2 Tim. 3:16-17; Acts 17:1-9, Introduction (2)

D. GOD.  It should be obvious but we want to remember this, that God is THE AUTHOR of all Scripture.  He used holy men (2 Pt. 1:19-21).  In that passage Peter includes himself and all the Apostles of Christ (2 Pt. 3:1-2) as having been inspired by God, fulfilling the promise of Jesus that the promise Holy Spirit would do this so as to ensure that all He wanted said to His Body, the Church, would be said (Jn. 16:12-15).

II.      Recipients, 1:1.

A. The City of Thessalonica.  Thessalonica was important, the capital city of Macedonia, a “free” city meaning that those born there had Roman citizenship and freedom, just as if they were born in Rome itself.  The city was governed by magistrates (a city council) called politarcas (Ac. 17:6,8).  It sat on the Via Egnatia, the highway connecting Rome with the East.  The harbor at Thessalonica was large and important in the export/import business.  Thus it was a diverse city, having a Jewish colony (though not extremely large).  Gentiles were predominant and they had Roman government and Greek civilization.  There were God-fearers, meaning those Gentiles who aligned themselves with Judaism but without full status as proselytes.


B. The Church of the Thessalonians. Acts 17:1-9. 

·        Birth. The church had its start at this point in Paul’s second journey.  As was his custom Paul had entered the synagogue, being welcome to the third Sabbath.  He did this, not only because it was practical (Jews knew their Bible and in the synagogue Paul would have an opportunity to preach) but because it was good theology.  The gospel was to go to the Jew first.  

·        Methodology.  Paul dialogued (reasoned) about the gospel, a form of argument.  He did this in places where discussion could happen, places like the Synagogue or the “Lecture Hall.”  The basis of argument was the Scriptures.  This kept the argument from being aimless or useless.  The goal was to interpret Scripture, using the Bible to prove the gospel.

·        Response.  Some Jews believed and many God-fearers believed.  Of course there were more of these Gentiles because they did not have the same degree of blindness as the Jews who had to overcome the teaching of their upbringing, family and culture.  We can also note that the Jews in Thessalonica were not willing to study the Scriptures on the things of which Paul spoke, unlike the Jews of Berea (Ac. 17:11). There was also a response of fire.  The Jews, being filled with jealousy stirred up a mob.  The term is agorion andras, lit. “men of the marketplace.”  It referred to men who hung around the market all day.  The result of the mob was that from the earliest the church at Thessalonica understood suffering (1 Th. 3:1-4).

There is yet one more things to note in our next post about this local church.  Again we are seeing a great video of the ministry of Spirit-led men.  May we be those men!