Wall of fallen heroes. Washington State Capitol.
Sunday, 28 May 2023
“Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.” Acts 17:7
Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).
You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).
In the previous verse, Jason and some of his guests were dragged out of his house to the rulers of the city. There, the accusation was “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” Their words now continue with, “Jason has harbored them.”
The Greek word simply means “received,” but with the full intent of being received under one’s roof as a guest. However, the intent very well may be the stronger “harbored,” as if they were hiding enemies of the state. That is certainly what is being conveyed in the next words, “and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar.”
To form a charge against these men, of which Paul and Silas would be included because of the word “all,” a different tact had to be followed in Thessalonica than in Philippi. Because Philippi was a Roman colony, the accusation was the teaching of customs not lawful for Roman citizens to observe.
Thessalonica was not a colony, but it still fell under the authority of Rome. If Caesar had issued an edict, it would apply in any location under Roman rule. As such, they not only say that these men were acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, but the specific charge is that they were “saying there is another king—Jesus.”
It is the same accusation made against Jesus when He stood before Pilate. Of this, Vincent’s Word Studies, citing Merivale, says –
“The law of treason, by which the ancient legislators of the republic had sought to protect popular liberty from the encroachments of tyranny, …was gradually concentrated upon the emperor alone, the sole impersonation of the sovereign people. The definition of the crime itself was loose and elastic, such as equally became the jealousy of a licentious republic or of a despotic usurper.” (Merivale, “History of the Romans under the Empire”).
The words of those who believed could easily be taken out of context just as the words of Jesus were. Proclaiming a kingdom meant one was proclaiming a king. But the kingdom spoken of concerning Jesus at that time was a spiritual, not a temporal kingdom. Despite being apples and oranges, those making the charges have taken all the fruit and tossed it into one basket for their accusations.
Life application: It is not difficult to twist the intent of people’s words and actions to say something that was never the original thought. In the past, getting a few miscreants to make something up would add to the accusation. That happened with Jesus at his trial before the Sanhedrin. It is what occurs in this verse with the believers in Thessalonica.
Today, this is even easier to do. Deepfake voices and videos are becoming more difficult to tell from reality. Add in a few left-leaning government operatives who want someone silenced and the charges seem more probable by the moment. It has happened to citizens of various nations, and it has even happened to President Trump.
Once the left has assumed total control, which is not out of probability at this point, false charges will be made against anyone who will not fall in line with their demented ideology. True Christians, who are not demented, will be targeted for their stand on what is right, moral, and proper. If the rapture has not occurred before that time, we will not be spared from the wicked machinations of the government. Be prepared to stand on your faith in Christ and never cave in your morals and principles. The time is coming, so be prepared now.
Glorious Lord God, the world has tried to quiet the message of the gospel since the very beginning. That will only grow in the world as it slides into total wickedness and enmity with You. Give us strength, wisdom, and the necessary fortitude to stand on Your word and on the faith that we profess in Jesus Christ. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.