Grace Bible Church

Preaching the Living Word through the Written Word

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE PERSUADED THESSALONIANS

(Ac 17:1-4) 05/10/15

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

 

I.     PAUL REASONED FROM THE SCRIPTURES (Ac 17:1-4)

A.    [1] Being urged to leave Philippi by the Roman authorities (Ac 16:39), Paul traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia to arrive in Thessalonica. Perhaps the reason for not ministering in the two cities was that there probably was no synagogue there.

1.     Amphipolis, which means “around the city,” received its name for the fact that the Strymon (Struma) River flowed around the city, as did much of its population. Along the famous Egnatian Road (more than 450 miles from the Aegean Sea to the Adriatic Sea), it was about 30 miles from Philippi.

2.     Also along the Egnatian Road, Apollonia was about 30 miles from Amphipolis and some 38 miles to Thessalonica.

3.     Thessalonica was originally called “Therma” because of malaria “fever” that was easily contracted by its mosquito-infested swamps. It was founded by Cassander in 315 BC. He named it after his wife, Thessalonikē (Thessalian victory), the daughter of Philipp II of Macedon and half-brother to Alexander the Great. It became an important Roman naval harbor situated in the heart of Macedonia as well as a principal station on the great Via Egnatia.

4.     Paul and the missionaries traveled some 100 miles from Philippi to Thessalonica. Paul immediately went to the synagogue of the Jews.

B.    [2] Not only is it obvious in the book of Acts, but Luke tells us that it was Paul’s “custom” (ethō - custom, tradition, or habit) to go to the synagogues in cities first (Ac 13:14, 42; 14:1; 17:10).

1.     Paul went to the synagogue in in Thessalonica for three Sabbaths, though Paul probably spent some 4-6 months there.

2.     Paul, in his evangelistic efforts, “reasoned with them from the Scriptures.” This implies several points. 1) The early church did not hold to a blind leap of faith, but gave reasons to trust in Christ. The word “reasoned” is a good translation of the Greek word dialegomai, which means a reasoned discourse (with logical arguments) to convince others of the truth. This means reasons are given for unbelievers to change their mind to believe. 2) Luke described Paul’s preaching on numerous occasions as “reasoning” (Ac 17:2, 17; 18:4, 19; 19:8, 9). 3) Reasons are given in Scripture and the believer must know them and be able to argue those reasons. He must also be able to reason the implications from the principles of Scripture. Paul illustrates how to love the Lord your God with your mind (Mt 22:37; Mk 12:30; Lk 10:27). 4) In so doing, the believer will “explain” (dianoigō - to help open the mind to understand) the truths of Scripture (vs. 3). Opening the heart and mind of an unbeliever is the Holy Spirit’s ministry (Act 16:14), but He does this through the reasoned explanation of Scripture. 5) Also, the believer will give reasonable “evidence” to the skeptical unbeliever (cf. Ac 2:36). “Evidence” is the Greek word paratithēmi which means to “set before,” entrust, or “present evidence, show to be true” (Friberg in Ac 17:3). This was Paul’s evangelistic method.

C.    [3] What content did Paul reason from the Scriptures? What did he give as evidence in the synagogue in Thessalonica?

1.     “Christ had to suffer”

a)    It was the predetermined plan of God (Ac 2:23 cf. Is 53:10a).

b)    It was prophesied (Ac 3:18; 13:29; 26:22-23; 1Co 15:1-4 cf. Is 53:5-6).

c)     It provided salvation (Ac 4:12; 13:47; 16:31; He 2:9 cf. Is 49:6).

2.     “Christ had to rise from the dead”

a)    It put an end to agony of death (Ac 2:24 cf. Ps 116:3-4, 16).

b)    It was prophesied (Ac 2:31; 13:37 cf. Is 53:10).

c)     It was a fulfilment of God’s promise (Ac 2:27; 13:35 cf. Ps 16:10).

d)    It provided proof (Ac 13:33 cf. Ps 2:7; Ro 1:4).

3.     Since Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, therefore “Jesus is the Christ.”

a)    It can be known for certain (Ac 2:36).

b)    It was witnessed (Ac 2:32; 3:15; 10:39; 26:15; 1Co 15:5-8).

D.    [4] The result of Paul’s reasoning was that some were “persuaded” and placed their faith in Christ. “Persuading” (peithō - persuade to have confidence, also root word for pistos “believe”) is not twisting someone’s arm to believe. Nor is it cajoling someone emotionally into believing. Rather it is reasoning from the Scriptures to convince someone to have reasonable cause to trust Christ.

E.    They also joined Paul and Silas and were taught by them. We know from 1&2 Thessalonians all that Paul reasoned and taught these new believers. (Salvation (1Th 1:3-5), Inerrancy of Scripture (1Th 2:13); Coming of Christ (1Th 1:10; 2:19), Persecution (1Th 2:17-3:13) Christian living (1Th 4:1-12), The Rapture (1Th 4:13-18), The Day of the Lord (1Th 5:1-11), Church life (1Th 5:12-15), Holy living (1Th 5:16-24), The Man of Lawlessness (2Th 2:3-12), Church discipline (2Th 3:6-15).

F.     Many who trusted in Christ were “God-fearing Greeks” as well as a number of prominent women. Luke has included the influence of women in the book of Acts (Women praying on the day of Pentecost (Ac 1:14), Multitude of women saved (Ac 5:14), Dorcas (Ac 9:36-37), Priscilla (Ac 18:26) Women were persecuted (Ac 8:3; 9:2), and Lydia was saved (Ac 16:14).

G.    We have also seen the influence of prominent women before when they were incited by Jews and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas (Ac 13:50). But here in Thessalonica, many prominent women came to Christ.

II.    PERSECUTION BY JEALOUS JEWS (Ac 17:5-7)

A.    [5] However, when these prominent women came to Christ, the Jews became jealous and a persecution broke out.

1.     Jealousy has been a strong motivation for Christian persecution in the early church. It can be jealousy of losing people (Ac 5:17; 13:45) or jealousy of losing power and wealth (Ac 17:5), or jealousy that the Gentiles were being accepted. We find no one with good motives or good reasons to persecute Christianity and its truth.

2.     We also find more “mob mentality” in the persecution of the early Christians (cf. Ac 16:22; 17:8; 19:28; 21:30; 22:22) as well as those who are always ready to participate in a mob, regardless of their beliefs or of the facts. They were described as “wicked” (ponēros - bad, evil) from the “marketplace” (hoi agoraioi - marketplace people, loiterers, rabble-rousers).

3.     The whole city was in an uproar and they stormed the house of Jason (probably a Jewish convert), supposing that Paul and the missionaries were staying there.

B.    [6] When they did not find Paul and Silas they began dragging Jason and some of the brethren out to the crowds. They accused them of causing an uproar in the world.

1.     The accusation that the persecutors gave was that “These men who have upset the world have come here also.” This is a good translation of the Greek though I think we would all would prefer the words of the KJV, “[they have] “turned the world upside down.”

2.     The accusation by the persecutors was probably direct at Paul, though Jason was guilty of harboring the missionaries. Evidently, they were aware of Paul’s gospel and trouble in other areas (Philippi) (cf. Ac 24:5). The thinking of the world is upside down compared to God’s truth proclaimed in the gospel, which is right-side up. In all reality, it is the skeptics and unbelievers who “set the city in an uproar.”

C.    [7] The second accusation is more significant because only the Jews would have known the full extent of Paul’s gospel. Paul did teach about the “kingdom of God” (Ac 14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31 cf. 1Th 2:12; 2Th 1:5) and that Jesus was the “king of kings” (1Ti 6:14). However, it was not in the sense of political or imperial rebellion. In addition, for centuries, Christians would also be accused of “atheism” for failing to worship the King as a god.

III.  JASON RELEASED AFTER POSTING BAIL (Ac 17:8-9)

A.    [8] The whole city was in an uproar because both the Jews and the Greeks would have something against Paul’s gospel.

B.    [9] A pledge” (hikanos - sufficient money, bond or bail) was paid from Jason and they were released. The brothers immediately sent Paul and Barnabas to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

IV.  OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

A.    Learn how to reason from the Scriptures (Mk 12:30; 1Pe 3;15).

B.    Learn how to think right-side up (Pr 3:19-26).

C.    Learn to be a fragrance of life (2Co 2:15-16; Ep 5:2; Php 4:18)

 

 

 

Grace Bible Church · 4000 E. Collins Rd ·  PO Box #3762 · Gillette, WY · (307) 686-1516