In the previous chapter, we left Paul and Silas being freed from prison miraculously but they also freed a bunch of people from their sins and a slave girl who was now freed from demon possession. And they both left Philippi after spending some time with Lydia and her household.
In this chapter, we find Paul and Silas on their second missionary journey to Thessalonica, Acts 17:1. If you’re the apostle Paul and your trade is preaching, you will always know your audience and know exactly what to say and sometimes that means saying the words which are going to hurt most.
Luke didn’t tell us why Paul passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, but he did tell us that the next stop on this second missionary tour was Thessalonica, Acts 17:1.
The city of Thessalonica was the capital and largest city of the Roman province of Macedonia, located on the Ignatian Way, which was a major road from Rome to the eastern provinces.
The city was named after the wife of Cassander, who built the city. Those in Thessalonica adored many gods, particularly Jupiter, as the father of Hercules, the alleged founder of its ancient royal family.
The city also boasted a celebrated amphitheatre, where gladiatorial shows were exhibited for the amusement of the citizens, and a circus for public games. Thessalonica’s location and use as a port made it a prominent city.
In 168 B.C., it became the capital of the second district of Macedonia and later it was made the capital and major port of the whole Roman province of Macedonia, 146 B.C. In 42 B.C., after the battle at Philippi, Thessalonica was made a free city. Thessalonica was the capital of one of the four Roman districts of Macedonia.
Philippi didn’t have a synagogue so Paul and Silas went to the place of prayer, Acts 16:13, but here in Thessalonica, they had one, Acts 17:1. Paul went to the synagogue for three consecutive Sabbath days to reason with the Jews, Acts 13:5 / Acts 13:14 / Acts 14:1 / Acts 17:17 / Acts 18:4 / Acts 18:19 / Acts 19:8-9 / Acts 24:25 / Romans 1:16, about Jesus being the Messiah had to suffer and rise again from the grave, Acts 17:2-3 / Acts 3:18 / Acts 13:30 / Acts 13:34 / Luke 24:13-27 / 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.
Hughes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The Greek word translated ‘reasoned’ is the root for our English word dialogue. There was exchange, questions and answers. He dialogued with them ‘from the Scriptures.’
The very idea of a crucified Messiah was a stumbling block to the Jews, 1 Corinthians 1:23, but what Paul does here, he argues from the prophets, saying that that was precisely what God had foretold in Isaiah 53, Acts 17:3.
He goes on and establishes the fact that God had also planned and accomplished Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and made Him King over His people, Acts 17:3 / Acts 2:22-36 / 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.
In other words, all these things which were recorded by the prophets were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, Acts 17:3. The scriptural evidence was supported by the miracles worked by the power of the Holy Spirit, 1 Thessalonians 1:5. There was more than enough proof that Jesus was the risen Messiah.
It was during these three weeks of teaching in the synagogue in Thessalonica that Paul and Silas worked with their own hands to support themselves, 1 Thessalonians 2:9, and the apostles received support from the brethren in Philippi on at least two occasions, Philippians 4:15-16.
The point is, that the combination of scriptural preaching, the miracles and the apostle’s obvious commitment to reach the lost had its desired effect. And we know that all that proof and effort was rewarded because Luke tells us that some Jews and Greeks who worshipped God and prominent women from the community obeyed the Gospel, Acts 17:4.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘His converts seem to have been mainly Gentiles, 1 Thessalonians 1:9, many of whom were God-fearers, Acts 10:4 / Acts 13:43 / Acts 16:14, but some of them were Jews. Jason, Acts 17:5, Aristarchus, Colossians 4:10, and Secundus, Acts 20:4, appear to have been among these new believers.’
It is those people whom Paul refers to when he writes to the church that meets at Thessalonica. What a great way to be remembered as a congregation, they used to worship idols but now they have turned to God, 1 Thessalonians 1:9.
We should never forget who we used to be and where we came from, and who we are now, because the Bible clearly reminds us of who we were and what we have become.
We used to be dead in our sins but now God has made us alive in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:1-5. We used to look to the world for the answers to life but now we turn to the living God for those answers.
And now, just like Paul and Silas did with these Jews and Gentiles, we are persuaded that Jesus truly is Lord over everything and our life needs to reflect that persuasion. It’s only when we remember who we used to be in reference to being sinners, can we show those who are still dead in their sins the way back to life.
And so following on, what we have seen happening time and time again throughout the Book of Acts, there are those who are made alive in Christ and those who chose to remain dead in their sins, 2 Corinthians 2:16.
Luke says that Paul’s words moved the unbelieving Jews to jealousy and so they enlisted the help of some troublemakers, caused a riot and stirred up a mob to go to Jason’s house and bring Paul and Silas out, Acts 17:5.
Time and time again, we have seen this attitude of resentment towards the apostles for doing what is right, Acts 13:45 / Acts 13:50 / Acts 14:2 / Acts 14:5 / Acts 14:19.
I guess if we can’t find the people we’re looking for, we will take the next best thing, and that’s what the mob did. When they couldn’t find the two missionaries, the mob dragged Jason and some brethren before the rulers of the city and then the accusations began to flow, Acts 17:6.
They accused Paul and Silas of being part of the number who turned the world upside down by defying Ceasar, Acts 18:2 / John 19:15, and teaching that Jesus was King, Acts 17:6-7 / Luke 12:16-21 / 1 Thessalonians 3:13 / 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 / 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 / 2 Thessalonians 2:14 / 1 Timothy 6:15.
The accusations caused such a stir, the text says, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil, Acts 17:8. Notice from the text, that the rulers thought the matter was serious enough to require some security, Acts 17:9.
Perhaps like a property bond of Jason and the others. And this basically served as a warning to them that if any further disturbance occurred by them then they would lose their property.
Bruce, in his commentary, says the following, concerning Acts 17:9.
‘This probably meant that Paul had to leave the city and that his friends guaranteed that he would not come back, at least during the present magistrates’ term of office. It is probably to this situation that Paul referred in 1 Thessalonians 2:18, that he greatly desired to go back, but ‘Satan hindered us.’
While Paul was away, the church continued in the faith, for which Paul thanked God, 1 Thessalonians 1:7-10 / 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16.
Wesley, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Paul maintained himself by his own labour, 1 Thessalonians 2:8-9, assisted by friends in Philippi, Philippians 4:15-16.’
It was during these difficult conditions that Paul and Silas were sent away by night to Berea, some sixty miles away.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This relatively unimportant place has given its name to Bible classes all over the world. This city is ‘the modern Verria’ and was probably founded in the fifth century B.C. In Paul’s day, it was a prosperous centre with a significant centre with a significant Jewish population and a synagogue. It was the home of Sopater, Acts 20:4.’
The believers in Thessalonica sent Paul and Silas to Berea during the night, Acts 9:25 / Matthew 10:23. Luke tells us that Paul and Silas, when they arrived at Berea, immediately entered the synagogue to teach, Romans 1:16.
However, rather than base their decisions on the traditional teachings of man, the Bereans carefully examined the Word of God to determine the truthfulness of the teachings they heard, Acts 17:10-11 / James 1:22-25.
The result was that many Jews believed the gospel along with honourable Greek women and not a few men, Acts 17:12. When it comes to preaching the Word of God, those who believe humbly accept the message, but those who don’t are filled with jealousy, Acts 5:17 / Acts 13:45.
And here again, Luke reports that these jealous people stirred more jealousy among the unbelieving Jews of Thessalonica who journeyed to Berea and stirred up the multitudes, Acts 17:13. Once more, we see those who oppose the truth, stirring up trouble, Acts 13:45 / Acts 13:50 / Acts 14:2 / Acts 14:5 / Acts 14:19 / Acts 17:5-8.
Walker, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The hounds of persecution bayed on Paul’s trail from Thessalonica to Berea.’
Whenever the apostles have any success and a multitude of people begin to listen to them, the unbelievers are filled with jealousy. They are so afraid that they will no longer be popular within the community. They are afraid that the apostles will take these believers away from them and their traditions.
Jealousy is one of those sins that prevent a person from inheriting the kingdom of God, Galatians 5:19-21. Jealousy is one of those sins which should have been put off at our baptism, Romans 13:13-14.
Luke tells us that with the trouble coming from these jealous trouble makers, some of the brethren escorted Paul safely to the sea while Silas and Timothy continued at Berea, Acts 17:14. Then the brethren journeyed on to Athens with Paul and were asked by the apostle to send Silas and Timothy as soon as possible, Acts 17:15.
Longenecker, in his commentary, says the following concerning what was happening during this time.
‘Timothy was sent back to Thessalonica, 1 Thessalonians 3:2. Silas, however, seems to have gone back to Macedonia, Acts 18:5, probably to Philippi, where he received from the young congregation there a gift of money for the support of the missioners, Philippians 4:15. In the meantime, Paul had moved from Athens to Corinth, Acts 18:1, and was joined there by Silas and Timothy on their return from Macedonia, Acts 18:5 / 1 Thessalonians 3:6.’
What Luke records next is one of the greatest debates we find in the New Testament with the so-called wise men of Athens, Ecclesiastes 7:11-12.
Easton’s Bible dictionary says the following.
‘Athens was the capital of Attica, the most celebrated city of the ancient world, the seat of Greek literature and art during the golden period of Grecian history. Its inhabitants were fond of novelty, Acts 17:21, and were remarkable for their zeal in the worship of the gods. It was a sarcastic saying of the Roman satirist that it was ‘easier to find a god at Athens than a man.’
While Paul waited for the others to arrive in Athens, Paul apparently toured the city and discovered it was totally given over to idolatry, Acts 17:16. This distressed, or one might say angered him, and so, he went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and devout Greeks of the city, Acts 17:17 / 1 Corinthians 1:21.
Because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection with those he met in the marketplace, and this drew the attention of certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers, some of whom decided they wanted to hear what the ‘babbler’ had to say. Others in the crowd thought he was talking about foreign gods, Acts 17:17-18.
Luke tells us that they took hold of Paul in a non-threatening way and brought him to the Areopagus, or Mars Hill, to present his new philosophy, Acts 17:19. This is interesting because Mars was the mythical god of war, and the legend goes that Mars, the god of war, was on Mars Hill for the murder of one of Neptune’s sons; that’s why it was called Mars Hill.
And interestingly, a messenger for the true Prince of Peace was placed in that spot so that curious philosophers might hear something new. To his audience, what Paul was teaching were strange ideas, but at least they wanted to try and understand what he meant, Acts 17:20.
Luke takes the time to insert that ‘all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas’, Acts 17:21.
Sometimes, when we’re trying to share the Gospel with people, they too find it strange. Didn’t we find it strange when we first heard the Gospel? When someone came along and said, ‘hey you need help? You need Jesus in your life!’
No wonder people think that Christians are strange, no wonder people can’t understand why we come to worship every week to remember a guy who died and was raised back to life.
When we say these things to people, we are going to get a mixed reaction; some will say that sounds wise, and others will say that’s stupid. And that’s what we see happening next here: we see a mixed reaction to Paul’s wisdom.
Notice how Paul began his sermon; he began by noting that they were very religious, the KJV uses the words, ‘very superstitious’. They worship idols devoted to all types of gods, even an unknown God, Acts 17:22-23 / Romans 2:14-16.
Alexander Campbell says the following.
‘They had gone beyond their contemporaries in erecting an altar to ‘the unknown God.’ No other people or city had thus confessed their ignorance and their devotion. It was a grand conception to erect an altar to the GREAT UNKNOWN in the centre of Greek civilisation.’
This is where most of us would make a mess of it. We tend to think that because people don’t believe what the Bible teaches, because people don’t worship as the Bible instructs us to, we tend to think they are not religious, when in fact they are.
Cornelius was a religious man in every sense of the word, but he wasn’t saved at that point in time, Acts 10:1-2. In other words, people can be religious but not saved. Notice also that Paul didn’t go in there all guns firing; he went in with a spirit of gentleness and respect, 1 Corinthians 9:22 / 1 Peter 3:15-16.
Morgan, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Paul really began with the note of conciliation, and from beginning to end there was nothing calculated to offend, or drive away the men whom he desired to gain.’
Paul seized upon their recognition of their own potentially limited knowledge and began to tell them about the true God. He tells them that rather than there being a series of gods, each over some small element of the universe, there is one God who created and rules overall, Acts 17:24 / Acts 7:48-50.
He says the Creator is not confined to some building made by men, Acts 7:48, nor did He need men’s worship, Acts 17:24. In fact, Paul stated that all beings and all things are sustained by His power.
Stott, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This view of the world is very different from either the Epicurean emphasis on a chance combination of atoms or the virtual pantheism of the Stoics.’
Human beings have a built-in urge to worship, and if we know anything from history and today’s society, it is this: if people do not worship God, they will worship something else. It could be the sun, a tree, money, or self; there are literally no limits to whom or what people choose to worship.
When Paul writes to the church in Rome, he says that the Creator made his existence known in the wonderful, obviously designed elements of the universe and that those who reject that evidence are without excuse, Romans 1:20.
And then he goes on to say that lots of people have refused to glorify God and become vain in their reasoning, with their ‘senseless’ hearts being darkened, Romans 1:21-25. He says it so bad that they even exchange the worship of the Creator for that of various ‘creatures’, such as men, birds, beasts, and even creeping things.
So Paul tells them that there are not a lot of different little gods who represent every little thing in the universe, Isaiah 44:12-17, but there is one God who created all things and rules over all things.
Paul goes on and tells them that the God of heaven had made all the various nationalities, Genesis 3:20, and He worked within them in precisely the way and at precisely the time He planned, Acts 17:26.
He says to these Gentiles that this divinely controlled flow of history was used by God to encourage men to seek him, Acts 17:27 / John 6:44 / John 12:32. Yet, the supreme God is always near since we live in him, move in him and depend upon him for our very existence, Acts 17:27.
Paul, being the educated man that he was, noted that one of their own poets said men are God’s offspring, so God cannot be stone but must be alive just as his children are alive, Acts 17:28 / Titus 1:12. The words, ‘we are his offspring,’ are from the Cilician Stoic philosopher Aratus.
He tells them that we are God’s offspring, but shouldn’t think that God is made of gold or silver or a stone image made by man, Acts 17:29. And it’s now that Paul gets to the point.
Paul boldly stated that God would no longer overlook the ignorant worship of men, but now God demands that they turn from their ignorance and serve him, Acts 17:30 / Acts 14:16-18.
This is what we would call repentance, 2 Corinthians 7:10. Paul didn’t mix his words here, and we should never leave repentance out of the Gospel, Luke 13:3 / Acts 2:38.
True repentance means more than just feeling sorry for what you have done or said. It’s a turning, a refusal to go back to the ways of the world. It’s a conscious decision to start following God and His ways, 2 Corinthians 7:8-10.
Cocoris, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The Bible requires repentance for salvation, but repentance does not mean to turn from sin, nor a change in one’s conduct. Those are the fruits of repentance. Biblical repentance is a change of mind or attitude concerning either God, Acts 20:21, Christ, Acts 2:38, dead works, Hebrews 6:1, or sin, Acts 8:22. When one trusts Christ, it is inconceivable that he would not automatically change his mind concerning one or more or even all of these things.’
Paul calls for repentance from these Gentiles in Athens, and he saw such repentance as especially important. Why? Because a day of judgment had been set aside by the Divine Planner, Acts 17:31 / Psalms 96:13 / John 5:22 / John 5:27 / Daniel 7:13.
Make no mistake about it, Judgement Day is set and coming, and on that day, the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ will rightly judge all men, Hebrews 9:27 / Matthew 12:41-42 / Matthew 25:30 / John 5:22 / John 5:25-29, which is a truth which is confirmed by His resurrection from the dead, 2 Peter 3:3-14.
Because we don’t know when the Day of Judgement is going to come, there is a sense of urgency about the message. Oh, I’m sure that when we share that message with people, some like Paul’s listeners will mock our words, 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5, but I’m also sure, like some of Paul’s listeners, there will be those who will want to hear more, Acts 17:32.
But one thing I know for certain, as long as we keep sharing that message with others, a few people like Paul’s listeners after he left the Council, will actually be moved to obey the Gospel, Acts 17:33-34. Luke tells us that among those who believed were a man named Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus, and a woman named Damaris, Acts 17:34.
Dummelow, in his commentary, says the following concerning Dionysius.
‘He was a member of the court of the Areopagus. As all members of the Areopagus had passed through the office of Archon, Dionysius must have been of high social position.’
Morgan, in his commentary, says the following.
‘In the next century that Church at Athens gave to the Christian church Publius, Quadratus, Aristides, Athenagoras, and others, bishops, and martyrs; and in the third century, the church there was peaceable and pure. In the fourth century, the Christian schools of Athens gave to the Christian Church Basil and Gregory.’
Some commentators believe that Paul missed a huge opportunity here because he never once mentioned the Name Jesus in his speech. However, he did preach the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
Harrison, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It has often been maintained that in Athens Paul attempted the intellectual approach and tried to be a philosopher among the philosophers, rather than preaching the simple gospel of Jesus Christ; but this is not a valid criticism.’