Allegiance to the King

Paul and Silas have just been asked by the officials of Philippi to leave and so they are once again on the move. They move west and this is where we find them now.

Acts 17:1–9 NASB95

1 Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women. 5 But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. 6 When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also; 7 and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. 9 And when they had received a pledge from Jason and the others, they released them.

They traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, why they didn’t stop we don’t know, or if they did stop and give the gospel in this city is not said but what Luke provides for us is the account of what happened when Paul and Silas arrived in Thessalonica. We find that as Paul and Silas are there they do what is Paul’s custom, they go to the synagogue of the Jews. When Paul can he goes first to the Jewish community to give them the gospel. And we find that Paul is not just accustomed to go to the synagogue but when he goes it is always for the purpose of teaching and giving the gospel.

The Jews whether in Israel or in Asia Minor or even here in Europe they had one hope and one common bond, they were awaiting the coming of the Messiah, the chosen King of Israel who would reign forever over the nation. They knew from Scripture God had promised a King, an everlasting King who would reign forever on David’s throne but they were not sure of the makeup of this King’s kingdom. Well Paul knew about this King, Paul had seen this King and Paul had plead allegiance to the King. Now Paul is about to tell the Thessalonians about their long awaited Messiah but what he is going to say is not something they ever understood but Paul is going to make it clear it is not just a fairy tail but it is all rooted in the Scripture they have at their disposal. Paul is going to explain the Messiah and His true calling from the Scriptures themselves and this examination of the Scriptures will lead to an allegiance to the One true King.

Allegiance through Examining Scripture

Look at verses 2 and 3 with me, “And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” This is Paul’s custom, not just that he goes to the synagogues but he would go to the synagogue not as a casual observer but to “reason with them from the Scriptures.” What this means is that Paul not only taught the people from the Scripture but he also used the Scripture to demonstrate logically the truths the Scripture points to. These are Jewish people who have had the Scripture but were not aware of the fulfillment of the prophecies Scripture point to.

In verse 3 we find exactly how Paul logically laid out the Scriptures for the people in the synagogue. He was “explaining and giving evidence.” Explaining means to open, what Paul was doing was opening up the Scripture, unpacking so to speak. He didn’t just say I think this or Rabbi Gamaliel says this about this text. No, he went straight to the text and explained or opened it up to those listening. The explanation he was providing was evidence that the long awaited Messiah or in the Greek, Christ, had to suffer and rise again. This was something the Jewish people never thought of I mean even Jesus as He walked the earth repeated said this to His disciples and each time it went over their heads. Even after the resurrection they were still asking Jesus if He was going to establish His kingdom here on earth. The Jews thought temporally, only on the here and now, they didn’t think heavenly or spiritually, the life here after. So when they would think of the Messiah they would think a political and social ruler who would come and deliver them from the oppression of the Roman government or any other government that is holding them down.

Paul is widening their perception on the eternal King and what the Scripture say about Him. We don’t know what text Paul used but hay why not start with the first one that points to the promised King having to suffer. Genesis 3:15.

Genesis 3:15 NASB95

15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Then there is the passage that explains the entirety of Jesus suffering and dying, Isaiah 53.

Isaiah 53 NASB95

1 Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? 9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. 10 But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. 11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.

This entire chapter points to Jesus as the suffering servant. Verse 5, He was pierced through for our transgressions. Verse 7, He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.” I’m sure Paul knew very well how Jesus never spoke when He was being accused, here is the man who knocked a battalion of Roman soldiers to their knees by just speaking His name, “I Am” in John 18:5. He is the living Word but when He stood before His accusers He stood silent for us. In verse 8 we find “That He was cut off out of the land of the living,” which means He will die. The death will not be in vain because He dies for the purpose of delivering Israel and all mankind from the true oppression, sin. Verse 9, “His grave was assigned with wicked men,” Jesus was hung on a tree with criminals, dying in the most gruesome and humiliating way possible. “Yet He was with a rich man in His death,” Joseph of Arimathea placed Jesus in his own family tomb, where no one had ever been buried before. Then in verse 10 comes the piece that Israelites were missing that needed to be opened to them. “But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.” “The Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief;” this is the King the nation is waiting on and Isaiah says that God was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief, this didn’t please Him because He is a wrathful God and likes death and destruction, He was pleased because of the love He has for His creation, He was pleased because this was His plan from the beginning. “If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,” now the Israelites would have understood what a guilt offering is, a guilt offering is offered up to God a restitution for unintentional sins. When it comes to Jesus offering Himself up to God as the guilt offering it provides a restitution for our guilt entirely. In doing this “He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.” This is pointing to those who trust in Christ as Savior being Jesus’ offspring and His days will be prolonged pointing to some kind of resurrection, and God’s will continuing to prosper in His hand. When we get to verse 12 we find victory, “I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.” Clearly the servant of God has died and yet He has victory and His life is prolonged, how can that be unless He was brought back from the dead.

I am not saying this is what Paul said, but this is what it means to open the Scriptures and to provide evidence from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the True King the Old Testament points to. Paul has a deep understanding of the Scripture and he wants them to understand the Scripture for the purpose of understanding that the King they are waiting on has arrived and He is seated on His throne in glory. Victorious over more then just the oppression of the government but victorious over the guilt of sin that lies deep within the hearts of all mankind. Jesus is the One who has done this, and Paul by using the Scripture was teaching them that the Christ they were picturing in their mind, the Christ they were waiting on was a small Christ. The Christ Scripture points to is so much bigger then they were thinking and Jesus’s Kingdom is so much greater then they were thinking too. Paul shows this by opening them up to what the Scripture says about Jesus.

When we get to verse 4 we find that Paul’s three day consecutive preaching and opening up of the Scriptures has moved minds and hearts. “And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women.” The proclamation of the truth did what it is meant to do, persuade people not manipulate people but to persuade people in trusting and pledging their allegiance to the King who had to suffer and rise again in order to take His throne once again. There were some Jews who were persuaded and a large number of God-fearing Greeks and some leading women. They joined Paul and Silas, meaning they aligned themselves with the true King of Israel. This allegiance did not go unnoticed as most times it does not. The allegiance with the true King exposes peoples sin.

Allegiance Exposes Sin

Look at what happens with the Jews, “But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people.” Notice what happens with the Jews and the emotion they have toward Paul and Silas over the persuasion of the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks and the leading woman to join in following after the King. Remember these are men who also claim to be waiting on the Messiah, but when people are no longer listening to them and truly following after the true Messiah, these men become jealous. Why would anyone be jealous of people trusting in Christ, well that’s simple, because then they don’t trust in you. So these men were not happy their prominence and power and profit was diminishing. This is what telling the truth does, it causes people’s sin to be exposed. It either exposes it and people confess it or it exposes it in others around us.

James 3:13–18 NASB95

13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Allegiance Inverts Thinking

Romans 12:1–2 NASB95

1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 13:1–5 NASB95

1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. 5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.

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