Lesson Thirty-Three: Thessalonica and Berea

Supplementary Materials

Second Missionary Journey: Progress in Macedonia

Thessalonica: Capital of Macedonia (17:1-9) Aspect Details Location On the Via Egnatia, about 100 miles west of Philippi; capital of Macedonia Name origin Named after the half-sister of Alexander the Great Population Large city with significant Jewish population (had a synagogue) Strategic importance Major trade route; influential city; gospel could spread from here Modern name Thessaloniki — still a major city in Greece today

Paul's Method of Teaching (17:2-3) "And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ." Method Meaning "As his manner was" Paul's consistent pattern — start in the synagogue with those who knew Scripture "Reasoned" Greek: dialegomai — to discuss, argue, dialogue; rational presentation "Out of the scriptures" The Old Testament was Paul's textbook — he proved Jesus from their own Bible "Opening" Explaining, unfolding the meaning of the texts "Alleging" Setting forth evidence, demonstrating, proving Paul's Two-Part Argument

• "Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead" — The Messiah was prophesied to suffer and rise (Isaiah 53; Psalm 16)
• "This Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ" — Jesus of Nazareth fulfills these prophecies; He IS the Messiah

Key insight: Many Jews expected a conquering Messiah, not a suffering one. Paul had to prove from Scripture that suffering was part of God's plan BEFORE he could show that Jesus was the Christ.

The Response in Thessalonica (17:4-9)

Positive Response (17:4) Negative Response (17:5-9) "Some of them believed" "The Jews which believed not" "Devout Greeks, a great multitude" "Moved with envy" (jealousy) "Of the chief women not a few" "Took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort" "Consorted with Paul and Silas" "Set all the city on an uproar"

"These That Have Turned the World Upside Down" (17:6) "These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus." This accusation, meant as an insult, was actually a compliment:

• "Turned the world upside down" — The gospel was causing dramatic change everywhere it went
• "Contrary to the decrees of Caesar" — A serious charge of treason in a Roman colony
• "Another king, one Jesus" — They understood the claim: Jesus is Lord, not Caesar

The real issue: The gospel doesn't just change individuals — it challenges the entire order of society. If Jesus is King, every other claim to ultimate authority is relativized. This was (and is) revolutionary.

Jason: Host and Protector (17:5-9)

• Jason had "received" Paul and Silas — provided hospitality
• When the mob couldn't find Paul, they dragged Jason before the rulers
• Jason had to post "security" (bond) — guaranteeing Paul would leave and not cause more trouble
• This explains why Paul couldn't return immediately (1 Thess. 2:18) — Jason would forfeit his bond
• Jason is mentioned in Rom. 16:21 as Paul's "kinsman" — possibly a relative

Berea: The Noble Bereans (17:10-12) Berea was about 50 miles southwest of Thessalonica, off the main road — a smaller, quieter city.

"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." What Made the Bereans "More Noble"? Quality Meaning "More noble" Greek: eugenes — well-born, generous, open-minded; describes character, not social class "Received the word" They accepted the message as worthy of serious consideration "With all readiness of mind" Eagerness, enthusiasm, willingness — not hostile or closed "Searched the scriptures" Greek: anakrino — to examine, investigate, scrutinize; like a judge examining evidence "Daily" Not just on the Sabbath — they studied every day; consistent, persistent "Whether those things were Testing Paul's teaching against Scripture — the ultimate so" standard

The result (17:12): "Therefore many of them believed." Open-minded examination of Scripture led to faith! Also "honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few" — similar to Thessalonica, prominent Gentiles responded.

The Berean Model: How to Evaluate Teaching

• Be open-minded — Don't reject teaching before hearing it; receive with "readiness of mind"
• But don't be gullible — Test everything against Scripture; even apostolic teaching was examined
• Search the Scriptures yourself — Don't just take someone's word for it; study personally
• Do it consistently — "Daily," not occasionally; make it a habit
• Let Scripture be the final authority — "Whether those things were so" — Scripture judges teaching, not vice versa

Two Cities Compared Aspect Thessalonica Berea Size/status Capital, major city Smaller, off main road Initial reception Some believed Received with readiness Approach to message Divided; jealousy Searched Scriptures daily Result Riot; Paul forced to leave Many believed Characterization (Implied: less noble) "More noble" Lasting impact Strong church; 2 epistles Church established

Note: Despite the opposition, the Thessalonian church became strong and influential. Paul wrote two letters to them, praising their faith and work. Opposition doesn't prevent God from building His church!

Key Cross-References

Lessons from Acts 17:1-15 1. The gospel must be reasoned from Scripture — Paul opened and proved from the Bible. 2. Jealousy motivates much opposition to the gospel. 3. The gospel truly turns the world upside down — it challenges all other authorities. 4. Noble character receives the word with openness AND examines it carefully. 5. Daily Scripture study is essential — the Bereans searched "daily." 6. Scripture is the final test of all teaching — "whether those things were so."