CHRIST PREACHED IN THESSALONICA

Acts 17:1-5 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: and Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. But the Jews, which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

Having preached the gospel message of Christ Jesus, converting many, and establishing a church of Christ in Philippi, Paul, Silas, and their company of Jesus' followers, journeyed southwest approximately 30 miles to the city of Amphipolis, then an additional 30 miles south to Apollonia, and finally, about the same distance westerly to the city of Thessalonica. These cities were situated on a well-traveled road used extensively for commercial trade as well as for a military travel route. As they were situated on this road, the distance from one city to the other was approximately one day's journey.

In the final leg of the journey, noted in the lesson text, they came to Thessalonica, a well-known seaport city having a thriving commercial trade and populated by Romans, Greeks, as well as Jews. The Jewish population must have been fairly large because Paul, when he arrived there, found a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures. Here, in the Jewish synagogues, Paul often found gatherings of religious Old Testament people that gave him a forum from which he was able to preach the Holy Spirit-inspired gospel message of salvation that had been made available through the Son of God, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. For three Jewish Sabbaths, Paul used Old Testament scriptures, which, no doubt, were well known to them, to confirm that the promised Messiah, that was foretold to die on the cross of Calvary, conquered death by resurrection, ascend back into heaven, was seated at the right hand of God, and become the head over His kingdom in heaven and His church on earth. By the scriptures, Paul proved that Jesus met and fulfilled these Old Testament prophecies; indeed, He was God's Son, Christ Jesus, the long-anticipated Savior of the world.

The result of Paul and Silas preaching the gospel of salvation through Jesus in Thessalonica, was that some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. This verse tells us that some of these Jews that heard the gospel of Christ, believed Jesus to be the Son of God, and, no doubt, were baptized for the remission of their sins just as those on the Day of Pentecost, as well as others previously recorded in these inspired words written by Luke. Not only did they obediently become Christians, but also they consorted with Paul and Silas - that is, they became faithful disciples and fellow labors for the cause of Christ, following the example of Paul and Silas. Along with those Jews that were converted here in Thessalonica, many devout Greeks, possibly Jewish proselytes, obediently became Christians, as well as a great number of the chief women - influential women of distinction, either having Jewish or Gentile heritage. Indeed, first century preaching of the New Testament gospel of Christ was heard, readily believed, and sincerely obeyed by both men and women of all nationalities.

Unfortunately this same gospel of Christ was widely rejected. (T)he Jews, which believed not, vehemently opposed the teaching of Paul and Silas. They did so by soliciting the aid of the most evil and wicked townspeople they could find, and, no doubt, bribing them to bring a civil, riotous uproar protesting their teaching, and threatening all that accepted them and their gospel message of salvation through Christ Jesus. Accusing Paul and Silas of turning the world upside down with their teaching, this unruly mob assaulted (or attacked) the house of Jason, who had taken Paul and Silas into his home as guests (Vs. 7). In verses that follow, we find that Jason vouched for their character, gave the authorities a security deposit guaranteeing that their actions did not oppose Roman authority, and Paul and Silas were allowed to go free.