Sermon Tone Analysis

*Uproar in Thessalonica*

*Acts 17:1-15*

 

*17*     When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christa had to suffer and rise from the dead.

“This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,b” he said.

4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women.

5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city.

They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.c

6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house.

They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil.

9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

/In Berea/

10 As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea.

On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.

11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

12 Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

13 When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up.

14 The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. 15 The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

c Or /the assembly of the people/

\\ /The Holy Bible : New International Version/.

1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (Ac 17:1-16).

Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

\\  

*SECTION OUTLINE SEVENTEEN* (ACTS 17)

Paul and Silas continue on their missionary journey.

Paul preaches a sermon in Athens.

I.     Paul and Silas in Thessalonica (17:1–9)

A.     *The faithfulness of the missionaries* (17:1–3): For three Sabbaths in a row, Paul preaches the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ in the Jewish synagogues.

B.     *The fruits of the missionaries* (17:4) : Some Jews and many Gentile men and women are saved.

C.     *The foes of the missionaries* (17:5–9)

1.     /The assault/ (17:5) : A mob rushes into Jason’s house, where Paul and Silas are staying, in search of the missionaries.

2.     /The arrest/ (17:6a): Unable to find Paul and Silas, the mob drags Jason before the city council.

3.     /The accusations/ (17:6b–9)

a.     Paul and Silas are charged with troublemaking, and Jason is charged with allowing them to stay in his home (17:6b–7a).

b.     Paul and Silas are charged with treason (17:7b–9): “They profess allegiance to another king, Jesus.”

II.

Paul and Silas in Berea (17:10–15)

A.     *The openness to God*’*s Word* (17:10–12)

1.     /The Bereans research it/ (17:10–11): They listen eagerly and check the Scriptures.

2.     /The Bereans receive it/ (17:12) : Many Jews believe, as do some of the Greek men and women.

B.     *The opposition to God*’*s Word* (17:13–15)

1.     /The demonstration against Paul/ (17:13) : Some Jews from Thessalonica come to Berea and instigate a riot.

2.     /The departure of Paul/ (17:14–15): He leaves for Athens.

III.     Paul (Only) in Athens (17:16–34): On Mars Hill, Paul preaches his most famous sermon, identifying the Lord as the “unknown God” the Atheneans have been worshiping.

A.     *The need for this sermon* (17:16–17): The entire city is filled with idols.

B.     *The audience for this sermon* (17:18–21)

1.     /Their identity/ (17:18a): The crowd consists of two philosophical groups, the Epicureans and the Stoics.

2.     /Their insults/ (17:18b): They accuse Paul of babbling or advocating some strange foreign religion when he speaks of Jesus’ resurrection.

3.     /Their idleness/ (17:21) : They spend all their time in useless discussion about the latest ideas.

4.     /Their invitation/ (17:19–20): To their credit, however, Paul is invited to address them.

C.     *The introduction to this sermon* (17:22–23)

1.     /Paul/’/s observation/ (17:22–23a): “I notice that you are very religious, for as I was walking along I saw your many altars.

And one of them had this inscription on it—‘To an Unknown God.’ ”

2.     /Paul/’/s revelation/ (17:23b): “You have been worshiping him with-out knowing who he is, and now I wish to tell you about him.”

D.     *The points in this sermon* (17:24–31): Paul reviews the works of the true God in the past, present, and future.

1.     /Regarding the past/ (17:24–26, 28–29): He created all things, as testified by:

a.

The Hebrew account (17:24–26): He is the maker of everything.

b.

Their own account (17:28–29): One of their own poets said, “We are his offspring.”

2.     /Regarding the present/ (17:27, 30): He desires to save people if they will do two things:

a.     Reach out (17:27) : He wants people to seek after him.

b.     Repent (17:30) : They are to turn from idols and turn to him.

3.     /Regarding the future/ (17:31) : God will someday judge the world through Jesus Christ, whom he raised from the dead.

E.     *The reaction to this sermon* (17:32–34)

1.     /Some mock/ (17:32a).

2.     /Some delay/ (17:32b): They want to hear more later.

3.     /Some believe/ (17:33–34).[1]

*The Witness in Thessalonica 17:1–9*

/17:1–4// Journey to Thessalonica; Synagogue Ministry/

The party of three pass through Amphipolis and Apollonia on their way to Thessalonica (17:1), traveling on the Egnatian Way (see on 16:11).

Since these towns have no synagogues and are spaced a day’s journey apart (thirty to thirty-five miles), they are listed simply as overnight stops.

Like Philippi, Thessalonica is an old city given new life under the Greeks and Romans.

In 316 b.c. it was named from Thessalonike, wife of King Cassandra, daughter of Philip of Macedon, and stepsister of Alexander the Great.

Before long it became the chief seaport of Macedonia and was made the seat of administration of the province two years after the Romans took over in 148 b.c.

By the time of Paul, it is a thriving walled city, with the Egnatian Way running through it from southeast to northwest.

Just north of that highway near the middle of the city is the agora (forum).

Three features of the place are important for understanding the story in Acts.

First, the ruling authorities are called /politarchs/, a name found only in Macedonia and ascribed to them by Luke (17:6, 8, note).

Not until the nineteenth century were inscriptions found to confirm this title and prove the author’s accuracy here.

Second, the city has a large synagogue, providing a base for Paul’s preaching and teaching (17:1).

Third, extensive dockyards provide /ruffians /to be easily found and incited to mob action in the marketplace (17:5).

Luke’s story of the mission is brief and highly selective.

Paul goes into the synagogue and for three successive Sabbaths presents the gospel from the Hebrew Scriptures (17:2).

Since readers have already been given an example of such preaching in 13:16–41, all that is needed now is a short summary.

Here again the /kerygma/ consists of showing the necessity of Christ’s suffering, followed by his resurrection (17:3; cf.

Luke 9:22; 17:25; 24:26, 46; Acts 3:18–20), and the proclamation that such a Messiah can be none other than Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 9:22; 13:23–38).

This is the crucial issue for Jews, and /some of them/ are convinced (17:4).

Though a minority, they are enough to provide a Jewish Christian base for the new group of believers.

Most who accept the gospel, however, are /devout Greeks,/ Godfearing Gentiles like Cornelius (10:1–48) and Lydia (16:14–40), /a/ /great many/ of them.

Then Luke mentions a third group worth noting in the Thessalonian situation: /leading women,/ including both upper-class women of influence and possibly also wives of leading men of the city.

They are /not a few/ in number, that is, /quite a few/ (17:4).

Although they also belong to the devout Gentile class, they are distinctive enough to be mentioned separately.

There is a clear contrast here with Pisidian Antioch, where /women of high standing/ were used to stir up opposition against the apostles (13:50).

The Philippian church had notable women like Lydia and her friends (16:13–15, 40), and a good many /Greek women and men of high standing/ will be mentioned among the converts at Berea (17:12).

Hence, this would seem to be a special characteristic of the Macedonian congregations.

This first phase of the mission in Thessalonica, within the synagogue, is said to last only three weeks (17:2).

But the situation reflected in Paul’s two letters to them suggests a much longer stay in the city.

In 1 Thessalonians 2:9–11, he speaks of a period of toiling with his hands to support himself, and in 4:1–12 he refers to instruction which would need to be given over a considerable time.

Moreover, a reasonably long ministry is suggested in the greatly telescoped text of 17:5–9.

The seeming discrepancy is resolved, however, when it is noted that these verses in Acts indicate the length of time spent in the synagogue, after which the new Christian fellowship leaves and moves to the house of Jason, where the work continues.