Acts 17:1–15: “Mission Accomplished in Macedonia.”

Let’s take our Bibles together and turn to the book of Acts. We are working through the book of Acts verse by verse as part of our series, “No Other Name.” And today we come to Acts 17, and another episode in a series you might call, “Paul’s suffering in order to get the gospel to the world.” 

Let me start today with a broad-sweeping theological statement. Here it is—God is more interested in his fame and in his glory and in his Name being proclaimed throughout the world than our personal safety and well-being. Case in point—the Apostle Paul.

When I hear preacher’s preach “health, wealth, and prosperity,” I think to myself “how do you fit Paul and his missionary journeys into that theology?” How do you fit Christians dying for their faith in Christ into that theology? It doesn’t work. According to the OpenDoors website, twelve Christians die for their faith in Christ every day in our world. That’s one Christian death every two hours! 

When I see preachers preach “God wants you to be healthy, wealthy, safe, and happy,” I think to myself garbage. That’s garbage. That’s not what the Bible teaches about life and ministry and serving Christ.

Now there is something that the Bible teaches about that is greater and more wonderful than anything that this world has to offer. It’s more wonderful than wealth. It’s more lasting than health. It’s more prosperous than prosperity. You know what it is? It’s a relationship with Christ. It’s joy. It’s love. It’s peace. And it’s an everlasting relationship with Christ and his people. I’ll take those things every time! You can have what this world has to offer; I’ll take Christ. 

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The title of our message today is “Mission Accomplished in Macedonia.” Last time we saw the Apostle Paul travel to Macedonia for the first time as he took the gospel to the city of Philippi. And despite severe persecution in that city, God was at work. Paul and Silas got pummeled for preaching Christ. They were stripped, beaten, and imprisoned with no legal justification. Yet despite that, a church was birthed (see Acts 16:11–40). The church of Philippi now has Lydia and her household and the Philippian jailer and his household. Not a bad day’s work for Paul and Silas despite their suffering. 

Well God’s not done with them yet in Macedonia. And they are not done yet with the conflicts that come with a commitment to Christ. Look at 17:1.  

1 Now when they 

Notice, it’s “they” not “we” here. Probably that’s because Paul left Luke in Philippi to help that new church. But Paul, Silas, and Timothy moved on.

1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 

Here’s the map again of Paul’s journey to Macedonia. Let’s follow this route. 

[Paul and Silas’s Travels in Macedonia: Click to view map]

Remember now, Paul was in Troas when he had that vision of the Macedonian man. That vision led him and his team to board a ship and set sail for Europe. Paul traveled first to Philippi, and now he travels about a hundred miles from Philippi to Thessalonica on an ancient road called the Via Egnatia (the Egnatian Way).

First, he and his team pass through Amphipolis, that’s more than a day’s journey from Philippi. Then they travel through Apollonia, which is more than a day’s journey from Amphipolis. 

Some people think that they just “passed through” those cities without even mentioning the gospel. I’m not so sure that was possible for Paul. But what’s interesting to me is that the Greek Word translated “passed through” (διοδεύω [diodeuō]) here is only used twice in the NT. The other time it’s used is in Luke 8:1 where Luke says of Jesus, “Soon afterward he went on through [passed through: διοδεύω] cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God.” It’s possible Paul did the same in these cities.

Amphipolis and Apollonia were not inconsequential cities along this route. They were as big, or even bigger, than Philippi. But for whatever reason, they didn’t stay long in these communities. They kept moving, probably to distance themselves from the angry people of Philippi who had essentially chased them out of town.

And eventually they came to Thessalonica, the largest, most influential city in Macedonia. This is the city which later housed a church to which Paul wrote two of his thirteen letters, namely 1 and 2 Thessalonians. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. There’s no church yet at the beginning of Acts 17. There are no believers as of yet in verse 1 when Paul and Silas step into a synagogue in Thessalonica.

Look at verse 2. 

2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, 

Remember Paul typically went to the Jews and God-fearers in a community first, unless it was a city like Philippi that didn’t have a synagogue. And even there he went to Jews and God-fearers meeting outside the synagogue. 

and on three Sabbath days 

I don’t know if that was three consecutive Sabbaths or three Sabbaths over a period of time. I’m inclined to think the latter.

he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead 

Now just look at those verbs with me again. He “reasoned” with them. Also he was “explaining” and “proving” from the Scriptures that it was necessary for Christ to suffer and rise from the dead. Let me just make an obvious statement here. This wasn’t a “relativistic, all-roads-lead-to-heaven, type of conversation.” This wasn’t a “your opinion is valid… my opinion is valid… let’s just hold hands and sing Kumbaya” kind of conversation. 

Paul was reasoning with them. Paul was arguing with them. Paul was even proving to them that the Hebrew Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. Paul was trying to persuade them with all of his cognitive and rational powers to receive this truth, just like he did before in Philippi, Lystra, Derbe, Antioch, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, and Damascus.

Now undoubtedly what Paul did was reference the OT Scriptures that he used previously in Acts. Luke doesn’t tell us specifically what Scriptures he used to prove that Christ must suffer and rise from the dead. Probably he used Isaiah 53. “[H]e was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (53:5). Probably he used Psalm 2 to describe Christ’s deity and Christ’s kingship. Probably he used Psalm 16 to explain Christ’s resurrection. “You will not let your Holy One see corruption” (16:10). He’s done this before. We’ve seen him already in the book of Acts use OT Scriptures to argue that it was necessary “for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead.” 

And here’s the climax in verse 3. Are you ready for it? Here’s the greatest thing these Jews have ever heard in their lives. Here’s that “eureka moment” that every first century Jew was waiting for. Look what Paul says at the end of verse 3.

and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”

“The Messiah is here!” says Paul. The Messiah! The Christ! He’s here. The Jews had been waiting for centuries for the coming of the Messiah, the anointed one—מָשִׁיחַ in Hebrew; Χριστός in Greek. And Paul is relaying to them now this good news: “Salvation is here. Not only did the Christ have to suffer and die according to the OT. But the Christ has already appeared. He’s already suffered and died. He’s already suffered and died and risen from the dead.” 

Now Paul’s done this before. Paul’s preached these truths before. Paul’s taken this message to other places before. And some things never get old. Some things need to be told again and again and again. Because they are so precious, and they are so wonderful, and they are so glorious, they bear repeating. 

Let me encourage you this morning, church. Don’t just talk about sports and weather and news with your constituencies. Talk about this! Talk gospel! These truths bear repeating again and again and again. Because some have never heard. These Thessalonians haven’t heard. And now they are getting a chance for the first time to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and respond in faith.

Go ahead and take your notes and write this down. I want to give you today “Three Components of a Christ-honoring Mission” from Acts 17. Here’s the first.

Three components of a Christ-honoring Mission:

1) Preaching that is Christ-centered (17:1–3, 10–11)

Several years ago I read a biography of my great-great-aunt, Thyra Caffey Ragsdill. She’s the younger sister of my great-granddaddy, Rupert Caffey. And in the early 1900s, they moved from Big Sandy, Texas in East Texas all the way to Seagraves, Texas in West Texas which is about five-hundred miles away. Only in Texas could you travel five-hundred miles away and still be in the same state! 

Well in East Texas, my ancestors didn’t really go to church. My great-great-grandaddy and my great-great-great-grandaddy were Russellites or Jehovah’s Witnesses. And when they all moved to West Texas, there wasn’t a church anywhere. There were just cotton fields and rattlesnakes. 

But in the summer of 1922, my great-great-aunt writes that “a preacher came [to Seagraves] by the name of Ball.” And that preacher held church meetings for about a week. And one night, my great-great-aunt Thyra, at age 13, got saved. In her own words, “She obeyed the gospel.” And the next morning she got baptized in a horse trough. Water’s in short supply in West Texas. And then my great-grandaddy Rupert got saved and baptized too, despite his father’s objections.

Now why do I tell you that story? A faithful traveling pastor named Ball preached the gospel to my great-grandaddy and my great-great-aunt in West Texas, and they got saved. Just like Paul and Silas did in Thessalonica two-thousand years ago. The message is still the same. 

And that message was passed down to me and my family. And I’m passing it down to others. And here’s the message—Believe in Christ! Obey the gospel! Receive Jesus as your Messiah, your Savior! And live your life as a disciple of Christ in obedience to his Word. These are the greatest truths the world has ever known, and I get the privilege of sharing those with you as your pastor. 

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Now that’s not all that happens in this passage. Watch what happens next. Inevitably when you teach this Word, and when you engage in Christ-centered preaching, you will have responders and rejecters. You will raise up disciples and you will raise up detractors. There will be people who want to listen to you and there will be people who want to lynch you (metaphorically speaking or otherwise).

Here’s what happened to Paul in verse 4. Paul preached the gospel…

4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

So, there you go—the church in Thessalonica is born. And at least some embraced the truth of what Paul was telling them, that “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ!” 

Write this down as the second point from our message.

Three components of a Christ-honoring Mission:

1) Preaching that is Christ-centered (17:1-3, 10-11)

2) Persuasiveness calling for conversion (17:4, 12)

Now let me ask you something, “Should preachers be persuasive when they preach the gospel?” “Should preachers be compelling?” “No, no Pastor Tony. If God wants people to be saved, he’ll save them.” Is that Biblical? Now don’t get me wrong, “Salvation is from the Lord” (Jonah 2:9; see also Pss 3:8; 37:39; Isa 43:11; Rev 7:10). And we even saw last week how God opened up Lydia’s heart to respond to the gospel (16:14). God is always at work when people get saved. God is the one doing the saving. 

But that doesn’t mean that our evangelism shouldn’t be persuasive. That doesn’t mean that your testimony shouldn’t be compelling. That doesn’t mean that when you share the gospel with a family member or a friend or a coworker, you shouldn’t be confident and convincing and compelling as you plead with them to turn to Christ. There’s a mystery at work when people get saved. Every salvation is a miracle. Every salvation is a work of God. But don’t let that absolve you (or me, your pastor) of your responsibility to preach, to persuade, to reason, to convince, to prove Christ from the Scriptures. We see Paul do that in this passage.

Just look at the verbs used in this passage. Paul was reasoning and explaining and persuading the Jews (17:3–4). He was laboring intellectually and spiritually to lead people to Christ, and we should do that too. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:15 to “always [be] prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”   

And as Paul does this, some people were persuaded. And they “joined” Paul and Silas. That word “joined” in verse 4 (Greek: προσκληρόομαι [prosklēroomai]) has the idea of “throwing your lot in” with a group. So in other words, they made a break from their old commitments and their old religion and joined the Christian church. 

And it’s not just Jews either. There were also God-fearing Greek men and “not a few” (meaning “many”) of the leading women in the community. It was well-known at this time that Macedonian women were strong and influential in the community. And that’s being borne out in the church as well. Women like Lydia and others in Thessalonica (and also in Berea) were extremely crucial to the growth of the Macedonian churches.  

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Now that’s not all that happens in Thessalonica. Look at verse 5. Paul preaches the gospel, people get saved, and nothing bad is going to happen whatsoever. Is that what you expect? No. We know that wherever salvation is taking place, Satan is going to mobilize.

Here, remember this. Don’t ever forget this. Where disciples are being made there will always be detractors! When Jesus made disciples, there were detractors. When the early church made disciples, there were detractors. When we make disciples in San Antonio, Texas, or elsewhere, there will be detractors.

Look at verse 5.

5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, 

“Do you hear what those outsiders are doing? That guy Paul and his friend Silas! They are stealing our people. They are bewitching our people with some guy named Jesus.” 

“Yeah! Let’s get ‘em!” 

they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them [that’s Paul and Silas] out to the crowd.

Now we’ve seen this before. This is not going to end well for Paul and Silas. But this is “par for the course” for missionaries. What’s surprising here is that the persecution of these missionaries leaks out onto the new believers in Thessalonica.

Because look at verse 6.

6 And when they could not find [Paul and Silas], [the mob] dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also 

I guess their reputation precedes them. Word had gotten out about Paul and his activities in the Roman Empire. And look at verse 7.

“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”

Poor Jason. I don’t even know who this guy Jason is. I assume that he’s one of the new believers in Thessalonica. And he’s probably a Gentile convert, because the name Jason isn’t a Jewish name. So, this new convert, Jason, is in hot water because of a dispute concerning Paul and his gospel. 

Presumably this guy just got saved, and from what I can tell, he’s opened his house to these missionaries (see verse 7 and the verb “received”). He’s been hospitable to them, just like Lydia was in Philippi. And what does he get for that? Persecution! His reputation in the community is being besmirched by these traveling missionaries.

8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 

Why are they disturbed? Well, if people started believing Jesus was the king instead of Caesar (see verse 7), that could get this city into some serious hot water with the Empire. What’s ironic here is how the Jews are the ring-leaders in this whole thing. Because the Jews of this day had no love for the Empire or for Caesar. They’re just trying to stir the pot to get rid of Paul and Silas, and quash all this talk about this guy Jesus as the Messiah.

By the way, identifying Christ as king instead of Caesar was a big deal at this time. That was treasonous in this culture and could get you killed. Treason or sedition was to the Empire what blasphemy was to the Jews. Hundreds and even thousands of Christians were killed in the Roman Empire because they bowed the knee to King Jesus and wouldn’t bow the knee to Caesar. People would pay money to see them torn to shreds by wild animals in the coliseums. 

So this accusation that they serve a king other than Caesar has teeth. And you might say, “Okay, there’s a simple solution here. Just tell them that Jesus isn’t a king. Jason, just tell them that Jesus was born in a barn in the backwater city of Bethlehem! Tell them that Jesus was a Jewish peasant. He’s not a king. He’s a Messiah, sure. It’s a spiritual term! He came to die for our sins, but he doesn’t want to rule and reign. Tell them Caesar has nothing to worry about with Jesus!”

Here’s the problem with that strategy. Here’s the problem with using that argument to “get out of hot water” with the city officials. Do you know what the problem with that argument is? Jesus is a King! These rebel-rousers speak better than they know! There is a king competing with Caesar, and he is the King of Kings! And his name is Jesus.  

Here’s why that argument “He’s just a Messiah, he’s not a King,” doesn’t fly. The problem with that is that according to Psalm 2, Messiah-ship intimates Kingship. The hope for the Messiah was a hope for a new King David who would come and rule over the universe. They can’t say that Jesus didn’t come as a King to compete with Caesar, because Jesus’s kingship is way more important than Caesar. In fact, Jesus’s kingship outdistances the Roman Caesars by about a trillion years! 

And by the way, who was Caesar at the time of this writing? Do you know? At this time, the Caesar was probably Claudius. The fact that you have to look that up in a history book or commentary proves that Jesus is more powerful and important than any of the Roman Caesars. Claudius is a historical blip on the map.  Jesus’s kingship, on the other hand, lasts forever. He is a competing king, and unlike Caesar, his kingdom lasts forever!

But look at verse 9. Watch how Paul and Silas get out of this little predicament.

9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

Now let me just explain a few things about this last verse, because I know that what happens here looks rather innocuous. They pay a fine. They make a deal with the authorities, and then Paul and Silas are released. Nobody gets stoned and left for dead. Nobody gets whipped or beaten or imprisoned. That’s good, I guess. 

But that’s not the end of it. For one, Paul and Silas are forced to leave the city. So they’ve got to leave this group of brand-new believers, these impressionable baby Christians, and hit the road. And they’ve got to leave them in a town that is openly hostile towards them. “Thanks a lot, Paul and Silas.” 

Actually I doubt that was their attitude, because these new Christians had just heard the saving message of Jesus Christ. And that’s worth any persecution that we might face. They didn’t believe in the prosperity gospel that gets preached in our day. The prosperity gospel is stupid. They believe the true gospel. And they aren’t misled into thinking that persecution isn’t part of the equation when someone gets saved. 

So, Paul and Silas have to leave this church to fend for themselves. And verse 10 says,

10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.

Here’s that map again showing where Berea is in relation to Thessalonica. Berea is roughly fifty miles west of Thessalonica. That’s about a three-day journey by foot.

[Paul and Silas’s Travels in Macedonia: Click to view map]

By the way, did you notice in verse 10, the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away? Everyone see that in verse 10? I get the impression that Jason and these new believers knew where Paul and Silas were when the angry mob came looking for them. They knew where they were, but they didn’t give them up. Instead, they protected them. How’s that for a group of baby Christians!

So Paul and Silas suffered and were persecuted for preaching the gospel. And they had to leave town. Listen to these verses from 1 and 2 Thessalonians that affirm these things. 1 Thessalonians 2:12 says, “For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.” 1 Thessalonians 2:9 says similarly, “For you remember, brothers, our labor 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.” Also 1 Thessalonians 2:17–18 states, “But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us.”

 Some scholars have speculated that what Paul is referring to there is the bond that Jason posted as security with the city officials. If Jason had put his house up as security or even all of his financial assets, then perhaps Paul’s return to Thessalonica would have bankrupted Jason and left the church without a place to meet. If that’s the case, then Satan had gotten pretty creative at hindering Paul’s witness. So Paul and Silas suffered as a result of their witness. They got thrown out of town.

But the new church in Thessalonica suffered too. According to 1 Thessalonians 1:6, Paul writes, “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit.” Also he says in 1 Thessalonians 2:14–15, “For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind.” Also in 2 Thessalonians 1:4 he says, “Therefore we ourselves [This is Paul, Silas, and Timothy writing] boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.” 

The persecution for the Thessalonians didn’t end when Paul and Silas left town. It wasn’t like “Whew, now that we got those rebel-rousers Paul and Silas out of town we can sit back and coast to a comfortable Christian life without opposition.” That didn’t happen. Angry people still persisted in their persecution. But you know what? Here’s something to rejoice in. The church in Thessalonica persisted too!

Write this down as the third point from our message.

Three components of a Christ-honoring Mission:

1) Preaching that is Christ-centered (17:1-3, 10-11)

2) Persuasiveness calling for conversion (17:4, 12)

3) Persistence despite conflict (17:5–9, 13–15)

Now I want to read one more passage from 1 Thessalonians. And I want you to just sit back and listen to this. It’s not on the screen. Just listen to it as I read. Maybe even close your eyes and imagine yourself as Jason or one of the other Thessalonian believers whom Paul is writing to here. And just hear Paul’s heart. 

And hear the joy that Paul feels at knowing that the church is persistent and perseverant in the face of suffering. This is 1 Thessalonians 3:1–8: “Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, and we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know. For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain. But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you—for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.”

 In other words, here’s what Paul’s saying. “We have no greater joy than to hear that our children are walking in the truth” (3 John 4). “Our greatest joy in the midst of affliction, is hearing that you, Thessalonians, are standing fast in the Lord in the midst of your affliction.” “I’m energized by that,” Paul says. “I rejoice in that.”   

 Here’s one thing that I’ve noticed. I’ve been a pastor for almost twenty years now. I’ve been discipling people since I was 18 years old. And I’ve seen enough to say this. You don’t know if a person really gets it. You’re never really sure about a person’s salvation until you see that person persevere in faith through something difficult. Through affliction! Through conflict! Through trials and tribulations! 

And when you do see them persevere… you rejoice! And when they don’t persevere… you grieve. 

I know exactly what Paul is writing about here.

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So the church in Thessalonica persists despite conflict. They persevere. But so do Paul and Silas. They just can’t stop preaching the gospel. 

Look at verse 10. Talk about gluttons for punishment!

10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.  

Take a day off, Paul! No, he and Silas go right into the Jewish synagogue in the city of Berea. And why do they do that? They don’t do that to sit down with the Jewish leaders and play parcheesi. 

In fact, the same cycle is going to repeat itself here in Berea. There is 1) Preaching that is Christ-centered. There is 2) Persuasiveness calling for conversion. And there is 3) Persistence despite conflict (17:5-9, 13-15). Boom, Boom, Boom. Rinse and Repeat. 

But there is one slight difference. Look at this. Look at verse 11.

11 Now these Jews [in the synagogue] were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 

The conduct of the Bereans was commendable for two reasons: 1) They received “the word,” that is the gospel, with all eagerness. I assume that that means there was less reasoning, persuading, convincing, and proving by Paul then there was in Thessalonica. And 2) they examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. That is so remarkable right there. That never happens elsewhere in Acts. These guys were Bible nerds. They were Biblicists—my kind of people. And they searched the Scriptures daily to see if the Apostle Paul was shooting straight with them.  

And by the way, it wasn’t like they had their own personal study Bibles that they could take home and read during their quiet times in the morning. It’s not like each of these Bereans had a library full of Bible commentaries to research with. The OT scrolls were rare in those days. And they were all held in the synagogue. So, every day, they went to the synagogue and pulled the scrolls out and studied them. And they said to one another, “Hey Paul and Silas say that Christ had to suffer. Is that true? Well look right here, Isaiah 53. ‘He was pierced for our transgressions.’ He’s right.”

Have you ever seen those churches called “Berean Bible Church” or “Berean Baptist Church” and thought to yourself, “Berean? Where does that come from? Is that the name of the street that the church is on?” No. That’s a reference to Acts 17:11 right here. That’s a church making a statement even with the name of the church that “we’re going to study the Scriptures.” 

I think that’s great! Are we going to study the Scriptures here at Messiah Bible Church? Some people might call us “Messiah Baby Church” with the number of babies that have been born here lately. But that’s not our name. Our name is Messiah Bible Church. And the Bible is our middle name. And we are all about the study of the Scriptures just like the Bereans. And that ain’t gonna change. Amen?

Look at verse 12. 

12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women

There’s the Macedonian women making their presence felt again.

12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 13 But [O No! Here we go again] when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too

So, just to be clear, these guys traveled fifty miles to stop Paul and Silas and their preaching. And it’s not like they took a taxi or a bus those fifty miles. They traveled a three-day journey by foot, so that they could put a stop to this. They didn’t want Paul preaching in the same county… they didn’t want Paul preaching Christ in the same region as them! “Get those guys out of here.” 

they came [to Berea] too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

Paul departs from Macedonia, but he leaves Timothy and Silas there to minister to the new church. Paul goes all the way to Athens to escape this persecution. Obviously, Paul is the firebrand that is causing most of this conflict. So he does the responsible thing and gets out of town to give the church some relief from persecution.

But just so you know, Paul’s not going to quit. Paul continues to preach the gospel, even in the pagan, godless, philosophically minded city of Athens. And we’ll look at that next time, when Paul preaches in Athens. 

Here’s the pattern once again. This was the pattern in Thessalonica. It’s the pattern in Berea. Here are the three components of a Christ-honoring mission:

1) Preaching that is Christ-centered (17:1–3, 10–11)

2) Persuasiveness calling for conversion (17:4, 12)

3) Persistence despite conflict (17:5–9, 13–15)

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Here’s how I framed this pattern in the book of Acts—“God calls. God sends. We serve him. Opposition comes. Believers boldly and courageously persevere. And then there’s fruit.” Do that about a million times before you die and you will have lived a God-honoring, fruit-bearing, Spirit-empowered life. You up for that? 

Let me say it again “God calls. God sends. We serve him. Opposition comes. Believers boldly and courageously persevere. And then there’s fruit.” Opposition is not a sign that you are out of God’s will. It’s not a signal that you have missed out on God’s best in your life. Opposition, when you serve Christ, is a call to perseverance. It’s your rite of passage. You, like Paul and Silas (and Jesus for that matter), are carrying the gospel forward into hostile territory. “God calls. God sends. We serve him. Opposition comes. Believers boldly and courageously persevere. And then there’s fruit.” That’s the pattern we see in the book of Acts. And that’s the pattern of our Christian lives.