AP

Studies in Acts

Looking back at Paul’s stay in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-10)     

In 1 Thessalonians, the apostle mentions how dejected he was after he had to abandon the church by night. Not a day passed when they were not in his thoughts. Would the tempter pull them back, so that all his efforts would have been in vain? Twice he had tried to turn back, but Satan had hindered him (1 Thessalonians 2:18).

After he had founded a church in Berea, and had arrived in Athens, his concern for Thessalonica constantly tormented him. This oppressed him so severely that he would rather stay behind all alone in that cosmopolitan city and send Timothy back to Thessalonica (a trip of 300 km), than have to endure uncertainty about them any longer (1 Thessalonians 3:1). After several weeks Timothy returned with the assurance that after Paul’s departure, the church had been severely persecuted (1 Thessalonians 1:6) but continued to persevere in the faith and zealously spread the gospel. The church made good use of its strategic location along the Via Egnatia (1 Thessalonians 1:8). As soon as the apostle received this good news, he took up his pen to write his first, joyous letter to the Thessalonians. “For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord” (1 Thess. 3:8).

But how could such a young church stand on her own feet after only a few months? Indeed, how could sh have become an example for all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia, and a centre of gospel preaching (1 Thess. 1:7-8)? This surprises us all the more when we read the letters that Paul wrote to such a church. For in those epistles, he was not proclaiming his gospel in a nutshell, but he presupposed significant Scripture knowledge among his newly converted readers.

We will have to seek the explanation for this in the instruction that they had received in the synagogue. We must not underestimate this: many “God-fearing” Gentiles who attended the Jewish services every week had been hearing the Scripture readings for years. Not just a few random verses each time, but large sections from the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms. Even before Paul’s arrival, they were significantly familiar with Scripture. Because they were well equipped, such Gentiles could follow the apostle easily as he showed from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.

In addition to the intense work of preaching, Paul performed heavy manual labour during those weeks in Thessalonica as well, possibly as a tentmaker (cf. Acts 18:3). He did all this soon after the mistreatment he had received in Philippi. Several months after his departure, he wrote: “For you remember, brothers, our labour and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God” (1 Thess. 2:9). Was he also perhaps afraid that after his hasty departure, evil tongues had made him out to be one of those religious freeloaders who turned up in large numbers in town and country?

Nevertheless, despite all his efforts, he could not make ends meet, for in contradiction of his principle — take nothing in return for the gospel! — he found himself compelled while in Thessalonica to accept material assistance from Philippi: “Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again” (Philippians 4:16).

According to verse 2, this church came into existence after the apostle had opened the Scriptures in the synagogue for only three Sabbaths. Must we conclude from this that he did not work any longer than three full weeks? This seems very short for bringing into existence a “large number” (v. 4) of believers. We do not know how much time elapsed between that third Sabbath (v. 2) and Paul’s forced departure.

When we recall that a return trip from Philippi to Thessalonica required about eight days, and that he twice received brothers from there, then for this reason it seems probable that he must have been there briefly, but still somewhat longer than three weeks. This seems all the more realistic when we remember that in connection with all of this, the apostle rendered personal pastoral care: “For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God” (1 Thess. 2:11-12). We will have to calculate the duration of his stay in weeks rather than in months.

Acts 17:10b-15                                                                                                        

In Berea: Although his Jewish kinfolk had persecuted him fiercely in Thessalonica, this did not fill Paul with anger and hatred. He did not write all of them off. On the contrary, later he acknowledged: “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh” (Romans 9:2-3). This was evident in Berea as well.

Verse 10b When he arrived there, he went again first to the synagogue. Despite his bad experiences in Thessalonica, he once again recognized that as the heirs of God’s covenant, the Jews had to hear the gospel first (cf. Acts 3:26; 9:15). Here he would experience one of the most wonderful episodes of his apostolic career.

Verse 11 For in Berea the Jews were more noble and kind than in Thessalonica. Here he did not bump up against hateful opposition and cold indifference, but he encountered upright interest and love for God’s Word. Not that these kinfolk accepted his message with easy credence and without evaluation. On the contrary, not only on the Sabbaths, but day after day they studied the sacred scrolls of Scripture. Not with a desire for contradicting him, but to investigate whether what Paul had proclaimed about the Messiah fit with the Scriptures (cf. Luke 16:29; John 5:39). They did exactly what Paul would have liked to encounter in every synagogue: honest investigation of the Law and the Prophets regarding the truthfulness of his apostolic testimony about Jesus’ messiahship. For them, Scripture had the final word.

Verse 12 At that point Paul was given to observe, to his joy, that God had not cast off his people, but had preserved a remnant (Romans 11:1-5). Because they bowed before Scripture, many Jews here came to faith in Messiah Jesus. Many prominent, influential Greek women and men also came to believe, which would have provided this church with a certain respect. They wanted to be persuaded that Jesus was the promised Messiah. One of these church members we know by name: Sopater, the son of Pyrrhus (Acts 20:4). Berea is not mentioned again after this.

Questions:

Luke mentions a few times that “prominent Greek women” became believers. What would be the advantages of their conversion? What would be the possible pitfalls?

What role does education in the Scriptures play in Berea? In our time?

What would be most necessary for people converted directly from paganism?

– Alida Sewell