Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them,
and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Opening and alleging,
that Christ must needs have suffered,
and risen again from the dead;
and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas;
and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy,
took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort,
and gathered a company,
and set all the city on an uproar,
and assaulted the house of Jason,
and sought to bring them out to the people.
And when they found them not,
they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying,
Whom Jason hath received:
and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar,
saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.
And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.
And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.
Acts 17:1-15
"Those who today teach unpopular truths need not be discouraged if at times they meet with no more favorable reception, even from those who claim to be Christians, than did Paul and his fellow workers from the people among whom they labored. The messengers of the cross must arm themselves with watchfulness and prayer, and move forward with faith and courage, working always in the name of Jesus. They must exalt Christ as man's mediator in the heavenly sanctuary, the One in whom all the sacrifices of the Old Testament dispensation centered, and through whose atoning sacrifice the transgressors of God's law may find peace and pardon."
Acts of the Apostles p.230 E.G.W.
