(1) “Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: (2) and Paul, as his custom was, went in unto them, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures, (3) opening and alleging that it behoved the Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom, said he, I proclaim unto you, is the Christ.
(4) “And some of them were persuaded, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. (5) But the Jews, being moved with jealousy, took unto them certain vile fellows of the rabble, and gathering a crowd, set the city on an uproar; and assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them forth to the people. (6) And when they found them not, they dragged Jason and certain brethren before the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; (7) whom Jason hath received: and all these act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. (8) And they troubled the multitude and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. (9) And when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
(10) “And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea; who when they were come thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. (11) Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so. (12) Many of them therefore believed; also of the Greek women of honorable estate, and of men, not a few.”
Golden Text.—“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet.” Ps. 119:105.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) Where did Paul and his companions go from Philippi? Verse 1. Note 1. (2) What did Paul do there, according to his custom? For how many Sabbaths was he permitted to do this? What was his manner of teaching? Verse 2. Note 2. Upon what point did he specially dwell? Verse 3. Note 3. (4) What was the result of his teaching during these three weeks? Verse 4. (5) What effect did this success have upon those who rejected the truth? How did they manifest their bitterness of heart? Verse 5. Note 4. (6) Failing to find the apostles, to whom did the mob turn? What charge was made against the apostles? Verse 6. (7) What had Jason done that was particularly offensive? And what general charge was urged against all the believers? Verse 7. Note 5. (8) What effect did this clamor have upon the people and the rulers of the city? Verse 8. (9) How did the rulers compromise the matter? Verse 9. Note 6. (10) What was done to protect the apostles? On arriving there what course did they pursue? Verse 10. Note 7. (11) What comparison was made between the people of these two cities? Verse 11. Note 8. (12) What was the result of the apostles’ labors in Berea? Verse 12. Note 9.
NOTES.
1. Amphipolis, about thirty-three miles southwest from Philippi, where Paul and Silas had been beaten and imprisoned, and where the jailer and his household were converted. Apollonia, about thirty miles further on in the same general direction. Thessalonica, the largest city and commercial center of Macedonia. It was about thirty-seven miles from Apollonia. The city was named after the sister of Alexander the Great, and was noted as a resting-place of the great army of Xerxes, and the residence of Cicero for a time during his exile from Rome. The city had a population of 100,000.
2. Paul’s custom was, on going to a strange place, to first introduce himself to the Jews; for there was always opportunity to speak in the synagogue on at least one Sabbath day, and he could thereby introduce the Gospel to his “kinsmen according to the flesh” (Rom. 9:3), for whom he had a special desire that they might be saved (Ch. 10:1).
3. The Jews adhered to the Scriptures, and were looking for the Messiah; therefore the apostles had reason to believe that they would accept Jesus Christ when His claims were presented from Scripture evidence. And these initial efforts were always productive of more or less fruit. It was hard for Jews—who believed in a grand temporal messiah who would be invincible to all enemies—to accept of One who had been put to death. So Paul dwelt especially on the fact that the true Messiah must suffer death, according to the Scriptures. This is a vital point in the Gospel.
4. The envy of the Jews was intensified by the large number of people who believed the teaching of the apostles, especially because they were of the classes who had adhered to the synagogue. So they called to their wicked purpose a low, wicked class of men who could be incited or bribed to do any outrageous deed.
5. Like their prototypes in modern times, these enemies of the true Gospel sought some pretext of law and order for the execution of their unlawful purpose. Their appeal to Caesar was against Christ, persecuting Christ in the persons of His disciples.
6. Because the rulers of the city were perplexed, they took security against further cause of trouble. This was a kind of compromise with the Jewish complainants, because of a dread of the general government and a fear of the loss of the city’s freedom. The security of so large a number was no doubt a large sum of money, which would be forfeited in case of further riot from this cause. It was a scheme of Satan, evidently, to keep Paul out of the city. See 1 Thess. 2:17, 18.
7. That the decision of the rulers was not all that the Jews desired is manifest in the necessity of the apostles’ departure at night. It is evident from this that bodily harm was designed against them.
8. As in other places, the initial Gospel effort at Berea was in the synagogue of the Jews. Here, however, was a general disposition to test the apostles’ doctrine by the Word. And this is styled the “more noble” way. The study of the Scriptures is by Inspiration deemed a “noble” occupation. By this all teaching should be tested. “To the law and the testimony: if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isa. 8:20.
9. Therefore, not altogether because of the preaching, but because of the Scripture study, a large number of people believed the Gospel. And, be it remembered, they had only the Old Testament Scriptures.
