1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted 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 departed.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Luke changes back to the third person plural, “they”, indicating he remained in Philippi while Paul, Silas, and Timothy continued to Thessolonica. Following his customary approach, Paul went into the Synagogue over three Sabbaths and reasoned with them from the Scriptures. Because belief in something is a rational response, evangelism must involve reasoning with people using evidence. Paul explained and demonstrated from the Scriptures that the Christ needed to suffer and then rise from the dead. Then he proclaimed that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ. Some of the Jews were persuated and they believed, along with many of the devout Greeks and many of the leading women. But the Jewish leaders again responded with jealousy, formed a mob, and attacked the house of Jason where they were presumably staying. They couldn’t find Paul, Silas, and Timothy, so they dragged Jason and some of the believers before the city authorities. They charged them with turning the world upside down and bringing their trouble to this city. They accused Jason of siding with them and plotting against Ceasar through political support of another king, Jesus. The people of the city were disturbed, probably because they couldn’t find Paul and his group to coroborate the charges. They took security from Jason and the others, to ensure no further unreset, and then released them.
The believers sent Paul and Silas (and Timothy) away by night to Berea. Despite the continued challenges they faced from doing so, Paul again went to the Jewish synagogue. Here he found Jews who were far more receptive to the gospel message. They received the word eagerly and examined the Scriptures daily for themselves to validate Paul’s claims. Because we are presenting the truth, we can confidently encourage people to go and examine the evidence for themselves before believing. Because of their openness, many of the Jews believed along with many Greek men and women of high standing. But when the Jews of Thessolonica heard that the gospel was being preached in Berea, they moved there and again stirred up the crowds. In response, the believers sent Paul to the coast but Silas and Timothy remained. They took Paul as far as Athens and then he sent for Silas and Timothy to join him.
The believers were accused of turning the world upside down. Do you have that effect on people—in a good way. Do others see in you a completely different way to live? Or are you just like them? The Jews in Berea were called noble or open-minded because of their willingness to learn and evaluate something fairly. Do you read God’s word with an open mind and a willingness to be changed by its truths?
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
The Message From God: 1 Thessalonians 1-2