Written ~ 06-25-2024
Read Acts Chapter Seventeen
Acts 17
After Paul and Silas left the city of Philippi, “…they traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica…” (Acts 17:1). You may recognize the name Thessalonica because Paul writes two letters to the church of the Thessalonians later in the New Testament.
Acts 17:2-4…
2“As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. 3He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” 4Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women.”
Do you ever wonder what it would have been like to sit under the direct teaching of the Apostle Paul? I do! As a reminder – before Paul met the Lord he was one of the religious leaders who agreed with the persecution of believers. He had knowledge of the Scriptures as was necessary to become a leader, possibly even a leader in the Sanhedrin. We know from Acts 8:1 that Paul (he was known as Saul at that time) approved of the stoning of Stephen and carried out the orders to arrest Christians everywhere he went. So Paul’s testimony was astounding! His knowledge of the Scriptures would have come full circle, he now knew the omitted teaching that Jesus was the Messiah and that it was indeed the truth and he had the Scriptures to back up everything he said. So to sit in that synagogue and listen to the message Paul was preaching week after week would have been enlightening and maybe even a bit baffling. Look again at verse 17:3, “He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” Paul was reading from the Scriptures that pointed to Jesus, he was explaining as he went through the volumes of writings all in which described exactly what would happen to the Messiah and how Jesus fulfilled each and every one. It says in verse 17:4 that some Jews who were listening to him speak were persuaded, that means Paul was able to win them over, to convince them that what they once thought impossible, was actually true. The Scriptures speak for themselves. When God’s Word is taught in such a way to bring complete understanding, change takes place in the heart and mind of the person listening. Not only did some Jews join Paul and Silas, many god-fearing Greeks did as well.
But then… as it always seems to happen… many other Jews were not persuaded, not by any means and because of their jealousy, chaos ensued…
Acts 17:5-7…
5But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd.6Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. “Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted, “and now they are here disturbing our city, too. 7And Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.”
We don’t have any background on Jason, but it is assumed that he was one of the new believers who listened to Paul’s teaching and joined Paul and Silas along with many other new believers. When the rioting mob couldn’t find Paul and Silas at the home of Jason, where they thought for sure they would be, the mob “…dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council.” (Acts 17:6)
Acts 17:8-9…
8“The people of the city, as well as the city council, were thrown into turmoil by these reports. 9So the officials forced Jason and the other believers to post bond, and then they released them.”
Let’s understand what it means for “…Jason and the other believers to post bond…”
The “Expositor’s Bible Commentary” describes the posted bond like this…
- The charges against Paul and Silas and their companions naturally alarmed the Thessalonian city council. But apparently they found the evidence for the charges scanty (or very limited); after all, Paul and Silas could not be found. Therefore, they took what they thought to be a moderate and reasonable course of action. They made Jason and those with him post a bond, assuring the council that there would be no further trouble. This probably also meant that Paul and Silas had to leave Thessalonica and that their friends would have to promise that they would not come back.
- When Paul wrote to his Thessalonian converts a few months later, he speaks many times of the desire to visit them again but not being able to because “Satan stopped us” (1 Thessalonians 2:18). Likely Paul had in mind that posted bond, and therefore his hands were tied. But though he was unable to return, that did not stop either the spread of the Gospel or the opposition of the Jews (1 Thessalonians 1:2-10). Amid all their persecutions and difficulties, the Christians of Thessalonica maintained their faith and witness in a manner that filled Paul with joy (1 Thessalonians 3:6-10).
So when Jason and his friends posted this bond it was as though they were guaranteeing the city officials that Paul and Silas would never return to Thessalonica for any reason. That must have saddened these new believers, but at the same time they would have wanted to keep Paul and Silas safe.
Acts 17:10…
10“That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.”
What else could Paul and Silas do but to leave Thessalonica and move on. God knew their struggles and no matter what happened in each town they found themselves in – God Always had a Plan.
When Paul and Silas, along with Timothy, arrived in Berea just like in every other place Paul visited he could hardly wait to go to the synagogue and teach the people all about the Messiah.
Acts 17:11-12…
11“And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. 12 As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.”
What we see different about the Bereans is that they did not have a political agenda to uphold. Instead of consulting a high council to see if what Paul was preaching was the truth, they consulted the Scriptures themselves. “They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.” This practice is exactly what we should be doing today. Whenever we hear the Gospel being preached it is imperative that we do our own study through the Scriptures to make sure that what is being preached is from the Word of God. It says in verse 17:11 that “…the people of Berea were more open-minded…” it does take an open mind and an open heart to receive what the Bible says about who Jesus is. In the case of the Bereans, as they studied the Scriptures themselves, many believed.
As though we can almost expect it… trouble arises…
Acts 17:13-15…
13“But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble. 14The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind. 15Those escorting Paul went with him all the way to Athens; then they returned to Berea with instructions for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him.”
Boy, Paul just can’t catch a break! Just when the Word of God was touching the hearts of the people he would have to move on quickly so no harm would come of him. Do you think Paul ever got frustrated? Obviously he trusted the Lord, but sometimes I wonder if he questioned why he was driven out of some cities so quickly, especially when the hearts of the people were so open to the Gospel message.
So now we have Paul arriving in Athens…
Acts 17:16-21…
16“While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. 17He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.
18He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.”
19Then they took him to the high council of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said. 20“You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” 21(It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.)”
When Paul observed the paganism in Athens, it says that he was deeply troubled when he saw the idols everywhere he looked. The Athenians would have been profoundly seeped into Greek mythology which had led to the worship of many Greeks gods and the study of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophies. Those beliefs came from the philosophers Epicurus and Zeno (who was the founder of Stoicism).
The “Expositor’s Bible Commentary” explains…
- Athens was the home of the rival Epicurean and Stoic schools of philosophy. Epicurus (342-270 B.C.) held that pleasure was the chief goal of life, with the pleasure most worth enjoying being a life of tranquility free from pain, disturbing passions, superstitious fears, and anxiety about death. He did not deny the existence of gods but argued in deistic fashion that they took no interest in the lives of people. Zeno (340-265 B.C.) was the founder of Stoicism. His teaching centered on living harmoniously with nature and emphasized one’s rational abilities and individual self-sufficiency.
When verse 17:20 says, “You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about…” it did not mean they were necessarily interested in hearing about the Messiah which could lead to their Salvation. Instead, they were curious about all sorts of things, what they called “strange ideas,” and they wanted to hear more about it. In this case now, it does seem they had a genuine curiosity for the things Paul was preaching and wanted to hear more.
When Paul walked through the city he saw many shrines and altars, so on the surface it looked like the people of Athens were quite religious. But their focus was not on the one true God. So when he stood in front of their council he reached into his observations and pointed them to one altar in particular.
Acts 17:23…
23 “…One of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.”
When he draws their attention to what this one altar has inscribed on it, he is then able to bring the message of a living God and about Jesus, the risen Savior, to the people listening.
Acts 17:24-31…
24 “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since He is Lord of heaven and earth, He doesn’t live in man-made temples, 25 and human hands can’t serve His needs—for He has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and He satisfies every need. 26 From one man He created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and He determined their boundaries.
27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward Him and find Him—though He is not far from any one of us. 28 For in Him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’ 29 And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.
30 “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now He commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to Him. 31 For He has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man He has appointed, and He proved to everyone who this is by raising Him from the dead.”
I have a feeling Paul had everyone sitting on the edge of their seats listening to every one of his words with increased interest. Until he got to the part about a risen Savior. For some listening to his message that was enough to have them throw up their hands in disbelief and contempt. But for others, they wanted to hear more. And as they sat under the teaching of Paul they believed.
Acts 17:32-34…
32“When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” 33That ended Paul’s discussion with them, 34but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.”
When you listen to the Word of God being preached, what is your reaction to its message? Do you scoff and shrug it off with contempt? Or are you hungry for more? Do you position yourself in the best seat of the house so your focus can be undisturbed? Although we see two people listed in verse 17:34 as becoming believers, there is no further mention of a church in Athens. Because he could not convince the council, his hands were tied, he could no longer (legally) speak about the Lord, so in his disappointment he had to move on.
In 1 Corinthians 1:18-20 it says…
18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”
20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.”
I wonder if what Paul is writing in his letter to the Corinthians, if he was thinking back to his time with the Athens council. He couldn’t get through to them, but his concern for them is evident in these verses.
Do you ever look at the Scriptures as foolishness? Well… My prayer for you… would be that your heart and mind would be opened to truth of Scripture. Search the Scriptures like the Bereans did and find out for yourself that the Word of God is truth.
~AMEN~