The Jews of Thessalonica
Acts 17:1-15
February 10, 2013
As you know we are now studying what is commonly called,
“Paul’s Second Missionary Journey”
It started with Division and was directed by Diversion
But we have seen the Sovereign hand of God make this trip unforgettable.
• After encouraging the cities from the first trip,
• God supernaturally guided Paul, Silas, and Timothy into Macedonia (Europe)
• Where we saw the salvation of Lydia,
• The establishment of the Philippian church
• The deliverance of a demon possessed slave girl
• The salvation of the jailor and his family.
God is working.
If the first part of this trip focuses on the sovereign plan of God, Certainly the last part focuses on the sinister plan of Satan.
When you read chapters 17 & 18, it is not hard to see what stands out.
We are given brief pictures of what Paul preaches,
But the major focus of the remainder of this trip is the opposition to it.
• First we see the Jews of Thessalanica and their use of the mob to try and stop the gospel.
• Then we see the men of Athens and their use of mockery to try and stop the gospel.
• Then we see the Jews of Corinth and their decision to malign the gospel in order to try and stop it.
We continually see opposition.
And certainly this should not surprise us.
Adrian Rogers said, “We are either in collusion with the devil
Or in collision with him.”
When we take the message of the gospel to a fallen sinful world.
We are preaching a message that:
• Dishonors the god of this world.
• Disturbs the people of this world.
• Determines the fate of this world.
Don’t expect people to simply swallow it without a fight.
And Paul is living proof of that.
He faced continual opposition.
So tonight, let’s examine this as we look at “The Jews of Thessalonica”
There are four main things this text shows us.
#1 THEIR OPPORTUNITY
Acts 17:1-4
So we know at this point Paul has been flogged, imprisoned,
And then released in the city of Philippi.
But Paul, Silas, and Timothy are now moving on.
And you will notice that “they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia”
The only indication as to why would be because they, like Philippi,
Did not have a synagogue.
Because Paul “came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.”
Thanks to Philippi, we know that Paul did not require a synagogue,
But there is little doubt as to the fact that this was his preferred way.
So Paul is now in Thessalonica.
(2) “And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures”
And this is really Paul’s comfort zone in regard to missions.
We know he was bold and seemingly fearless.
We know he was a mighty preacher.
But when you think of Paul, the first thing that you think of
Is his tremendous intellect and ability to reason out
The deep truths of Scripture.
Ephesians 3:8-10 “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.”
That passage really captures much of the heart of Paul’s ministry.
God uses all kinds in order to bring about His kingdom,
But Paul seems to be that one who really had the mind
To reason out those difficult mysteries and bring sense to the confusion.
It was by no coincidence that he wrote the letter to the Romans, which carries us through the deep doctrines of depravity, justification, security, and even election.
It was by no coincidence that he wrote the letter to the Ephesians, which highlights the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus.
Paul really had the mind to take the Scriptures
And reason them out for people to understand them.
Well, that is what he is doing here.
He isn’t so much preaching prepared messages
As he is reasoning from the Scriptures.
This was a “Q&A” time.
There was some debate occurring here.
Paul wasn’t just preaching, he was reasoning.
And this is an important quality.
Paul actually wrote to Titus that overseers need to be able to do this.
Titus 1:9 “holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”
And of course the benefit of such an approach
Is that it leaves a more thorough understanding.
If I preach a sermon you may be able to fully grasp all that I say,
But if you get to ask questions and even voice your difference of opinion,
The subject gets more thoroughly covered.
Well Paul is doing that.
He isn’t trying to give this synagogue great sermons,
He is trying to give them a proper understanding.
I want you to see that, so that you can see that
The Thessalonians had a tremendous opportunity,
Not only to hear the gospel, but to fully understand it.
And we even see the areas that Paul set out to prove.
(3) “explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”
Now according to that verse Paul was really seeking to drive home
Three main points to these Thessalonian Jews.
1) THE NECESSITY OF MESSIAH’S SUFFERING
“the Christ had to suffer”
2) THE NECESSITY OF MESSIAH’S RESURRECTION
“and rise again from the dead”
3) THE IDENTITY OF THE MESSIAH
“This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”
Now, we aren’t given the specifics,
And we aren’t told what specific Old Testament passages he quoted,
But based on other sermons we have a pretty good idea.
• No doubt Paul used Isaiah 53 to reveal why Messiah would suffer.
• No doubt Paul used Psalm 16 about God not letting the Holy One undergo decay.
• No doubt Paul used Psalm 2 about having installed His king.
And there are many others that must have come up
During a three week debate.
But for the purpose of this text, how Paul argued is not the point.
The fact that Paul argued these three points is important.
Jews had tremendous difficulty accepting the death of the Messiah.
They had obviously overlooked the importance of Isaiah 53 or Psalm 22.
And to the Jews a dead Messiah was a ridiculous notion.
You will remember that even Peter had difficulty accepting this.
“May it never be Lord, this shall never happen to You”
Jews just couldn’t handle the necessity of Messiah’s death.
Paul reasoned that he “had to suffer” and die.
1 Corinthians 1:23 “but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,”
This was a tough topic, but Paul devoted three straight weeks
To proving it, explaining it, and even fielding questions about it.
Paul also spoke of the necessity of Messiah’s resurrection.
And of course resurrection is important, because if the Messiah stays dead we will forever wonder if He was successful or not.
Romans 4:25 “He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.”
The resurrection not only indicated the defeat of death,
But also the success of the atonement.
Christ overcame.
He bore our sin, and rose victorious.
The resurrection was also the basis for which to ascribe deity to Christ.
Romans 1:4 “who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,”
And of course this was a difficult notion as well.
One of the main issues the Jews took with Jesus
Was that He proclaimed Himself to be God.
Paul is here reasoning the necessity of Messiah’s death and resurrection.
And he is fielding three weeks worth of discussion on the issue.
And once those issues are hammered out, It was important to Paul to reveal the identity of Messiah, who is none other than Jesus Christ.
The identity matters, because these men needed to know who to follow.
They didn’t just need facts about Messiah, they needed to follow Messiah.
That Messiah was Jesus.
You can see that Paul is very thorough and complete in making sure
That the Jews of Thessalonica have a true and accurate understanding
Of not only the purpose of the gospel, but also the expectation of it.
And as we see in verse 4, his reasoning did have some effect.
(4) “And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women.”
Now we did get some Jews, but the majority of those who believed
Were “the God-fearing Greeks” and “the leading women”.
Some Jewish men believed, but the main success was among the others.
But the main point is that everyone here
Had a genuine opportunity to hear and understand the gospel.
Ignorance is no longer and excuse for going to hell.
Their Opportunity
#2 THEIR OPPOSITION
Acts 17:5-9
And verse 5 really seems to be the point of the passage.
In spite of the reasoning.
In spite of the belief of many.
These Jews still opposed the gospel.
(5) “But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people.”
Here we have a mob.
And mobs are all too common both in Scripture and even today.
Furthermore mobs are easy to understand.
1) They are moved by jealousy
They aren’t formed with spiritual interests but human ones. They start when people rise up to defend their own personal desires.
2) They are strengthened by sinners
These Jews gathered some wicked men to help them.
Because reason is not the aim, brute force is.
3) They are fueled by chaos
Their first goal was to set the city in an uproar. It’s not about order, it’s not about understanding, it’s about momentum.
And we see mobs used throughout Scripture,
And several times even in the book of Acts.
Examine the mobs that opposed Moses, there was no spiritual leading or Scriptural relevance. Selfish men simply got a multitude worked up and at the pinnacle of their momentum tried to overthrow Moses.
Consider the mob that crucified Jesus. One second they are approaching Pilate to release Jesus as their Passover prisoner, the next they are stirred up and demanding His crucifixion.
Even later in the book of Acts when Paul is in Ephesus, a mob starts because a couple of idol makers get people all worked up.
I’ve always loved this verse:
Acts 19:32 “So then, some were shouting one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together.”
That is a mob.
• It has a selfish start
• It has a sinful momentum
• It has a stupid following
• And it has a shameful goal.
These men simply wanted to stop and destroy Paul and his message.
(6-8) “When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also; and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.”
Whereas Paul was reasoning and giving time for questions,
These men were not interested in truth, but winning at all cost.
Incidentally the accusation they make against Paul is a very serious one,
For this could have been considered insurrection against Caesar
Which brought a penalty of death.
But what is even more important to see here is the motive for this mob.
DID YOU NOTICE WHAT THEY SAID OF PAUL AND SILAS?
“These men who have upset the world…”
I told you earlier that the gospel:
Dishonors the god of this world.
Disturbs the people of this world.
Determines the fate of this world.
It confronts man at his deepest part (the heart)
Questions all his motives and demands repentance.
It will not let a sinner comfortably stay in his sin,
It forces man to take inventory
And often times literally turns their world upside down.
Think about it.
DID THE GOSPEL TURN YOUR WORLD UPSIDE DOWN?
If it didn’t, I seriously doubt you’ve ever submitted to it.
“I’ve never met a sinner yet
Who was so good that Jesus just left them as they were.”
When a sinner is confronted with the gospel,
One thing I know for sure: his life is about to change.
And I’m not just talking about his perspectives on life.
The decision to follow Christ and believe the gospel
Has caused many a man to change
Not only his perspective, but also his habits, his language, his occupation, his friends, his retirement, his location, his status, his income, and his purpose.
Jesus didn’t come to leave sinners like they were.
He came to upset the world.
Paul was a preacher of that change.
That is why they hated him.
People like things they way they are,
And if you start bringing in the element of change,
Especially if you are an outsider, get ready for a fight.
That is why there was such opposition.
And incidentally the only thing that saved Paul’s bacon was that
The mob was so carnal that they were also able to be bought off.
(9) “And when they had received a pledge from Jason and the others, they released them.”
But you see these Jews had an opportunity.
And they you see their opposition.
Let’s continue
#3 THEIR OPPOSITES
Acts 17:10-12
Now it looks like at this point we should just move on and
Quit talking about the Thessalonians and move on to the Bereans.
The introduction of the Bereans is not just about who they were, Rather who they were in contrast to who the Thessalonians were.
These men are referenced not just for their own introduction,
But to make a further point about those Thessalonian Jews.
You will see that clearly in a moment.
(10) “The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.”
Don’t fail to see the commitment of Paul and Silas here.
God promised Ezekiel that He would make his head as hard as those he was preaching to. The same can easily be said of Paul.
This man had no quit in him.
And then comes the contrast.
(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.”
That verse is not simply meant to credit the Bereans,
But also to condemn the Thessalonians.
Here we are given further explanation
As to the revolt that occurred in Thessalonica.
The Thessalonian Jews were not “noble-minded”.
They were base, they were ignorant, they were hot-headed.
“noble-minded” is a tough word to define.
The Greek word for “noble” is a compound word that if broken apart literally means “well, birth”; similar to the concept of a noble as opposed to a commoner.
By throwing “minded” in there we are obviously
Not talking about economic status, but intellect.
These men just had a more admirable way of thinking.
Whereas the Thessalonians were hot-headed, irrational, and ignorant,
The Bereans could keep their emotions long enough to check the facts.
They actually examined “the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”
(That gives insight into what the Thessalonians did not do)
And the result of the Berean Jews was obvious.
(12) “Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.”
And this should not surprise us.
We’ve always known that the gospel was the power of God for salvation.
Don’t ever be afraid to turn someone over to their Bible.
I talked to a youth minister one time who told me, that he didn’t think we should just tell people to read their Bible. Rather, we needed to tell people to read their Bible with a good commentary, because people needed to be guided in what they read.
That is an arrogant statement that totally disregards
The teaching presence of the Holy Spirit.
Now, we did study a few weeks ago that we to some degree stand upon the faith of others (like the Jerusalem council) who will study the Scriptures and hammer out what it teaches.
We don’t disregard such contributions.
But at the end of the day, you don’t ever have to be afraid
To turn men over to the Bible and fear they’ll be led astray.
They may not fully grasp it all,
But the Holy Spirit will be true to lead them to the truth.
That is what happened here with the Bereans.
• They heard Paul’s reasoning…
• They searched the Scriptures…
• They were saved.
They are the exact opposites of the Thessalonians,
Who heard, but refused to search and therefore didn’t believe.
And as I told you, this story is about them, not the Bereans,
So look at what we have next.
Their Opportunity, Their Opposition, Their Opposites
#4 THEIR OPPRESSION
Acts 17:13-15
What is the difference between opposition and oppression?
(The degree and the length)
Oppression lasts longer and is more intense.
Well here we see that the Thessalonians not only opposed the gospel,
But sought also to oppress those who preached it.
(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, agitating and stirring up the crowds.”
They so resented their world being turned upside down, that they not only ran Paul out of their city, they sought to stop him completely.
These men hate the gospel.
They remind us of those Jews from Pisidian Antioch and Iconium who chased Paul to Lystra and ultimately stoned him.
The Jews at Thessalonica are just like them.
They hate the gospel and are bent on stopping it.
The result is that Paul has to flee again.
(14-15) “Then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there. Now those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.”
The difference of course is that this time Silas and Timothy stayed behind.
But you see the type of opposition Paul is dealing with.
And this is a good reminder for us.
Peter said:
1 Peter 4:12-14 “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”
John said:
1 John 3:13-14 “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.”
Even Jesus said:
John 16:1-4 “These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. “These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. “But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.”
If you are going to serve God in the right way, then expect opposition.
It will happen.
We come across difficult people who are settled in their way,
Who do not want to have their lives turned upside down.
But that is what Jesus does.
We cannot give them Jesus and not jostle their lives.
SO EXPECT OPPOSITION.
AND THEN, SHAKE THE WORLD ANYWAY.
That is the calling, and Paul did that as well as anyone.
He preached to people who hated it,
And when they forced him to leave, he just kept on preaching.
Now, let me show you one more thing.
Let me show you the result.
I think we can agree that Thessalonica
Was a tough sell for starting a church.
And yet one did start.
TURN TO: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Yes it was a tough town, but look at the church that came out of it.
A solid church that left idols and served God.
BUT WHAT ABOUT AFTER SEEING HOW OPPOSED PEOPLE WERE?
Did they quit then?
That was Paul’s concern.
What happened to that church after they ran us out of town?
TURN TO: 1 Thessalonians 2:17 – 3:13
What God was doing could not be stopped
In spite of the Jews of Thessalonica.
• They were hostile.
• They formed a mob.
• They ran the preacher out of town.
And the church just kept on growing.
This further emphasizes the necessity of our conviction.
Don’t let those who are less than noble-minded
Form a mob and discourage you from preaching the gospel.
Preach the gospel because God’s word never returns void.
2 Timothy 2:8-10 “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.”
