Bible Study series: Acts 17:1-15. In Thessalonica certain listeners were hostile. In Berea they studied to find out whether Paul’s teaching was rooted in Scripture. Be like the Bereans.
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I also translate to learn, so the translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click on this link:
At the link to the original post, next, I write more commentary and dig a little deeper into the Greek. I also offer a section titled Observations for Discipleship at the end. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided in the commentary section for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Acts 17:1-15
1 After going through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they went to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 As was his custom, Paul went to them and for three Sabbath days discussed with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and setting them side by side that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead; “This Jesus whom I proclaim to you is the Messiah.” 4 Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, and a large number of devout Gentile Greeks, and not a few leading women.
5 But the Jews were jealous and recruited bullies with bad characters hanging out at the marketplace and formed a mob and stirred up the town and attacked Jason’s house, trying to bring them before the people’s assembly. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers to the politarchs, shouting, “These men have overturned the world and are present here, 7 whom Jason harbors! And all of them act against the decrees of Caesar, claiming there is another king, Jesus!” 8 They threw the crowd and the politarchs into confusion when they heard these things. 9 They took bail from Jason and the others and released them.
10 Immediately the brothers at night sent Paul and Silas away to Berea, who arrived and went for the synagogue of the Jews. 11 They were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians. They welcomed the word with all enthusiasm and examined the Scriptures, whether these things may be so. 12 Therefore many of them and not a few prominent Greek Gentile women and men believed. 13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul in Berea, they went there and upset and disturbed the crowds. 14 Then the brothers and sisters immediately sent Paul away to go to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those conducting Paul brought him to Athens, after receiving instruction for Silas and Timothy that they were to come very quickly, and they left. (Acts 17:1-15)
Comments:
Reminder: you can look up the towns and regions online at a Bible map. I won’t cover them here. It’s a sure thing that someone has an interactive map for Paul’s second missionary journey.
Here is a table that shows Acts and Paul’s epistles are mutually confirmative.
| Events | Acts | Epistles |
| Paul is humbled in Philippi | 16:22-23 | 1 Thess 2:2 |
| Successful but persecuted ministry | 17:1-9 | Phil 4:15-16; 1 Thess 1:1, 5-6 |
| Paul goes to Athens | 17:15-34 | 1 Thess 3:1 |
| Paul goes to Achaia with his team | 18:1-18, esp. v. 5 | 2 Cor 1:19; cf. 1 Thess 3:6 |
| Keener, p. 424 | ||
1:
Let’s not forget the passing of time. They walked. We can have no doubt that as they walked, Paul prayed in the Spirit as he walked along, and so did Timothy and Silas. Paul said he spoke in the Spirit very often (1 Cor. 14:18), and it is not possible to believe that Silas and Timothy did not have this gift, too, because they spent time with a man who said he wanted everyone to pray in the Spirit (1 Cor. 14:5).
Paul also implies that he stayed there long enough to work for a living (1 Thess. 2:9).
2:
It was the custom of Paul to visit the synagogue first. Yes, he was called to the Gentiles (Gal. 2:7-10), but Jesus spoke to him from heaven that he was also called to the Jews (Acts 9:15), and the Jews get to hear the gospel first (Rom. 1:16).
“discussing”: Please feel free to discuss Scripture with people who may not know it or have a deficient understanding of it.
3:
“explaining”: it literally means “opening” the Scriptures.
“place side by side”: the phrase comes from one verb “place beside, place before” and “demonstrate, point out.” So Paul placed Scriptures next to the facts of Jesus’s life and resurrection, and reached the conclusion that Jesus is the Messiah, for he is the only one who fit all the details. I chose a literal translation, but if traditionalists and precisionists prefer “demonstrate,” then that’s fine by me.
The main point is that Paul knew Scripture so thoroughly that he could find the references and explain them to his fellow Jews. He could prove or demonstrate that Jesus was the Messiah. This challenges us to know Scripture, if not to prove something to someone else, but for our edification.
“the Messiah had to suffer and die”: this is standard wording in Acts (Acts 3:18; 26:23; Luke 24:26, 46). The reason he had to suffer and die is that first Scripture had to be fulfilled. And second we needed salvation, someone to take our place in getting our just punishment. Christ took our penalty in our place. This is called the penal substitutionary view of Christ’s death. Substitutionary: Christ took our place; he was a “sub.” Penal: Christ took our penalty. Yes, I elaborated beyond Luke’s idea in v. 3, but it’s a good place to learn about this theory.
Here is a table of Messianic prophecies, with the verses included:
At that link, there is a table of OT and NT quotations. But Jesus’s fulfillment of OT prophecies goes beyond quoted verses, but involves themes and patterns of the OT, like the entire sacrificial system and the way of salvation.
The verbs (discussing, explaining, proclaiming, and so on or their synonyms, like reasoning or presenting evidence) reveal Paul’s methods. Apologists (defenders of the faith) could learn from Paul.
“had to”: Here God had been leading the events on his Son’s life, to the point of fulfilling Scripture in death.
4:
“leading”: the word men is not in the latter half of v. 4, but they might be included. In any case, Luke is referring to leading women. Picture them having extremely fabulous jewelry and clothing and expensive carriages and servants walking alongside them in an entourage. People cleared the way for them when they walked down the street or more likely rode in their carriages.
Inscriptions and literary references demonstrate beyond doubt that the women were rich in their own right and power, without being subjected to male guardians or tutors. They handled their own money. They contributed to public works from their own wealth in this or that town, and the town in turn honored them with inscriptions. They also occupied high local political offices.
However, Luke omitted those details. Does that mean he suppressed these women and silenced their voices?
No, for three reasons.
First, he was silent on the details about the leading men, too. Second, if he had intended to suppress and silence these women, he could have omitted them completely. Third, when a first-century reader came across the adjective prōtē (pronounced pro-tay), he knew instantly what she was. The reader lived in that environment and saw her every day, if only from a respectful distance. If we wrote a story, would we need to pause the flow of the main storyline to explain what a CEO is? No. Too disruptive and takes away from the hero, in this case Paul and Silas and Timothy. Once again, the book of Acts, like the four Gospels, is elliptical. Luke assumes his first-century readers could fill in the social blanks with social data they understood firsthand.
Please see my 2004 article Lifestyles of the Rich and Christian:
2004 Arlandson article Lifestyles of Rich and Christian
“were persuaded”: this is in the passive voice and one scholar correctly observes that in contexts like these, it is the divine passive. This means that God is the unstated subject of the verb and he works behind the scene to nudge them along (Schnabel, comment on v. 4).
“joined”: it comes from the verb that literally means “allotted to.” It is used only here in the NT. It seems as if God allotted men and women to join Paul and Silas. That may be true, but don’t draw the opposite conclusion that the others were permanently not allotted. Don’t forget that Paul’s new converts reached out to others and turned them into converts. His two epistles to the Thessalonians indicate a growing church (e.g. 1 Thess. 1:8). We will never work out to everyone’s satisfaction the line between God’s sovereignty and human free will. My own view is that we have enough free will to resist the gospel and God’s call, but not enough free will to strut into his kingdom without his invitation and Spirit working on us. At that time, many converts did not resist, but answered the initial call. Then maybe others who at first heard the gospel and resisted, lowered their resistance and responded later on.
“Not a few”: this means numerous women converted to Christ. The phrasing is known as a litotes (pronounced lih-toh-tees), or an understatement that expresses the affirmative by a negative! Luke likes litotes: Acts 12:18; 14:17, 28; 15:2; 17:4, 12, 27; 19:11, 23; 20:12; 21:39; 26:19; 27:20; 28:2.
5:
“jealous”: we get our word zeal from this Greek word. They had zeal without knowledge and certainly without love. There is nothing wrong with zeal per se, for even God feels it for his people, and so sometimes it is translated as “jealous,” which adds up to God protecting you, in the same way a mother “feels the zeal” to protect her children. These Jews felt zeal to protect Judaism and their understanding of the Torah (first five books of the Bible) and the rest of Scripture, but they did so from a weak, religious position.
“bullies” from the Greek noun that means idlers in the marketplace who had nothing better to do. Ancient Greek literature long before the NT was written records a court case in which a gang of them attacked a young man and severely injured him. They were dragged into court.
“bad characters” Luke really wants to drive home the point that Paul suffered from all sorts of injustice from bad people. Today the term could be translated as “street gangsters” or “street thugs.”
“It is ironic that the Jewish leaders formed a mob and started a riot in the city, but then accused the missionaries of being troublemakers (v. 6)!” (Peterson, comment on v. 5, the italics font quotes Scripture).
“Jason”: He was probably a Jew who adopted a Greek name. Jews often did that in the Greek and Roman world.
“attacked Jason’s house”: attacking property of innocent people is satanic. If any Christian endorsed the summer of burning in America in 2020, he is deceived. Karl Marx said that if the bourgeoisie (middle-class business owners) did not give the proletariat (working class) what the proletariat wanted, the people would burn down their factories. This form of violence is evil. Sit down and negotiate. Go on strike, but without violence. All the while, negotiate and talk.
“people’s assembly”: it was the lower legislative and judicial body, attended by free male citizens. Paul would have loved to have spoken before them. Too bad he was not at Jason’s house.
6:
“politarchs”: that’s a transliteration, and they were authorities high up in the social world and oversaw the city, yet another class of magistrates.
“overturned”: it is the Greek verb that could be translated as “disturbed,” trouble,” “upset” or “stir up (sedition).” Think of “upsetting” an apple cart.
7:
“Jesus is another emperor”: most translations have “king,” but I like what F. F. Bruce says (1990). In Latin and Greek, the emperor took the title basileus, which means “emperor” as well as a “king.” Either one is accurate. The Lordship of Jesus upset the apple cart of political power. The resurrected Lord was the real and new King and Emperor. But he was the King and Emperor over a spiritual kingdom. It is misguided to interpret the OT and impose everything (or nearly everything) from there on to modern society. Instead, we take the moral law and some wisdom and theology (who God is) and the Messianic verses and themes and concepts (salvation, redemption and so on) and apply them to our lives today. But taxes and sacrifices and harsh punishments for private sins and curses and the Sinai covenant itself—leave them in the past.
8:
“threw … into confusion”: it comes from the Greek verb that means to “stir up,” and also “disturb, trouble, throw into confusion.” When confusion hits your mind, back away from the issue. Go back to what you know. Stay in the clear interpretation of Scripture and in fellowship.
It’s the crowd and magistrates who were confused. The famous mob strikes again. Do not feel pressure to conform to the crowds. It’s called peer pressure. They are very often fickle and very often wrong.
9:
Taking bail or security is a way to ensure that someone will follow the law, in this case, keep the peace. If he did not, then his bail amount was forfeit. It could be seen as a bond or a security. This law has existed for a long time, to our present day.
The Spirit’s absence in Thessalonica? Luke omits the power of the Spirit in the Thessalonian church, but Paul fills in the missing elements in his two epistles to the Thessalonians.
The gospel came with power, the Holy Spirit, and deep conviction (1 Thess. 1:5); this indicates signs and wonders and the fullness of the Spirit, including prophecy.
God gave them his Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 4:8); They were not to quench the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19), which may parallel the case with the Corinthian church, where Paul will go shortly (Acts 18:1-18), to whom he later wrote not to forbid prayer languages, formerly and archaically called “tongues” (1 Cor. 14:39).
The Thessalonian believers were commanded not to treat prophecies with contempt (1 Thess. 5:20); this is more than just inspired and educated preaching (though that is the baseline), but it also includes prophetic utterances, like personal words from the Lord with predictive elements in it (Acts 11:28; 21:10; 2 Thess. 2:2), and inspired utterances of comfort, exhortation, and edification (1 Cor. 14:3).
The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit was being done (2 Thess. 2:13).
Luke omits these details in his narrative history because he moves his narrative along and trusts the reader to fill in these gaps with the post-Pentecostal perspective and reality (Acts 2:1-4). Everything about his history in Acts is very charismatic and Spirit filled, whether he spells it out repetitively or not, in every section of his writing.
It is like the anointing of Jesus at his water baptism with the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove (Luke 3:31-22; 4:18-19). From then on, Jesus worked miracles of nature and healing and demonic expulsion in the third Gospel, and Luke does not have to announce every time Jesus did those things: “Remember when I wrote that Jesus was anointed with the Spirit? He worked that miracle based on those verses!” Rather, Luke expects us to fill in those omissions with the power of the Spirit. Likewise, in the many cases of Christian witness from town to town in Acts, Luke expects us to fill in the omissions with the same empowerment because of Acts 2:1-4. And so Luke-Acts is all very charismatic, which is normative for the church throughout its history. Spirit-filled empowerment and anointing continues.
It is similar to his omitting water baptism in key places. Often he does say that new converts got baptized: Acts 2:38, 41; 8:12-13, 35-38; 9:18; 10:48; 16:14-15, 31-33; 18:8; 19:5), Yet in other cases water baptism is not brought up for new converts: Acts 9:42; 11:21; 13:12, 48; 14:1; 17:12, 34. It is difficult to believe, but during Paul’s and Barnabas’s first missionary journey, though many conversions are recorded. Luke does not record one water baptism, but we know that they must have been done because this was standard practice. Luke expects us to fill in these omissions. This is why I have nicknamed Luke the Omitter (or the Condenser).
For systematic theology:
The Spirit’s Deity and Divine Attributes
The Spirit in the Life of Christ
The Spirit in the Church and Believers
These verses in his first epistle are relevant to Paul’s work in Thessalonica:
8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9 for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. (1 Thess. 1:8-10, NIV)
Those verses say that Paul had many converts from paganism here in Thessalonica.
10:
They slipped Paul out at night. They did not want any harm to come to him. No doubt Silas and Timothy urged him to do that. Fleeing is sometimes a viable option. Jesus said to do this during persecution (Matt. 10:23). Paul said he had to flee Jerusalem because people there would not accept his testimony (Acts 22:17-18). Discretion and prudence and wisdom is sometimes better than suffering injury.
“brothers”: this speaks of close fellowship among those who follow Christ. Normally I would translate the one Greek noun as “brothers and sisters,” but I am not confident that women went with them at night.
“went their own way”: this refers to the men who escorted Paul to Berea. They must have returned home to Thessalonica, unless they had business in Berea.
11:
“more noble-minded”: It can be translated as “more noble-minded” or “more high-minded” in the good sense of the hyphenated words. Think of a gentleman who has been trained in the art of courtesy. However, in this context it could be better translated “more amenable,” “liberal” (not in a modern American sense), but “openminded” as opposed to narrowminded and restricted; “more generous” or “freer from prejudice.” Culy and Parsons suggest (following Louw and Nida): “willingness to learn and evaluate something fairly.”
“with all enthusiasm”: it is the noun that can be translated as “willingness, readiness, and good will.” Picture the Bereans leaning forward with eagerness and enthusiasm.
“examining”: it comes from the Greek verb that means to “question, examine,” and in a legal context it can mean “judge, call into account, investigate.” It is perfectly legitimate to question Scripture, which has stood the test of time for thousands of years. Just be sure you interpret it properly. Get Bible helps and stay in fellowship in a church that belongs to the Renewal Movement.
12:
“Therefore”: when the Bible is presented in an orderly and intelligent way in the power of the Spirit, people will believe. In this context the Berean Jews and devout Gentiles and prominent women believed.
“prominent”: it comes from the Greek adjective that means “presentable, proper; prominent, of high standing, repute, or noble” (BDAG, p. 414). See v. 4 for a closer look on their social prominence and contributions to a town or province. See also Acts 13:52 for the same word.
Once again, please see my 2004 article Lifestyles of the Rich and Christian:
2004 Arlandson article Lifestyles of Rich and Christian
“believed”: We live on earth and by faith see the invisible world where God is. We must believe he exists; then we must exercise our faith to believe he loves us and intends to save us. We must have saving faith by trusting in Jesus and his finished work on the cross.
Recall this true acronym:
F-A-I-T-H
=
Forsaking All, I Trust Him
Here it is connected to “saved.”
Word Study on Faith and Faithfulness
13:
“upset”: it comes from the verb that literally means “shook up,” “cause to move to and fro” or “cause to move back or forth” or “cause to move side to side” or “cause to waver and totter.” Paul was rocking or shaking his known world.
14:
Once again Paul gets whisked away, so to speak, from trouble. See v. 10 for a closer look.
Here is the sequence of meeting and separating between Paul, Silas and Timothy and the two Thessalonian letters:
1.. Paul leaves Silas and Timothy in Berea and goes to Athens.
2.. They rejoin him in Athens (1 Thess. 3:1)
3.. Timothy is sent back to Thessalonica (1 Thess. 3:1-5), while Silas goes to an unspecified place in Macedonia (see Acts 18:5).
4.. Paul goes on from Athens to Corinth (Acts 18:1).
5.. Silas and Timothy return from Macedonia and rejoin Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:5; see 1 Thess. 1:6).
6.. From Corinth they send two letters to Thessalonians.
Source: F. F. Bruce, (1990) pp. 374-75, who got the timeline and movements from another prominent commentator on Acts.
15:
It must have been tough for Paul to flee and leave Timothy and Silas in Berea. He was just making headway. No doubt Silas and Timothy built up the new church.
Athens was far away, and we should picture Paul, as he was traveling on, praying both with his mind and understanding, and in the Spirit, which bypasses the mind (1 Cor. 14:15). He said to the Corinthians that he prayed in the Spirit often (1 Cor. 14:18). Can we have any doubt that the men who escorted him into Athens also had their prayer language, when Paul was in their company? He said everyone should have their prayer language (1 Cor. 14:5).
“instruction”: it is the noun that could be translated as “command.” Paul was the leader, and he was going it alone in Athens. He needed Silas’s and Timothy’s support, so he issued the command to come to him as soon as possible.
GrowApp for Acts 17:1-15
1 Paul and his team were accused of overturning the world. This is rhetorical hyperbole, but it still expresses the truth about the growth of Christianity. Do you belong to a church that reaches out to the world? How do you support your church? Do you support missionaries? Tell us about this.
2. The Bereans had better culture and attitude than the Thessalonians, because they searched the Scriptures to verify Paul’s message. Do you search the Scripture to confirm a preacher’s message?
RELATED
The Historical Reliability of the Book of Acts
Book of Acts and Paul’s Epistles: Match Made in Heaven?
SOURCES
For the bibliography, please click on this link and scroll down to the very bottom:
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