The Book of Acts ~ Study Fifty-Six

"Discovering the Truth"


Acts 17:1-9 (NLT) Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women.
   But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd. Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. “Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted, “and now they are here disturbing our city, too. And Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.”
   The people of the city, as well as the city council, were thrown into turmoil by these reports. So the officials forced Jason and the other believers to post bond, and then they released them.

The traveling duo of Paul and Silas continues throughout Amphipolis and Apollonia and ends up in Thessalonica. Here's a little FYI to help you locate and imagine these places:

Amphipolis: Just north of the Aegean Sea sat Amphipolis, a city of northeastern Macedonia.  It was approximately 30 miles (45 km) southwest of Philippi and 5 miles (8 km) inland of the port city Eion.  The city was best known for its oil, timber, wine, figs, gold, silver, and woolen textiles.

Apollonia:  A town in Mygdonia, a district in Macedonia. It was situated a little to the south of Lake Bolbe, on the Via Egnatia, the great Roman road leading from the coast of the Adriatic to the river Hebrus (Maritza), one of the main military and commercial highways of the empire: it lay between Amphipolis and Thessalonica, a day's journey (Livy xlv.28) or about 30 Roman miles from the former and 38 from the latter.

Thessalonica: Thessalonica was the capital of one of the four Roman districts of Macedonia and was named after the wife of Cassander, who built the city. Those in Thessalonica adored many gods, particularly Jupiter, as the father of Hercules, the alleged founder of its ancient royal family. The city also boasted a celebrated amphitheater, where gladiatorial shows were exhibited for the amusement of the citizens, and a circus for public games. One of the chief towns of Macedonia from Hellenistic times down to the present day. It was the seat of the governor and thus practically the capital of the whole province.

Now that we see the cities that Paul and Silas visited we can understand the background for the controversies they faced. Not unlike major metropolitan cities of today, there were many different influences on society. Paul brought in the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and it stirred up the melting pot. What caused such an uproar? You would think that one more religion wouldn't matter. Just like today, Christianity is not viewed upon with the same "equal opportunity, non-judgmental, open-minded attitude" that society offers other religions.

Why does Christianity threaten the world? No other religion does this. Could it be that Satan is only fighting the True God ~ Jesus Christ and the other "religions" pose no threat? Just a thought.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (NLT) You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure. You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition. So you can see we were not preaching with any deceit or impure motives or trickery.
  For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. 

Whenever a person's heart is examined by God a very unique thing happens. Our hearts respond. Now in response to God we may either accept His love or reject it. In Thessalonica many came to know Jesus and many rejected Him. But, it didn't end with rejection, it pushed into persecution. You see, a threat to the evil one comes only from the One who has proven "all-powerful."

Romans 8:31-39 (NLT) What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
   Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
   And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Like Paul and Silas, those of us who proclaim Christ and the One True God, we too will face opposition. The closer we get to His return the harder it will become. I hope you don't find this to be discouraging because God sees what is happening and rewards the faithful for serving Him. Don't become discouraged for doing good. Keep on doing it. Like it says in Romans, "nothing can ever separate us from God’s love."

Acts 17:10-15 (NLT) hat very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.   But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble. The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind. Those escorting Paul went with him all the way to Athens; then they returned to Berea with instructions for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him.

From Thessalonica Paul and his team headed for Berea. They left because of the persecution but did not leave their ministry. In fact, the church grew in Thessalonica and Paul kept in touch with them. Now he was Berea bound.

In Berea Paul found a more accepting place. Many people came to hear Paul explain why Jesus was Messiah. The Bible says that the Bereans "were of more noble character." I believe this to mean that had a true open-mind and were willing to investigate his claims. These kind of people often review the claims of Christ and come away believing in Jesus as Messiah. "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel is an excellent source to explore the claims of Christianity. video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3473983875617762630#

Here in Berea, the minds of the people were open to at least investigating the claims of Christ. If you don't know if Jesus is real, then maybe you should investigate Him fully yourself and make an informed decision. Again, though Paul was successful in preaching the Gospel message in Berea, he came upon harsh opposition and had to leave. The brothers sent him on to Athens for his safety and the furtherance of the Gospel.

In tomorrow's lesson we will meet Paul in Athens and review what happened there. Until then focus on what you believe about Jesus. If you believe, continue to learn more and more about Him and tell others as well. If you don't know whether Jesus is who He claimed to be or even if He existed, you need to at least investigate these claims. It will be worth it!