Acts 17:1-15 [+/-]Acts 17:1-15
[17:1]Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and
Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a
synagogue of the Jews. [2]And Paul went in, as was his
custom, and on three Sabbath days 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, and saying, "This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is
the Christ." [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. [5]But the Jews were
jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they
formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the
house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.
[6]And when they could not find them, they 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, [7]and Jason has received them, and
they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying
that there is another king, Jesus." [8]And the people and
the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these
things. [9]And when they had taken money as security from
Jason and the rest, they let them go.
[10]The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by
night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the
Jewish synagogue. [11]Now these Jews 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. [12]Many of them therefore believed, with
not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.
[13]But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the
word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came
there 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. (ESV)
A church being born in the city of Thessalonica was another step in the unfolding of the plan and purpose of God in reaching the world with the Gospel. This very precise and particular plan of God began in earnest in Antioch. It was there that as the church was gathered in the passionate worship of God that God called out of the church two of her leaders to go with the Gospel to other places and other peoples, to preach the Gospel, to plant churches, and to provide for the spiritual growth of believers in a body of believers that was properly governed. This very precise and very particular plan of God began in a local church in the city of Antioch (Acts 13 [+/-]Acts 13
[13:1]Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets
and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius
of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the
tetrarch, and Saul. [2]While they were worshiping the Lord
and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me
Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called
them." [3]Then after fasting and praying they laid their
hands on them and sent them off.
[4]So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down
to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. [5]When
they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in
the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist
them. [6]When they had gone through the whole island as far
as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish
false prophet named Bar-Jesus. [7]He was with the
proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who
summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of
God. [8]But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of
his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away
from the faith. [9]But Saul, who was also called Paul,
filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him [10]and
said, "You son of the devil, you enemy of all
righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you
not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
[11]And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and
you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time."
Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went
about seeking people to lead him by the hand. [12]Then the
proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he
was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
[13]Now Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and
came to Perga in Pamphylia. And John left them and returned
to Jerusalem, [14]but they went on from Perga and came to
Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into
the synagogue and sat down. [15]After the reading from the
Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a
message to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have any word of
encouragement for the people, say it." [16]So Paul stood
up, and motioning with his hand said:
"Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. [17]The God
of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people
great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with
uplifted arm he led them out of it. [18]And for about forty
years he put up with them in the wilderness. [19]And after
destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave
them their land as an inheritance. [20]All this took about
450 years. And after that he gave them judges until Samuel
the prophet. [21]Then they asked for a king, and God gave
them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin,
for forty years. [22]And when he had removed him, he raised
up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said,
'I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my
heart, who will do all my will.' [23]Of this man's
offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he
promised. [24]Before his coming, John had proclaimed a
baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. [25]And
as John was finishing his course, he said, 'What do you
suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me
one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to
untie.'
[26]"Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those
among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of
this salvation. [27]For those who live in Jerusalem and
their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor
understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read
every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. [28]And
though they found in him no guilt worthy of death, they
asked Pilate to have him executed. [29]And when they had
carried out all that was written of him, they took him down
from the tree and laid him in a tomb. [30]But God raised
him from the dead, [31]and for many days he appeared to
those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem,
who are now his witnesses to the people. [32]And we bring
you the good news that what God promised to the fathers,
[33]this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising
Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm,
"'You are my Son,
today I have begotten you.'
[34]And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead,
no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,
"'I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.'
[35]Therefore he says also in another psalm,
"'You will not let your Holy One see corruption.'
[36]For David, after he had served the purpose of God in
his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his
fathers and saw corruption, [37]but he whom God raised up
did not see corruption. [38]Let it be known to you
therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of
sins is proclaimed to you, [39]and by him everyone who
believes is freed from everything from which you could not
be freed by the law of Moses. [40]Beware, therefore, lest
what is said in the Prophets should come about:
[41]"'Look, you scoffers,
be astounded and perish;
for I am doing a work in your days,
a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it
to you.'"
[42]As they went out, the people begged that these
things might be told them the next Sabbath. [43]And after
the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout
converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as
they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace
of God.
[44]The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to
hear the word of the Lord. [45]But when the Jews saw the
crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to
contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. [46]And
Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, "It was
necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you.
Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of
eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.
[47]For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,
"'I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"
[48]And when the Gentiles heard this, they began
rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many
as were appointed to eternal life believed. [49]And the
word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.
[50]But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing
and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution
against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their
district. [51]But they shook off the dust from their feet
against them and went to Iconium. [52]And the disciples
were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. (ESV)
). There is no evidence in Scripture that God ever changed His plan. The local church is the source both for sending and for sustaining the work of the Gospel in the world.
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