Greetings, my fellow pilgrims. I hope you enjoyed our visits last week and are ready to travel on. As we continue to follow in St. Paul’s footsteps on his second missionary journey and leave Lydia’s house in Philippi, we head a little northwest and make a quick stop at Amphipolis, in Greek Macedonia.
Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. –Acts 17:1 (NLT)
We know that the next major town that Paul and Silas went to was Thessalonica. To get there, they had to go through Amphipolis and Apollonia. Since the Scriptures do not give us any other information on the two towns, it is probably safe to assume they did not preach at either place on this journey.
Today in Amphipolis, there is a sacred symbol of the Macedonians. It is a tomb sculpture of the Lion of Amphipolis in honor of Laomedon of Mytilene, who was an important general of Alexander the Great, king of Macedon. He exhibited great martial virtue and courage. The statue and its base are more than 26 feet tall, and the lion’s head is six feet wide.
The 26 foot tall Lion of Amphipolis statue
We arrive now in Thessalonica with Paul and Silas.
As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women. –Acts 17:2-4 (NLT)
We see God’s grace in full force with Paul’s willingness to preach about Jesus to the Jews at the synagogue. His heart was on fire for Jesus, and he wanted everyone to come to know Jesus personally and be assured of their eternal salvation. Paul’s witness here sowed the seeds for the birth of the Christian church in Thessalonica.
The ruins in Thessolonica in the middle of the city
In Thessalonica there are also a few famous landmarks.
The White Tower was built in the 15th century by the Ottomans, who used it as a notorious prison where numerous mass executions occurred. It was originally called the Tower of Blood, but when Greece gained control over Thessalonica in 1912, the tower was remodeled, and its exterior was whitewashed by a convict in exchange for his freedom. It became known as the White Tower, and today it is a Byzantine museum.
The White Tower
Alexander the Great
Galerius became emperor and ruler of the eastern half of the Roman Empire. He instituted persecutions against the strong Christian community in Thessalonica. This triumphal arch, which is beside part of the Via Egnatia, commemorated the emperor’s victories over the Persians.
The Arch of Galerius on the right; rotunda on the left
The Via Egnatia was the first public road constructed by the Romans outside of Italy. It ran from Apollonia and continued eastward through the provinces of Macedonia and Thrace (modern Greece) to Byzantium, now called Istanbul. It was the way through which armies, merchandise, culture, and ideas were transported from west to east. The Via Egnatia was also the avenue that God’s grace provided for Paul to spread the gospel of Jesus to the west.
A section of the Via Egnatia in Philippi
More of the Via Egnatia near Kavala
Scripture tells us that when Paul was still in Thessalonica, a riot broke out in the city because there were people who were jealous of Paul’s preaching and the people that followed him.
That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men. –Acts 17:10-12 (NLT)
Often we see how when God’s grace closes one door, another one opens. That is what we see with God leading the believers of Thessalonica to send Paul and Silas off to Berea. Here the people were more open to Paul’s preaching about Jesus. God’s grace inspired the believers to search the Scriptures to make sure they aligned. What a wonderful act of grace to have many Jews and Greeks come to encounter Jesus.
Three steps from the synagogue where Paul preached in Berea
But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble. The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind. Those escorting Paul went with him all the way to Athens; then they returned to Berea with instructions for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him. While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there. –Acts 17:13-17 (NLT)
Even when we preach the Good News of Jesus, we can run into opposition, yet we see again how God’s grace provides. Paul, Silas, and Timothy were protected and kept safe. God used Paul’s time alone in Athens for His grace to shine through. Paul noticed the idols that were everywhere and knew that the people were not following Jesus, so he tried to reason with both the Jews and Gentiles about this.
Because of what Paul saw in Athens, God’s grace inspired him to share the following at a place called Areopagus (Mars Hill), which is a little northwest of the Acropolis where there were different temples for the Greek gods and goddesses.
Paul’s speech at the Areopagus from Acts 17:22-34
Reading Paul’s speech where he preached it
A view of Athens from the Acropolis
So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.
“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.
“His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.
“God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”
When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” That ended Paul’s discussion with them, but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. –Acts 17:22-34 (NLT)
I have high respect for Paul, especially with this speech that God’s grace enabled him to deliver to the council. His love and concern for these people was so strong that he risked everything to tell them how they needed THE true God. What a beautiful testimony to God’s grace and greatness.
The Parthenon was the largest temple of the classical world and the crown jewel of the Acropolis. It was dedicated to the goddess, Athena. It truly was an amazing architectural wonder.
The Parthenon
Amazing architecture of the Parthenon
The Parthenon lit up at night
The temple of Athena Nike at the Acropolis, Athens
The theater of Dionysus at the Acropolis, Athens
Be encouraged this week to…
…reflect on how you can share the good news.
…pay attention to how God is leading you.
…see how God’s grace provides for you.
…ask God for courage to stand up for Him.
REFLECTION:
Whose life can you sow some seeds of faith into?
What idols are above God in your life?
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. –2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (NLT)
