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Acts 17:16-21:More on the market place.

^“16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the market-place day by day with those who happened to be there. ¹⁸ A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, ‘What is this babbler trying to say?’ Others remarked, ‘He seems to be advocating foreign gods.’ They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, ‘May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? ²⁰ You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.’ ²¹ (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)” NIV UK

Yesterday, we considered the importance of being in the ‘’market-place’’, as threatening as it can feel at times. It can be an intimidating place; but it’s also exciting and stretching. It’s where the action is.

1. Contact in the market-place (17b). There can be no communication without contact. Paul went to where the people were. His own ‘type’ were in the synagogues, although, truth to tell, many of them gave him a hard time. But he didn’t stay within the relative comfort zone of his own sort. He rubbed shoulders with people who were unlike himself. This is the Christ-like way. Jesus left the ultimate comfort zone of heaven. There has never been a comfort zone like it. He came down to the ‘market-place’ of this world.He became one of us to communicate most meaningfully with us; to show us what God is like in terms we understand. He became a human-being and speaks our language – the language of flesh and blood.

2. Communication in the market-place (17a). Someone said to a well-known preacher, ‘Thank you for your sermon, it moved me.’ He asked pointedly, ‘Where to?!’ Paul’s inner distress (16) moved him to where he could encounter people of other beliefs and strange ideas. He opened his mouth and he ‘broke the sound barrier’. He spoke ‘’about Jesus and the resurrection’’ (18b). In fact, I once read that the people thought that Paul was referring to two gods – possibly Jesus and His wife! Yet it is obvious that Paul was not ashamed to speak about Jesus and that he emphasised His resurrection. We must not be surprised if we are misunderstood when we attempt to share the faith that is so dear and meaningful to us.

3. Controversy in the market-place (18). The ‘’Epicurean’’ philosophers, were followers of ‘Epicurus’, who was born about three hundred years before Christ. He said, ‘Enjoy yourself. Meaning in life is to be found in pleasure.’ The ‘Stoics’ said the opposite. Their message was, ‘Discipline yourself.Be strong and endure pain and hardship.’ So the market-place was filled with controversy and confusion and conflict. Some called Paul a ‘’babbler’’, meaning, in the Greek language, someone who goes around like a bird, picking up scraps of knowledge. They probably recognised echoes of bits and pieces of their own systems in what he said. After all, truth is true wherever you find it. ‘All truth is God’s truth.’ However, to advocate ‘’foreign gods’’ was a serious crime. Socrates had been accused of the same, in Athens, some 450 years earlier, and it had led to his death.

So, Paul had the courage to engage with the diverse crowd in the market-place, and it led to a further significant opportunity (19,20). The ‘’Areopagus’’ is actually the name of a large hill in the middle of Athens. The council of rulers and elders used to meet on top of that hill. Later the council itself became known as the ‘’Areopagus.’’ They had great authority over all that went on in the city. In Paul’s day, they used to question all new teachers who came to the city.

Regarding (21), Warren Wiersbe writes: ‘How like our world today! The quest for novelty overshadows the search for reality.’ In fact, it is said that one of the main reasons the Romans were able to conquer the Greeks was because the Greeks spent more time talking than they did fighting. Come to think of it, that rather reminds me of many parts of the church!

Acts 17:16-21: In the market place.

^“16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the market-place day by day with those who happened to be there. ¹⁸ A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, ‘What is this babbler trying to say?’ Others remarked, ‘He seems to be advocating foreign gods.’ They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, ‘May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? ²⁰ You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.’ ²¹ (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)”NIV UK

‘300-500 years before Christ’s time, Athens was the greatest and most important city in the entire Western world. It was also the capital of the Greek Empire. The Western world’s most famous philosophers lived in Athens. The idea of democracy was first conceived in Athens; thus Athens is still called the birthplace of democracy. Then in 146 B.C., the Romans conquered Athens and extended their authority over all of Greece. But they let Athens remain a free city. Indeed, the Romans admired Greek culture; thus in Paul’s time, Athens still remained one of the cultural and intellectual centres of the Roman Empire. In particular, many famous teachers and philosophers still came to Athens to teach and to debate (verse 21). The Greeks worshiped many kinds of gods. In Athens there were temples and images of these gods everywhere. Paul was distressed to see this great city full of idols. The sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, Paul wrote        (1 Corinthians 10:20).’ Tom Hale: ‘The Applied New Testament Commentary’, p.486.

How’s your heart? Do you care? Do you feel things as deeply as you should? Are you profoundly moved by things that matter, or have you become de-sensitised in some ways? Has your heart grown hard; or cold? Have you got used to sin? I can’t read (16) without feeling its challenge. Paul was moved, at a deep down level, by the paganism he saw in this great city. He didn’t view it through the eyes of tourism.

I am also struck by Paul’s refusal to waste time as he waited for Silas and Timothy (17). ‘One purpose consumed the apostle. ‘’One thing I do,’’ was the thread on which the many beads of his experiences were strung. Persecuted and rejected today, he is at his favourite work tomorrow. How different this intense earnestness from the trifling of the so-called philosophers of Athens!’ F.B. Meyer, ‘Devotional Commentary’, p.494.

He was distressed, but he didn’t despair. He found himself in another part of the mission field, and he sought to engage with the people there. Paul didn’t speak only in Jewish synagogues; in accordance with Greek custom, he also operated in the ‘’market-place’’.

The ‘’market-place’’ is where we belong as Christians; not sheltering (cowering?) behind the walls of some church building. It will often feel alien and comfortable there; we will regularly feel vulnerable and out of our comfort zone. Yet let’s do it! Let’s get out into the market place and engage with the people who have all kinds of philosophies, and idols, and strange beliefs. Our message of the gospel has no equal, and it carries its own irresistible power. Don’t be ashamed. You may be mocked by many, scoffed at and rejected. Nevertheless if there is an opportunity to get a hearing, let’s take it.

 Acts 17:10-14: Check this out.

^“10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹ Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. ¹² As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. ¹³ But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. ¹⁴ The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea.”NIV UK

Genuine care for the welfare of others is a mark of real Christianity. The ‘’brothers’’ in Thessalonica – new converts remember – showed unselfishness in helping Paul and Silas leave town safely, while they remained behind to face consequences in a hostile atmosphere (10).

These early preachers were irrepressible. They had indomitable spirits. In spite of what had happened previously they didn’t put their feet up. Like a rubber ball, they kept bouncing back. They found their way to another synagogue, not knowing what the response would be, but they just marched on anyway.

‘Berea was a city about sixty miles west of Thessalonica. Christ had said to His disciples: ‘’When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another’’ (Matthew 10:23). But Christians don’t flee in order to hide; they flee in order to preach and witness in another place. By persecuting Christians the devil thinks he is stopping the Gospel, but in fact he is causing it to spread!’ Tom Hale: ‘The Applied New Testament Commentary’,p.486.

This time, however, the gospel team encountered people of a different order (11). The Bereans have set the standard, showing how all believers should listen to sermons, read books etc:

‘’…examining the Scriptures to see if they supported what he said.’’ The Message.

The ‘New International Version’ of the Bible says they ‘’…examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.’’ Whenever we hear any teaching, we must ask whether it agrees with what is written in the Bible. If it doesn’t, it is to be discarded

Warren Wiersbe comments: ‘There are fair-minded people in every nation, and God knows who they are.’  Once again, there was a major impact as a result of the preaching (12). Once again, Paul, Silas and Timothy met with trouble, but it came from the outside (13). The Thessalonian Jews were not content to persecute the evangelists only in their own city; they even made the trip to Berea to stir up trouble. It is no wonder that Paul criticised the Jews so severely in 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16. It seems that he was the main target (see 14).

PRAYER: Lord, I pray that I may not be naïve. I don’t want to be someone easily swayed by fads and trends that regularly surface in the church. Help me to remain grounded, with my feet firmly planted on the Rock of your truth.

Acts 17:10-14: Check this out.

Genuine care for the welfare of others is a mark of real Christianity. The ‘’brothers’’ in Thessalonica – new converts remember – showed unselfishness in helping Paul and Silas leave town safely, while they remained behind to face consequences in a hostile atmosphere (10). These early preachers were irrepressible. They had indomitable spirits. In spite of what had happened previously they didn’t put their feet up. Like a rubber ball, they kept bouncing back. They found their way to another synagogue, not knowing what the response would be, but they just marched on anyway.  ‘Berea was a city about sixty miles west of Thessalonica. Christ had said to His disciples: ‘’When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another’’ (Matthew 10:23). But Christians don’t flee in order to hide; they flee in order to preach and witness in another place. By persecuting Christians the devil thinks he is stopping the Gospel, but in fact he is causing it to spread!’ Tom Hale: ‘The Applied New Testament Commentary’,p.486.

This time, however, the gospel team encountered people of a different order (11). The Bereans have set the standard, showing how all believers should listen to sermons, read books etc: ‘’…examining the Scriptures to see if they supported what he said.’’ The Message. The ‘New International Version’ of the Bible says they ‘’…examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.’’

Whenever we hear any teaching, we must ask whether it agrees with what is written in the Bible. If it doesn’t, it is to be discarded Warren Wiersbe comments: ‘There are fair-minded people in every nation, and God knows who they are.’

Once again, there was a major impact as a result of the preaching (12). Once again, Paul, Silas and Timothy met with trouble, but it came from the outside (13). The Thessalonian Jews were not content to persecute the evangelists only in their own city; they even made the trip to Berea to stir up trouble. It is no wonder that Paul criticised the Jews so severely in 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16. It seems that he was the main target (see 14).

PRAYER: Lord, I pray that I may not be naïve. I don’t want to be someone easily swayed by fads and trends that regularly surface in the church. Help me to remain grounded, with my feet firmly planted on the Rock of your truth.

Acts 17:5-9: Backlash.

^“5 But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the market-place, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.^{[a] 6} But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: ‘These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, ⁷ and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.’ ⁸ When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. ⁹ Then they put Jason and the others on bail and let them go. ” NIV UK

It is clear that the Kingdom of God advanced significantly in Thessalonica as a result of Paul and Silas’ ministry. However, the intrepid missionaries quickly felt the full force of a backlash. Persecution came in the wake of progress. These preachers found themselves facing jealousy similar to that experienced by our Lord (5). In every generation it’s not difficult to engage the services of a ‘rent a mob’. The only reward certain types need is the offer of a punch-up; they’re angry and thrive on violence:

‘’Mad with jealousy, they rounded up a bunch of brawlers off the streets and soon had an ugly mob terrorising the city as they hunted down Paul and Silas’’ (5a) The Message.

As I reflected on this story, I couldn’t help but try to imagine how utterly terrifying it must have been for Jason and his family:

‘’They broke into Jason’s house, thinking that Paul and Silas were there. When they couldn’t find them, they collared Jason and his friends instead and dragged them before the city fathers, yelling hysterically…’’ (5b,6a) The Message.

When you welcome the gospel into your home (7a) you open the door to trouble. At the end of today’s passage, Jason ‘’and some other brothers’’ (6) went bail for Paul and Silas. They posted a bond, guaranteeing that the preachers would never again set foot in the city. If Paul and Silas were to turn up again, Jason and his fellow-believers would forfeit their bond (see 1 Thessalonians 2:17-18).

The main charge laid at the door of the preachers was that they had turned the world ‘upside down’. David Pawson has pointed out that in reality they were turning it the right way up! But men, with their inverted values, see it otherwise. Like Jesus, Paul and Silas suffered because of the jealousy of others; like their Lord, they were falsely accused:

‘’These people are out to destroy the world, and now they’ve shown up on our doorstep, attacking everything we hold dear! And Jason is hiding them, these traitors and turncoats who say Jesus is king and Caesar is nothing!’’ (6b,7) The Message.

The actual truth is that Christians, then and now, try to be good citizens of whichever land they live in; they seek to be loyal subjects. However, if push comes to shove; if they should ever have to choose between human emperor or King Jesus, they will go with their highest allegiance. So the church, when true to her nature, is counter-cultural. She swims against the tide; and this fact regularly lands her in a lot of bother.

Despite rocky beginnings, the church in Thessalonica thrived and proved a great source of joy to Paul (see 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10). The church is God’s and He will take care of it; He does look after it. It is not dependent on any man. Jesus is building HIS church, and it should give us great confidence and encouragement that it is so.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you that the church is in your Hands and not mine.

Acts 17:1-4: Progress.

“When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. ² As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,’ he said. ⁴ Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.” NIV UK

Thessalonica was the capital of the province of Macedonia (see 16:9, 10). Today this city is called Salonika, and it is still one of the main cities in northern Greece. Although, as we shall see, Paul had to get out of town fast, a healthy church was planted as a result of his ministry, and it was to this newly established congregation that Paul wrote 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Verses 1-9 here provide important background information for when you read those two epistles.

Note two points from today’s reading:

1. There are good habits to form (2): ‘’As his custom was…’’ It is a good discipline to regularly attend public worship, whether you feel like it or not. Paul’s habit, when he turned up in a new town, was to head for the synagogue and start communicating with Jews first (Romans 1:16).

2. There are good reasons to believe (2,3). Dale Rhoton wrote a book entitled ‘The logic of faith’. Paul, as a converted Jew, knew that there were excellent Biblical reasons to believe in Jesus as Messiah. He had ‘seen the light’ and he was red-hot keen to spread that light around. Don’t you wish you could have heard just one of those synagogue sermons? Each one, I imagine, would be a master class in how to present the case for Christ to Jewish people. Whether we are talking to Jews or Gentiles, the truth is that there are very good reasons to believe, and we need to make sure we are ready to give answers to any who may pump us for more information.

Well, there was a great response, not just among the Jews, but also from the Gentile community (4) Among those ‘’Greeks’’ were Aristarchus and Secundus, who are mentioned in Acts 20:4. There was a big breakthrough, but ‘revival’ on such a scale does not come without a price tag. A storm was brewing.

Acts 16:35-40: The secret of J.O.Y.

“35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” 36 The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.” 38 The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39 They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. 40 After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.”NIV 

The letter to the church in Philippi has been called ‘the epistle of joy’. Its key words gather around the themes of joy and rejoicing. This is the case even though it was written from prison. It’s been said that joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness is really ‘happenness’ because it’s determined by what happens to you, whereas joy remains a constant in all things. It is rooted in a person’s relationship with God, who does not change even if everything else does. It’s also been pointed out that the secret of J.O.Y is ‘JESUS first, OTHERS second, and YOURSELF last.’ Today’s reading reveals just how much Paul and Silas put others before themselves. After all that had happened to them, you could understand it if these preachers had got out of town as fast as possible, now they had the opportunity (39); shake off the dust and run. But their thoughts were very much with the fledgling church they were going to leave behind (40).
This probably explains why Paul and Silas didn’t stand on their citizen’s rights in (23), but did so in (37) The previous day they didn’t try to avoid suffering for Christ. They weren’t cowards. But, probably, by demanding an open apology from the magistrates the next day, they were hoping that there would be greater respect for Christ’s gospel and His messengers, and therefore for the new Christian congregation in town. (According to Roman law it was illegal to beat a Roman citizen. So the magistrates came to realise that they had made a huge mistake. They were afraid of being severely punished themselves). It seems to me that Paul and Silas played their hand wisely, and are a good example here of the principle stated by Jesus: ‘’…be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves’’ (Matthew 10:16).
We know, by the way, from the letter to the Philippians, that the church in Philippi thrived, and became a strong missionary supporting church (Philippians 4:10, 14-16), giving help to Paul in his work.
PRAYER: Lord, help me to be someone who always puts others before myself. The truth is, I’m hit and miss at this. You know it Lord, and so do I, so it’s no use pretending otherwise. Particularly when I feel hurt, I want to curl into a self-protective little ball. It’s a weakness dear Lord, and I’m asking for your help ‘to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds…’ I can’t succeed without you. I’m shamed by Paul and Silas’ concern for the good of the church, and I need for you to grow my heart. I’m crying out, ‘Help!’

Acts 16:25-34: A spiritual quake

^“25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. ²⁷ The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸ But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!’ ²⁹ The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ ³¹ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.’ ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. ³³ At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptised. ³⁴ The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God – he and his whole household.”NIV UK

F.B.Meyer brings out a contrast between the experiences of Lydia and the Philippian jailer. He points out that when the business woman heard God’s Word her heart was opened like a flower in the sunlight. But the jailer’s experience was volcanic, convulsive, stormy and shattering. No two conversion stories will be exactly the same, but what matters is that people should come to know Jesus, by whatever route they may arrive. God knows how best to deal with each individual. For the jailer, the foundations of his whole life were shaken. What was happening to the structure of the jailhouse was nothing compared to what was taking place in his heart. There was ‘a whole lot of shakin’ goin’ on.’ That his conversion was real is evidenced not only in his baptism (33), but also in the joy that filled his heart (34) over this new and radical turn of events, and in the kindness he showed to Paul and Silas (33a, 34a). The fruit of the new life in Christ began to grow immediately. It was lovely in appearance, and delicious to the taste.

It’s not surprising that the jailer would think that everyone had made a run for it. It was a logical conclusion to reach. With the darkness of the prison, he probably couldn’t see clearly. He no doubt feared the death penalty (see 12:18,19).So Paul had to reassure him that no one had escaped. Perhaps the fact that no one did is a miracle within a miracle!

Acts 16:26: ‘’Suddenly’’

“26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.” NIV g

I love the story of the negro preacher who had his own take on this story. He said the Lord was so enjoying the music made by Paul and Silas that He started to stomp His feet. That foot-tapping in heaven reverberated on earth, causing the prison to shake!
It was one of those ‘’Suddenly’’ moments. There had been another on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:2). I’m sure that Paul and Silas didn’t pray just because they were in prison. It was their habit to pray. But after many ordinary days of faithful prayer, there can come the ‘’Suddenly’’ day, the ‘’Suddenly’’ moment. When God moves in power, big things can happen swiftly and dramatically; major problems are solved. God’s presence was manifested (see also 4:31). Someone observed that the jailer wasn’t about to become a convert to the ‘God is dead’ movement!
The ‘’chains’’ would have been securely attached to the walls and floors of the prison cell. Nevertheless, God caused them to come apart. It shouldn’t have been happening, naturally speaking, but God’s power made it happen. It is still true today that by God’s power prisoners of sin are supernaturally released. Hoe well Charles Wesley expressed it in a great hymn:
‘Long my imprisoned spirit lay, fast bound in sin and nature’s night,
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray, I woke, the dungeon flamed with light.
My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed thee..’