Grace can make beauty flourish in the most unlikely surroundings.
Paul and Silas had crossed over into Europe with the gospel in response to a vision which Paul had experienced. In this way, the gospel came to this large Roman province which ran across an area including much of northern Greece and beyond that into the modern countries of Macedonia and Albania. A man of Macedonia appeared in the vision inviting him to come over and help them. The first city entered was Philippi. An assembly was planted there under circumstances of violent opposition arising from a conflict between business interests and the gospel. Paul and Silas soon passed on to other Macedonian cities: Amphipolis, Apollonia, and Thessalonica.
Paul’s strategy
Paul followed his usual practice of starting in a new center by approaching the Jewish synagogue if there was one. This made good sense, for in the synagogue he would find people whom one would expect to be waiting for the coming of Messiah, the Christ. At Philippi, there were evidently not enough Jews to form a synagogue—they needed ten adult males—so there were a few women who met at the riverside to pray. In Thessalonica, there was a synagogue, so Paul went there. For three weeks he presented the evidence that Messiah had indeed come.
Paul opened the Scriptures and “explained and proved” from them that the expected Messiah was Jesus. No doubt he would have included those evidences which are outlined for us in the four gospels. The account in Acts chapter 17, however, emphasizes the vital Old Testament witness for the sufferings of the Christ. The subject of His sufferings and rejection was not always understood by the Jews. Having dealt with His sufferings, Paul had, of course, to show that the Old Testament also established the fact of His resurrection. We remember that the cross was a stumbling block to the Jews.
Some of his Jewish hearers believed, but the larger number of converts were proselytes, converts to the Jewish religion from Gentile backgrounds. We also read of quite a few leading women believing. It is an interesting fact that many upper-class women in the Roman world accepted Christ in these early days of gospel preaching. There was, however, a hostile response from many Jews, who collected a rabble from the marketplace to cause a riot. Their aim was to bring the preachers before the public assembly of the city. When they failed to find the preachers, they dragged Jason, one of the believers, before the magistrates. Luke uses the correct technical title of these officials, as archaeological evidence has shown.
It is instructive to see on what grounds opponents of the gospel sought to have preachers convicted of offences against the state. In this case, they were accused of causing civil unrest, and, more seriously, of setting up the claims of one Jesus as a king in opposition to Caesar. It is ironic that as Christianity spread, the crucial issue which led to serious persecution by the Roman authorities in later times was precisely this matter: was Caesar the supreme authority, or could the authority of Jesus Christ be considered greater? In effect, these men accused the Christians of insurrection. Probably no other charge could have caused a Roman official more concern.
Such was the bitterness of these opponents of the gospel that they followed Paul and Silas to their next destination, Berea. Interestingly, the Bereans responded differently in that they studied the Scriptures to see if the preachers were really proving what they claimed to prove from the Word of God. Paul had to pass on from Berea, though Silas and Timothy were able to remain there for a time.
The eternal significance
So much for the historical facts. For a treatment of the deeper factors—the spiritual growth and warfare—we need to turn to Paul’s letter to the assembly at Thessalonica that he wrote some time later. He recalls the planting of the assembly as it affected the preachers and hearers. He declares that they had experienced the power of the Holy Spirit—accurate and eloquent preaching was not enough. More than that, they had seen what kind of behavior and values were characteristic of the preachers. Thus, when they responded, they were, among other things, becoming “imitators” of the preachers as well as of the Lord. What they were attracted to was reality. They observed Paul as he labored night and day, working to support himself and his co-workers, giving unstintingly to ensure their blessing. By the time this letter, 1 Thessalonians, was written, there were more Gentile believers than in the first few days or weeks. Their perception of what Christian living was like was gained from observing what kind of people named the name of Christ. Pioneering preachers have an awesome responsibility to represent the values of Christian living, putting flesh on the “theory.” One recalls seeing a missionary preach for months, then years, until the first convert was a young lady from next door to the missionaries. She had watched the missionary couple and decided that they really did mean what they said. At first she suspected that they must be playacting, for she had never met people whose values were so altruistic.
In the face of the sharp attacks which followed professions of salvation, reality was an utter necessity in Thessalonica. Sham could not have withstood the heat. But not only did they stand under the pressure, they experienced deep joy. For this reason Thessalonica and Philippi held a special place of affection in Paul’s heart. He writes more about joy and affection in his letters to them than he does anywhere else. They were poor and persecuted. But they were real.
This genuineness was a vital basis for their gospel outreach. When they preached, people could see what a transformation had first taken place in their own lives. Their God was the living God, not just a name in a book. Before conversion, their gods were idols—unhearing, unseeing, unhelpful, powerless, and unworthy of their devotion. In the Old Testament, it is interesting to observe idolatry described as “turning aside to lies.” God is not only living, He is also true.
The Thessalonian believers turned to God to serve. There could be no thought here of deciding to believe and maybe later deciding to cease believing. God had given them new life in Christ through the new birth. They were captivated and “enslaved” to the living God. He deserved their devotion. They were His bondmen in joyful service. They could afford to be joyful, for they were waiting for God’s Son from heaven. They had a new and living hope. They could reflect that the One who had purchased their redemption had paid the ultimate price for it. It was for Him they waited. Before conversion they had had no hope, and no prospect except coming wrath.
This story of the coming of the gospel to Thessalonica presents us with a challenge. We dare not complain that we are living in a day when people are so far gone in godless materialism or hedonism that we cannot expect much response from them. Could it be that we make little impact because we ourselves are shallow people, lacking conviction? Paul preached with “much conviction,” fully persuaded of what he preached, or rather Whom he preached. Only God can save people, whether they appear to be decent citizens or hopeless wretches. He can save people, however low they have sunk. But are we perhaps the problem?