ACTS

ACTS 17

Act 17:1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:

Imagine for a minute if we were in Paul's shoes knowing what we do today. We would first look for a good Holiday Inn. They probably had no idea where they would lay their heads. They had to go in faith trusting God to provide what was needed. They didn't know whether success, jail time or death awaited them. This was because they were zealous to preach the gospel. That love of the gospel is what drove them not to worry about things most of us would be concerned about. This is why when I read of someone not agreeing to go to speak at churches in today's world without first being promised 1000s of dollars and a first class airline ticket or a private jet, my attitude is, they can stay home. I am better off just to read the bible on my own. I'm not interested in what they have to say if they make such demands. If someone's message isn't for the poor as well as the rich, it is probably not a message that we need to hear anyway.

Act 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures,

I would have loved to have heard him. He reasoned, taught, explained and fervently preached the word of God to convince these men that they needed to believe. Paul was fervent and determined. The same zeal he used to use to persecute the church, he now used to preach the gospel he once set out to destroy. Praise God for such a transformation in this life. We are indebted to him and others who risked life and persecution to bring us the gospel today.

Act 17:3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

Unless we believe that Jesus suffered for our sins and raised from the dead, we can't be saved. Yet it is impossible to believe someone rose from the dead without the Holy Spirit witnessing to our hearts that the words are true.

Act 17:4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
Act 17:5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

We must always remember that the apostles were Jews and many Jews came to the faith and were saved. It was the unbelieving Jews that always stirred up trouble. Not all Jews.

Act 17:6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
Act 17:7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
Act 17:8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
Act 17:9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
Act 17:10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
Act 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

The only scripture they had in that day was the Old Testament. They were more noble in that they searched Old Testament scripture to make sure what was taught to them was according to scripture.

We have the added blessing of the New Testament today and we too like the Bereans need to search the scripture to make sure what we hear is the truth.

This latter day teaching of follow the leader to keep peace no matter what he teaches is not right. The teaching that we are too dumb to understand the bible so we have to take the word of a priest or intercessor is not right either. We have the responsibility to our souls and the souls of our children. We must read and study the bible for ourselves. We must. If the pastor's preaching does not line up with the scripture, we must go someplace else. Some teach the word can only be understood by the authority of the church. Evidently the Bereans didn't think so.

How would we know that we were not being deceived if we didn't read it for ourselves? What if the Pope has been wrong all these years. How would one know if they didn't read their bibles. This business of forsaking sound biblical doctrine in order to have unity is not true unity of the spirit. Why would God want us to unify in a lie?

Jesus had more to say about false teachers and false christs than he had to say about unity. Unity has to be by the spirit. True unity will not condone sin or false doctrine. Why should we be unified in something that would not save souls or not be of the truth?

Act 17:12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honorable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
Act 17:13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.

It just takes one person to stir up a multitude of people to riot and do things they later may regret.

Act 17:14 And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timothy abode there still.
Act 17:15 And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timothy for to come to him with all speed, they departed.
Act 17:16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

Why would the spirit grieve Paul? Because he knew that those idols could not save one soul. They represented devils, not the real God. Here was a man who loved souls. His desire above all things to save people from everlasting punishment and show them the way to Jesus Christ.

The Old Testament commandment repeated in the New is that we are to have no other gods besides the Lord. We are to never make graven images to bow down to them. Icons, idols and other images of anything in heaven or in the earth are forbidden.

I don't even believe in Christian idolatry. When the Roman church started using images in their worship, there was a protest from certain Christians of that day. This practice didn't start in the early church but came later. There is no substitute for God.

Act 17:17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
Act 17:18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.
Act 17:19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
Act 17:20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
Act 17:21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)

Some listened to Paul simply because they loved to hear anything new.

Act 17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
Act 17:23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
Act 17:24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
Act 17:25 Neither is worshiped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
Act 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;


Act 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

Through Jesus Christ every person who desires to seek God can do so when before sins separated us from God.
Now without a priest or any other earthly intercessor, we can find God on our own if we so desire to do so.

Act 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Act 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

Images of Jesus, the saints or Mary is not to be done. Paul warns of these in this passage.

Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Now we are commanded to repent to be saved from sin and enter eternal life.

Act 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Act 17:32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.
Act 17:33 So Paul departed from among them.
Act 17:34 Howbeit certain men cleaved unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

This makes is all worthwhile. If only one person would have believed, I'm sure Paul would have thought it worth his efforts.


Acts 18