Acts (Written)

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.

Another memorial. Nowadays, they defund these guys.

Saturday, 27 May 2023

But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Acts 17:6

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, a mob had set the city in an uproar and attacked Jason’s house, seeking to bring Paul and Silas out to the people. However, it now says, “But when they did not find them.”

Paul and Silas were probably out instructing others or evangelizing at the time. This did not pacify the mob though. Instead, “they dragged Jason and some brethren.”

It is the same word used by Luke in Acts 8:3 –

“As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.”

The men were forcibly taken and hauled off. Fortunately, the crowd was not in such a heated rage as to kill them. However, they did drag them “to the rulers of the city.”

This is a marvelous set of words that confirm Luke’s careful attention to the details of the surrounding situation. Luke uses the word politarchés. Of this, Vincent’s Word Studies says –

“Another illustration of Luke’s accuracy. Note that the magistrates are called by a different name from those at Philippi. Thessalonica was not a colony, but a free city…, and was governed by its own rulers, whose titles accordingly did not follow those of Roman magistrates. The word occurs only here and Acts 17:8, and has been found in an inscription on an arch at Thessalonica, where the names of the seven politarchs are mentioned. The arch is thought by antiquarians to have been standing in Paul’s time.”

Other scholars place the dating of this arch to the time of Vespasian, a few years after the time of Paul’s visit to Thessalonica. Either way, the accuracy of Luke concerning the title is incontrovertible.

Next, once the men were dragged before these city rulers, it says they were “crying out, ‘These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.’”

Another new word in Scripture, anastatoó, is seen here. HELPS Word Studies identifies its root as anistémi, to raise or rise up. Hence, it would signify turning something over, from up to down. It is obviously a complete exaggeration, except as any Jew would be aware. The incident at Philippi was only three Sabbaths earlier, and the city leaders would not have been the ones to convey the events to those in Thessalonica as they were in the wrong and would want them forgotten.

Thus, if any word had gotten to the city, it would have been because of some Jewish person recognizing them from some other synagogue or even from a visit to Israel. The previous verse clearly places the blame for the incitement on the Jews. And so, it is most likely that they alone fabricated the matter. It may be that Paul and Silas had told them they had been persecuted during their various travels. Once the message about Jesus was rejected by them, they could have turned around and bitten at the missionaries like rabid dogs.

Life application: The message of the good news about Jesus is a simple and direct matter. Man has sin, God sent His Son into the world to pay our sin debt, and if a person believes that, he will be forgiven. In this act of forgiveness, a new birth occurs. Life is bestowed and reconciliation is realized.

What is it about this simple offering of love by God that is so offensive to the world? Man has a problem, God offers to resolve it without any strings attached, and all the person needs to do is believe. It seems generous and gracious enough that if someone didn’t believe, he would just tell the person speaking to him, “Yes, that’s great. Thank you for telling me. Your words are kind and generous, but I just don’t believe what you say.”

That would be a normal and understandable note of rejection. However, the world bizarrely doesn’t just provide a “No thanks.” Rather, Christians have been killed and persecuted constantly since the coming of Jesus. It is almost incomprehensible. If someone was dying of thirst and another person offered water to save his life, you would not expect that person to fight against the offer and even kill the one with the water. And yet, that would be comparable to the attitude of people in relation to hearing and rejecting the gospel.

The reason for this is sin. Man does not want to acknowledge that he is a sinful being. Further, when confronted with sin, man does not want to admit that he can do nothing about his sinful state. It means that his life, his destiny, and his relationship with God are totally out of his hands. This is unpalatable to people. Unless they can come to the end of themselves and admit that they stand condemned without Jesus, a feeling of enmity will always exist. The more boastful and proud a person is, the more likely he is to hate the message of Jesus.

Obviously, there are other lesser reasons for people to despise the gospel. They may already have their own god or gods. Being told that those gods are not gods can be a real problem. But even something like that ultimately goes back to the sin issue. It is good to understand this. If you are ever faced with such enmity because of your faith, you at least will have a sense of why.

Be prepared to defend your faith but also be prepared to receive grief for doing so. It is to be expected. Sin is a strong master.

Glorious God, we know that You have done all that is necessary to bring us back to Yourself. Thank You for Jesus who has made this possible. We are grateful for the life You have granted to us because of His work. May we be willing to share this message with all people, even if it means we may face persecution in the process. Help us in this, O God. Amen.

War Memorial at Washington State Capitol.

Friday, 26 May 2023

But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. Acts 17:5

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).

The verbs of the NKJV just don’t get it. A closer rendering is, “But the unbelieving Jews, having become envious, and having taken to them certain evil men of the market-loungers, and having gathered a crowd, were setting the city in uproar. And having assailed the house of Jason, they were seeking them to bring out to the people” (CG).

The previous verse noted that some of the people were persuaded to believe based on Paul’s reasoning from Scripture, including a great multitude of the Greeks and not a few of the leading women. With that, there would instantly be a church of no small size formed in the city. This would obviously steal attention away from the synagogue. As this is so, the same thing that has happened to Paul previously comes about once again, saying, “But the unbelieving Jews, having become envious.”

Paul had reasoned with the Jews from Scripture. They refused to believe the words of their own writings as they pointed to Jesus. But with so many believing, the congregation of the synagogue would suddenly be significantly reduced. This would obviously mean less attention for them, less revenue coming in, etc. That immediately elicited feelings of jealousy. Because of that, they schemed against Paul and Silas. As it says, “and having taken to them certain evil men of the market-loungers.”

The word translated as market-loungers, agoraios, is found only here and in Acts 19:38. It is derived from agora, the market which is the central hub of the city. Thus, it signifies “relating to the marketplace.” As these are defined as evil men, it is assumed that it means they hung around the market where the magistrates were and sought to stir things up, looking for whatever opportunity they had to do so. One can think of a gaggle of lawyers that hangs around the courthouse today. With such a vulgar bunch now aligned with them, the words continue with, “and having gathered a crowd.”

This is a word found only once in Scripture, ochlopoieó. It is derived from two words signifying crowd and to make. Thus, it gives the sense of raising a public disturbance. With this accomplished, it goes on to say they “were setting the city in uproar.”

With probably no care at all about the cause of the Jew’s discontentment, nor any clue about those they were riling the masses up against, they just went forth agitating the people into a frenzy. Once such an event begins, it will usually take on its own legs and mind. This was the hope of the Jews who had been deprived of their usual Saturday crowds. Next, it says, “And having assailed the house of Jason.”

Paul’s connection to Jason (Greek: Iasón) is seen in verse 17:7. From that verse, it appears that this is where Paul and Silas stayed while in the city. It may be that this is the same Jason as is found in Romans 16:21, where Paul calls him one of “my countrymen.” However, the name was not an uncommon one. It belonged to the hero of the Argonauts of Greek legend. It was also the name of a noted tyrant and of an apostate high priest of Israel seen in the book of 2 Maccabees.

James Strong places his name as coming from the word iaomai, to heal, saying it means “about to cure.” Because of its similarity to the Greek spelling of the name Joshua or Jesus, it may have been adopted by Jews of that name as a Greek equivalent. Of this person, along with Paul and Silas, it says, “they were seeking them to bring out to the people.”

They were probably thinking on just the same lines as those in Philippi. “Let’s get them out into the public while the mob is stirred up and they will get a beating, maybe imprisoned, and maybe even kicked out of the city.”

Life application: This same type of treatment was seen on Paul’s first missionary journey. It was also just seen in Philippi. The Bible is carefully demonstrating the continued theme that the Jews in general were in the process of rejecting their Messiah. This was the case in the land of Israel, and it is continuing throughout Acts.

As such, we are being shown the reason that the Gentiles became the predominant force in furthering the gospel. The rejection of the gospel by Israel did not mean the end of the faith. It meant a new direction was taking place. God didn’t send His Son into the world just to have that marvelous news die off.

But more than this, it isn’t that the main focus of the gospel went to the East or to the South where those who descended from Ham settled. Rather, it has been carefully directed to the area where the sons of Japheth settled. It is from this line of the sons of Noah that the gospel would most completely be accepted and transmitted to the world.

These things do not mean, nor should it be inferred, that the Jews are not welcome to share in the gospel, nor does it mean that the others of the lines of Shem or Ham are not welcome into the church as believers. Rather, it only means that the sons of Japheth are the line by which the most effective acceptance, understanding, and transmission of the gospel would take place.

Further, this also does not mean that the Jewish people have been replaced by the church. Rather, the prophecy of Noah found in the blessing of his sons in Genesis 9 only implies that the Gentiles of Japheth would carry the spiritual banner for a certain amount of time. Eventually, that will revert to the line of Shem, meaning the nation of Israel. Their unfaithfulness to the Lord does not negate His faithfulness to the covenant that He made with them.

God is using the most opportune avenue of sending forth the gospel during this dispensation. He has directed it accordingly, and all who hear the message and believe will be saved. Someday, the church will be taken out at the rapture. At that time, the banner will return to the line of Shem and the care of the Jewish people.

Lord God, Your wisdom is beyond our ability to grasp. But You have given us clues of what You are doing and how You are doing it right in Your word. We are in awe of how You have laid out the world and the ages, bringing all things together to form a body of people for Your own. Thank You for allowing us to be a part of that. Help us to continue to share this message while we can. Amen.

War memorial. Washington State Capitol.

Thursday, 25 May 2023

And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. Acts 17:4

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).

A more literal rendering than that of the NKJV needs to be used – “And some of them were persuaded and joined themselves to Paul and to Silas, along with a great multitude of the worshiping Greeks, and not a few of the leading women” (CG).

Paul has been in the synagogue at Thessalonica for three Sabbaths discussing the matter concerning Israel’s Messiah. He has just said, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” With that, it now notes, “And some of them were persuaded.”

Some translations say, “believed,” but this is not the word pisteuo found in verses such as John 3:16. Rather, this word, peithó, means to urge or to persuade. It is the root of the word pistis, or faith. They were persuaded, having faith that what they were told was true. Even if the meaning is that they believed, it is based on Paul’s teaching and urging. In this, they were persuaded, “and joined themselves to Paul and to Silas.”

It is a word found only here in Scripture, proskléroó. It signifies to assign by lot, to associate with, or to follow as a disciple. The basis of the word is kléroó, to assign by lot. Hence, it is to share common lot with another.

They have accepted the message that Jesus is the Christ and have thrown their lot in with those who proclaim Him. This has been referring to the Jews in the synagogue. However, they are not the only ones who have been so persuaded. It next notes, “along with a great multitude of the worshiping Greeks.”

Calling them “worshiping Greeks” means that they were proselytes to some degree or another. They had already accepted that the God proclaimed in the Jewish Scriptures was the true God and had worshiped Him as such. However, they have now been convinced, right from those same Scriptures, that Jesus is the fulfillment of them. He, in fact, is the promised Messiah. As a note of the universality of the message, it next says, “and not a few of the leading women.”

These would be influential women who were probably connected with ranking families within the community. They may have been proselytes, or they may have been the wives of some of the proselytes who came and they wanted to identify with their husbands. The main point is that the women were not excluded from this fellowship and these women were influential in their circles. Thus, they would become a means of attracting others as they developed in their own faith.

Of the status of women in Macedonia, the Pulpit Commentary says –

“Popular prejudice, and the verdict of Grecian wisdom in its best age, asserted her natural inferiority. The Athenian law provided that everything which a man might do by the counsel or request of a woman should be null in law. She was little better than a slave. To educate her was to advertise her as a harlot. Her companions were principally children and slaves. In Macedonia, however, monuments were erected to women by public bodies; and records of male proper names are found, in Macedonian inscriptions, formed on the mother’s name instead of on the father’s. Macedonian women were permitted to hold property, and were treated as mistresses of the house.”

Life application: In 1 Thessalonians 1:9, Paul says to those in the congregation, “…how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” This would obviously be people other than those who were mentioned in Acts 17:4. What can be inferred is that Paul and Silas talked to others throughout the week. Their soul-focus (pun intended) was not just on those at the synagogue, but it extended to pagans as well.

Though it was Paul’s practice to teach at the synagogue, it was also his passion to speak about Jesus to anyone at any time. It is a good lesson for us all. Our interactions with others regarding Jesus do not have to be limited to our time at church. Rather, we should be ready and willing to interact with people at all times. When the opportunity arises, let us open our mouths and speak!

Lord God, may we never withhold the precious, saving message of Jesus. Rather, give us the boldness to always tell others about His goodness. May You be glorified in our willingness to share the gospel often and with zeal. Be with us as we do! Amen.

POW plaque. Washington State Capitol.

Wednesday, 24 May 2023

explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” Acts 17:3

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).

The translation is more closely rendered, “opening and presenting that the Christ must suffer and rise from the dead, and that this is the Christ – Jesus, whom I proclaim to you” (CG). This will be used to evaluate the verse.

The previous verse noted that Paul spent three Sabbaths in the synagogue of Thessalonica reasoning with them from the Scriptures. That included “opening.”

The word translated as “opening” is used for the last time in the Bible. It signifies to open fully. It can be a literal opening, such as the opening of the womb in Luke 2:23, but its uses in Scripture are more directed toward perception. Its other uses include the opening (restoration) of the ears and tongue of a man in Mark 7:34; the spiritual opening of the eyes in Luke 24:31; the opening of Scripture for understanding in Luke 24:45; the opening of the heavens for Stephen’s spiritual discernment in Acts 7:56; and the opening of Lydia’s heart in Acts 16:1.

The meaning here is certainly to be taken in the sense of spiritual discernment as in Luke 24:45, which says, “And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” In this case, however, it doesn’t mean that these men will believe what Paul presents, but he is taking Scripture and he is opening it for their understanding, if they will believe. In this, he was opening “and presenting.”

This Greek word comes from two words signifying “beside” and “lay.” The idea is to set forth, set before, demonstrate, present, and so on. Paul is taking the Scriptures and drawing out the intended meaning and presenting it before his hearers, demonstrating “that the Christ must suffer.”

This was obvious and needed proof for his case because of his knowledge of who the Christ is. The Jewish idea of the Christ, meaning the Messiah, was a champion before God. He was to be a man to lead the people, free them from oppression, and set them above the nations. All of these things are true, but the manner in which they were to come about, and the order of events in how they would come to pass, was obscured and misunderstood by them.

In the case of the true Messiah, He was to first suffer “and rise from the dead.” The people anticipated a Messiah, but they misunderstood what the purpose of the Messiah was to be, because they misidentified what their major shortcoming before God was, meaning the issue of sin.

They assumed that the provisions within the law made them acceptable before God because they never considered the temporary and instructive nature of the law. They considered it as a means to an end, not a steppingstone to a fuller and more complete relationship with God.

Therefore, Paul had to go back to the basics concerning what Scripture was saying, then explain the role of the Messiah in His suffering and resurrection. When One came and fulfilled these roles, they would then know “that this is the Christ.”

Their Scriptures clearly anticipated that the Messiah would experience these things. The Psalms, the prophets, and the writings all hinted at this. Some of it was in pictures or typology. Some of it was poetic in nature. Some of it was allegorical. But it all was there and had to be dealt with. This is what Paul opened and presented to the synagogue. And this was all fulfilled in one Man. As he says, “Jesus, whom I proclaim to you.”

The New Testament fills in much of the relevant detail concerning Jesus. Where He was born, what tribe He was from, His descent from David, and so forth. However, those things were not yet written down, or they had at least not yet been widely distributed if they were written down. Paul could make such claims to the people, but it would not be as effective as conveying to them what was explicitly known.

That is why it says that he focused on the suffering and resurrection of Jesus. Those things were right in their own Scriptures and the people would have heard at least this much concerning Jesus. Paul could add the other details during his discourse, but the main presentation would have been on the role of the Messiah as fulfilled by Jesus.

The claims had been made based on events they would have heard of, they fit what Scripture said, and Paul opened those Scriptures to them so that the two could be harmonized in the minds of those in Thessalonica.

Life application: Today, we have the full record of what transpired in the life of Jesus along with the details of His genealogy, place of birth, and so forth. There is nothing wrong with using these things in an evangelistic presentation. However, the gospel focuses on the problem and its solution. The problem is sin. The solution to that is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

We can type up long lists of fulfilled prophecies and give numerical calculations about what the chances are of any one person fulfilling them. But these things cannot bring a person to salvation. If those things are never mentioned, a person can still be saved through a simple understanding that all people are not right before God and that God has taken the necessary steps to resolve the matter.

Don’t get sidetracked in your zeal to convince others about Jesus. It is good to have all of the impressive facts and figures about Scripture to help convince people about the surety that Jesus is the fulfillment of it. But one must be presented with the main problem and its solution during the presentation or the presentation is a failure. Always share the gospel when explaining who Jesus is.

Lord God, may we be precise when talking to others about their need for Jesus. There is a problem in us, sin, and there is a resolution to that problem which is found in the giving of Your Son for us. May we never exclude this most important aspect of man’s need and of what You have done about it when telling others about Jesus. Amen.