The Bumpy Start...
(Apologies for the missed EmmDev yesterday...)When Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia asking "Come and help us" he and his team responded by going to Philippi where they were arrested, flogged, imprisoned and ultimately released. This did not deter them and they proceeded to Thessalonica which was the capital of Macedonia.
Here's the account of what happened there...
| When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ, " he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women.
But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus." When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go. As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. (Acts17:1-10) |
Paul spent only a short time in Thessalonica. He preached in the synagogue for three weeks, but beyond that he may have stayed for a bit longer but the consensus is that it was not long. Wonderfully, a number of people responded and were converted. Among them a significant number of prominent women.
Some of the Jews responded with jealousy. There is an interesting irony in their accusation that Paul and Silas were defying Caesar. Judaism rejected the worship of anyone other than God, but the mob seized on his proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah and King to portray him as a political threat to Caesar. They turned a religious disagreement into a potentially dangerous political accusation.
In our reading we meet Jason. His name is Greek, but he might have been a Jew who adopted a Greek name, or a Greek who had converted to Judaism and then to Christianity. It seems he hosted Paul and when the mob couldn't find Paul and Silas they dragged Jason and some other church members before the city council. Jason and his associates were forced to "post bond" which meant that they were held responsible for ensuring that there would be no more disturbances.
In Philippi, Paul and Silas had suffered arrest, flogging and imprisonment in stocks. Here in Thessalonica, it was the new believers who were now paying the price. Rather than exposing Jason and his companions to further danger, Paul and Silas leave for the next town. It's not a lack of courage on Paul's part, but his love for the new believers...
Amazingly, this young church, established in a short time and facing considerable opposition, not only survived but continued to thrive and grow. As we continue to consider Paul's letter to them, we'll begin to see why...
The key thoughts for today are
- Paul's significant commitment and strategic approach to spreading the Gospel:
After being arrested and flogged in Philippi, they travel over 100km to get to Thessalonica, a capital city on strategic crossroads. - The effectiveness of their work:
In three weeks a significant church is formed in spite of strong opposition - The courage and faith of Jason and the leaders:
They continue to live transformed lives, after only a short time of walking with Jesus, even when placed under severe pressure.
