

19 Know this, my beloved brothers. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, laying aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in gentleness receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But become doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he looked at himself and has gone away, he immediately forgot what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does. 26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious while not bridling his tongue but deceiving his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

And again, in Romans 2, Paul says nearly the same thing:

Romans 2:13 LSB

13 For it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.

So, there is action involved in receiving the word, because the word stirs to action. We must be faithful to put into practice what we have learned.

In the process, God’s word is itself the tool we need to accomplish what it commands.

Hebrews 4:12 LSB

12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

To receive the word of God is to receive a very powerful and effective gift, and it is readily available to all of us! Which leads into our…duty, if you will, or privilege, as I see it, to examine it carefully and apply it.

Examine

This is one I like to bring up and reiterate a lot, partly because I’m a nerd and I personally think it’s really fun to study scripture and explore the infinite depths of wonder it has to offer!

And while I don’t understand why not everybody finds dusty old scrolls as fascinating as I do, that’s partly why I get to do this on Sunday mornings, it’s just something I love doing.

And I’m so honored and blessed to get to spend time regularly studying and researching and preparing these sermons to help us walk through and understand scripture together. But I can’t do all the work for you. And no, not even Mike can do all the work for you.

We all have different roles in life, and yes, preachers and teachers help provide some (Lord willing!) trustworthy and biblically authoritative direction, but we certainly don’t have all the answers! We can help you navigate the waters, but ultimately, your faith is not in us. It better not be! Ultimately I believe it’s the duty and role of every follower to examine scripture for themselves, to the best of their ability, especially in an era of such abundance, of literacy and of literature.

You’ve heard us say it before, we want you to check what we say against scripture, and we want you to hold us accountable to stay faithful to God’s word, and together we can sharpen our convictions and vision as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Deuteronomy 11:18–19 CSB

18 “Imprint these words of mine on your hearts and minds, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Why do I bring this passage up?

It shows that God intends his word to be deeply ingrained in the lives of his people…ALL his people…not just the “special” ones...priests, prophets, or kings.

Israel was to raise her children in the knowledge and understanding of torah, the teachings of God. Some to be specialists, but all to be ministers, priests, to their own families, their children.

And the same goes for us today.

God gave Israel some practical tools for doing this in an era when information was stored and transmitted MUCH differently than it is today, but the principles are the same.

What are some practical tools for reading and examining God’s word? How do we bind God’s word to our hearts and minds? Here are some high-tech ones to get you started:

What’s the first thing you need?

Bible

Make sure you have a bible you actually read.

Maybe it’s one you really like to pick up and hold, and has a physical quality that draws you to it.

If you have a translation you find challenging, OR if you have been used to reading the same translation for many years, consider trying a different translation and reading all the way through for the first time. If you would like any guidance on that topic, please talk to me or Mike or email one of us and we’d love to help you out.

Maybe the bible you actually read is the one that’s available to you all the time in the palm of your hand on your phone. And if you can read on your phone without getting too distracted then that’s great! More and more people I know are consuming God’s word this way, myself included. I still love the tactile experience of using a physical Bible, but a larger percentage of my studying and meditating actually comes through using apps on my phone and computer, because that’s just what’s most effective for me.

Put it on your nightstand or by your coffee pot or front and center on your home screen. Make it visible, so you remember to actually read it. Make it accessible, so there’s nothing hindering you from diving into it.

Just read it. Pray about it. Read it again. Pray about it. Let it be on your mind. Talk about it with each other, with your family and your friends. Even the difficult parts. Be open to having challenging discussions, and not having all the answers right away.

Alarm clock

Maybe your limiting factor is time. Get an alarm clock. Set it 15 minutes earlier. Problem solved.

In reality, trust me when I say I know this is easier said than done. It’s something I struggle with personally, and I understand there are seasons and circumstances in life when even 15 minutes is not a reasonable expectation. But I’d venture to say most of us have some room in our priorities to give scripture a bit more. And if we can’t prioritize a few minutes a day, or even a week, to spend in God’s word, then it’s definitely time to make some serious adjustments.

Bookmark

I say this somewhat facetiously, but I do believe there’s value in keeping track of your reading progress. Whether that’s just using the ribbon that’s built in to your bible, or getting a bookmark with a reading plan printed on it, or following a schedule of some kind in your favorite app.

Notebook

Along with that, I highly recommend having some kind of way to take notes and highlight passages. Again, whether that’s a notebook and pen or taking notes in an app, it will help you to focus your thoughts and return to them later.

That said, this is optional and not having a notebook should never prevent you from just picking up and reading.

Beyond that, when it comes to really studying and examining scripture, Bible dictionaries and commentaries and study bibles can all be very helpful tools when studying. A good study bible can really help illuminate and explain the text. I would just caution not to get so caught up in reading about the Bible that we forget to spend time actually reading the Bible itself. But it is necessary to read about the Bible if we want to understand its deeper nuances.

There are all kinds of Online resources available, and a lot of it is free. Logos Bible software is great for serious study. Not all the resources or features are free, but you can try it to see if it interests you. Other sites and apps are totally free like Bible Gateway, and YouVersion, and there are apps like Dwell, which is exclusively for immersive listening experiences, to listen and dwell in God’s word, which I think is a cool concept. Again, that’s one that has both free and paid options, but my point is that there are a lot of options. If you’re an English speaking internet user, then almost any kind of tool or resource you could want for interacting with scripture at this point I feel like has been built, and it’s just up to us to take advantage of it.

I have to mention one of my favorite resources for understanding the Bible, The Bible Project - thebibleproject.com has some amazing resources all available for free.

There is really no limit to the depths you can study and explore when it comes to the Bible. If there is a specific topic or resource your are interested in, let us know! Part of the purpose of the church is to equip each other in this way, and we all have different needs.

So, don’t let the vastness of scripture overwhelm you or discourage you either. It really is as accessible as it is complex. Being here together today is a great step, and a good boost, in our walk with God and relationship with his Word; let’s encourage each other to also be faithful throughout the week to be mediating and marinating in truth.

What an incredible blessing and gift to have such an abundance of both literacy and literature in our midst; let us not take it for granted!

Believe

Finally, let’s think for a few moments about what it means to believe scripture. Having received and examined God’s word, do you believe Him?

I’m here to tell you there is no other feasible option, no other trustworthy anchor upon which to place our trust.

Isaiah 40:8 LSB

8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.

Belief, or faith, is an interesting concept. It’s both knowledge and a choice…it’s both experiential and involves surrendering to what we cannot see or understand. It’s a bit like love in that way, which is a choice as often or more so than it is a feeling, and one that is easier to grasp in some moments than others. But it is defined by one’s decision to either accept or reject the premise. In this case, the claims of the gospel.

Hebrews 11:1–3 LSB

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the men of old gained approval. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

Hebrews 11:6 LSB

6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who draws near to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

The reward is great indeed.

Isaiah 40:31 NLT

31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

We who receive God’s word become as imperishable as God’s word!

1 Peter 1:23 LSB

23 for you have been born again not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

It’s the everlasting word of God which transforms us into everlasting people of God.

I’ll leave you with one final verse, which is my prayer for us this morning:

Romans 15:13 LSB

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer/Benediction