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Lesson 31

Upsetting the World

Acts 17:1-15

On each of the trips I made to Russia a number of years ago, each group of which I was a part visited the mosque established by Kathryn the Great back in the 18^th century. As the Iman was explaining to us about Islam there was one statement he made that really caught my attention. He said basically that the Russian Orthodox Church and the adherents to the Muslim faith got along very well. My initial reaction to that statement was shame on the Orthodox Church. My question, in my own mind but not spoken out loud, was why were they not doing a better job of witnessing to the Muslims?

As I have reflected on that moment I have to ask myself am I doing any better? This brings to mind a number of thoughts. In what ways am I so much like the world that it is does not feel threatened or offended by what I do or say in the name of Christ? Why is it that my life has so little impact on those around me? Looking inward I would have to say that often I lack the courage, confronting the world can be very messy, and at other times I do not reflect the love of Christ.

Since you and I are the church what I have shared is being multiplied all over the world. We as the church are no longer displaying the courage and boldness for Christ to change society. Society has moved on and the church has become marginalized in its influence on the lives of even those who call themselves spiritual. All we have to do is look at most denominations and see the decline in attendance as a true indicator that this is happening. There are some churches who have taken hold of the mandate given in the Bible to reach the lost of the world, but far too many have compromised with and become too much like the world. Here in our country there is little mention of our upsetting the whole world by our efforts to share the gospel with the unsaved. It just is not happening. In other parts of the world there are people being persecuted and killed for their stand for Christ but not here.

Today we will see what happened when Paul tried to bring the gospel to Europe. Last week we looked at the impact he had on three lives. What will happen when he brings the idea of a whole new belief system to these cities?

Acts 17:1

After Paul and his companions left Philippi they made their way about 100 miles west by-way-of Amphipolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica along the Egnatian Way. Let us back track a moment to the Introduction of Acts. One of the reasons given for the coming of Christ during that time period was that the Romans had built an excellent road system. This would allow for easy travel and the rapid spread of the gospel. The Egnatian Way was part of that road system and ran down through the heart of Thessalonica. If a church could be established in this strategic city then the gospel could be carried from the Adriatic Sea all the way into the Middle East.

It was to this city came. There was a larger assembly of Jews there because they had a synagogue.

1. Why did Paul choose Thessalonica as the next city on the missionary journey?
2. Why was would it be considered a strategic city in his ministry?
3. What was the importance of the Egnatian Way?
4. What did Paul find there that would provide him with inroads into the life of the city?

Acts 17:2-4

As has been seen in other places the synagogue would have been the place where Paul would begin sharing the gospel. He would spend three weeks with them as the Scripture says, He

• Was reasoning with them from the Scriptures
• Explaining and giving evidence about the death and resurrection of Jesus.
• Proclaimed Jesus as the Christ, the Anointed One, The Messiah.

Upon hearing the message “some were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas.” This phrase probably refers to the Jews. Luke then says that beyond that number there were two other groups that believed.

• God-fearing Greeks
• Leading woman in the city

1. Why did Luke use three different words, reasoning, explaining, giving evidence to tell us about the activities of Paul?
2. What were the results of the testimony of Paul?
3. Who were the some to which Luke refers? What would be a clue to the answer?
4. Who were the most receptive to his message?
5. Why do you think that this is true?
6. Why would the leading women be specifically mentioned?
7. What does it say about those who we might reach with the gospel?

Acts 17:5-9

It should not be surprising that the Jews would react as they did. Paul before his conversion had tried everything he could to destroy the church. What is surprising that the Jews resorted to gathering what Luke calls, wicked men from the secular market place. They became a mob which caused an uproar in the city. Attacking the house of Jason, they hoped to find Paul there. When that failed they dragged Jason and other brethren before the authorities. The charge that they brought against Paul was that, “These men who have upset the world have come here also.” They went on to claim that he was “they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.

The authorities got caught up in the incident and received a pledge from Jason and the others. Having nothing else with which they could charge the men they released them.

1. What would have been surprising about the behavior of the Jews?
2. Why would Paul have expected them to react as they did?
3. In what way were the accusations brought against Paul true?
4. In what way were they incorrect?
5. Why did they attack Jason and the other brethren?

Acts 17:10

Fearing for the lives of Paul and Silas the brethren sent them away by night. They would travel on to Berea which was about 60 miles west of Thessalonica. Upon arriving at Berea Paul did not alter his pattern at all. He went into the synagogue of the Jews.

1. Why did the believers in Thessalonica send the two men on their way?
2. Why would new believers have thought that the Jews were capable of bringing harm to Paul and Silas?
3. After his previous experience why would Paul once again go into the synagogue?

Acts 17:11- 12

Paul found among the people of Berea a totally different attitude. Luke writes that the Bereans were more noble-minded than those at Thessalonica. This description was not used of any other people that the missionary team met. What did mean when he spoke of the Bereans in this way?

The dictionary describes one who as noble as:

• One possessing outstanding qualities: Illustrious
• One who is good or excellent
• One characterized by or arising from arising from superiority of mind or character or of ideals or morals: lofty

 

It would be expected that the Bereans then would have:

• Received the word with great eagerness.
• Examined the Scriptures daily to see if the things that Paul was teaching were true.

As a result many of the Jews became believers. Remember in Thessalonica only some of the Jews became followers of Christ. Again a number of prominent women and Greek men also became believers.

1. What characteristic made the Bereans stand out differently than those in the previous places Paul visited?
2. What does it mean to speak of them as more noble-minded than the Thessalonians?
3. What part would their character qualities play in the reception of God’s Word?
4. What part of God’s word would Paul have used to open their eyes to the gospel?
5. What part of the Scripture did they possess?
6. Why was it important for them to examine the Scriptures for themselves?
7. Why is it important for us to understand the Old Testament?

It is interesting that there is no written evidence that Paul ever penned any letters to the church at Berea. Could it be that because of the qualities they possessed they did not have the problems that are seen in the churches to which he wrote?

1. What qualities would we expect for a church to have that would minimize problems?
2. What kinds of problems arise when those of the church are not noble-minded?

Acts 17:13

The Jews of Thessalonica did not give up on their attempt to disrupt the work of Paul. Luke wrote that it was because they heard that the “The word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea” that they followed him. The same highway system that allowed for the rapid spread of the gospel could also be used by those who were opponents of Paul. When the Jews from Thessalonica arrived they immediately began to stir up the crowds of the city.

1. Why did the Jews of Thessalonica go to Berea?
2. What did it say about them that they would have a problem with the word of God being preached to the Bereans?
3. What are some examples of how methods of communication may be used for good and evil?
4. Why did the Jews stir up the crowds and not go to the new believers in Berea?
5. What affect would their actions have on the followers of Christ in that city?

Acts 17:14-15

Paul was immediately sent away. Silas and Timothy remained at Berea for a while. As is seen in some of his letters, Paul probably left them there to help the church get organized. Elders probably were probably selected to provide leadership and spiritual guidance to the new believers. Those from Berea who accompanied Paul carried him all the way to Athens in the southern part of Greece. Athens was far enough from Berea and not in Macedonia that Paul would not be followed by the Jews. As will be seen, Athens was a very pagan city with almost no Jewish presence there. He gave instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him there as soon as they could.

1. Why was Paul sent away?
2. Why was he able to leave Silas and Timothy behind?
3. What were they to do while they were there?
4. Why did he go as far as Athens to wait for them?

You

1. During your meditation this week reflect on whether you possess the quality of being noble-minded.
2. Ask yourself if in your daily walk do you present more of an image of the Bereans or one who in small ways opposed the word of God?
3. Think about the importance of understanding the Old Testament in light of the way you may share the gospel with someone?
4. Think of ways that you can be more like those in the city of Berea.
5. Is there evidence in your life that your words and actions will make an impact on the world for Christ?

Although the name of the church is not Berea we still can make it our desire to possess the qualities that Paul found in that city so long ago. To be a people who have all of the qualities associated with being noble-minded will cause others to want to be part of an assembly that glorifies God in our words and actions. Each time we come into the building there should be an eagerness to receive all that God’s word has to say to us. There is probably not a family who attends Bethany Place that does not have at least one Bible. We should therefore use every opportunity we have to read and examine God’s word in light of what we have heard in Bible Study and the Worship time message.

Finally may everything we do glorify God. May we never find ourselves in opposition to what He is trying to do in the Church and His World because we have chosen to disregard the true message from His word.

Additional Notes:

C-After leaving Philippi Paul made his way to a new city. He travelled through two different cities to get to Thessalonica. There he preached for three weeks in the synagogue. After that a period of time some Jews, many God fearing Greeks and a number of prominent women became followers of Christ. (Acts 17:1-4)

GC-Every believer needs to understand not only what he believes but also why. This will give him the ability to reason, explain and give evidence in his own life of the truth’s surrounding Jesus suffering and resurrection. (Acts 17:3)

C-Facing the fact that the Jews in Thessalonica were losing control over not only their own, but the Gentiles who had become Jewish proselytes, they became jealous of Paul and Silas. They associated themselves with worthless men who frequented the marketplace. They became a mob who caused an uproar. They attacked the house of Jason, supposing Paul and Silas were there. When Paul was not found Jason and others were brought before the city officials accusing the men of harboring those who were upsetting the world. Paul and Barnabas were even accused of treason. (Acts 17:5-9)

GC-All we have to do is listen to the critics of Christianity to know that the message we have to share is upsetting to those who follow the ways of the world. The words of God prick the conscience of the unbeliever. They then have the choice that each of us face, either to accept it or rebel sometimes in violent ways. (Acts 17:6)

RT-The word of God is the message of Christ. If indeed the one who railed against Paul had understood this fact then they would have accepted the truth of what he was proclaiming. All Paul did, was affirm the word of God. It was for this one reason that he was persecuted. (Acts 17:10-13)

C-Once again the missionaries were forced to change mission fields. Because of the danger to Paul, particularly, the believers sent him and Silas to Berea. In Berea they found people as the Scriptures tells who were more noble-minded and were willing to receive the words of Paul with great eagerness. We are told that they “were examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things (those things being shared by Paul) were so. Things went well there until the Jews from Thessalonica came and stirred up the crowds.   (Acts 17:10-13)

GC-A believer receives the word with eagerness and examines the Scripture daily determining whether those things heard are true. (Acts 17:11)

TM-It is good to listen to a teacher or preacher then example the Scriptures to verify if what has been shared is the truth. (Acts 17:11)

RT-The truth as found in God’s word against which the Jews and Gentiles railed in places like Thessalonica was received with gladness by the Bereans. They were willing to hear Paul and compare it with the Old Testament to see if the words he spoke were accurate. As they searched the Scriptures many became followers of Christ.               (Acts 17:11-12)

C-When Paul was driven out of Berea he left behind Timothy and Silas to continue ministering to the people of Berea. This was the first time that Paul went into an area by himself.   He travelled to Athens. Timothy and Silas were instructed to follow him as soon as possible. (Acts 17:14-15)