“Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
Amphipolis & Apollonia & Thessalonica - 60 km apart each, each leg was one day’s travel (but since Paul & Silas were just beaten, it probably took them longer)
Thessaloniki
Jewish History
No Jewish buildings left since the 1940’s when the Nazis burned it all down
Roman
Forum- meeting place for lessons, theatre, or fights
Arches - victory against Persians, celebration, added 3 arches
Rotunda- pagan building, became a mosque and added a minaret
Circuit of Walls - standing until late 1800s; same walls now that were there in 1st century
University - 100k students, largest in southeast Europe
White Tower / Tower of Blood - built in 1500’s, blood trickled through the windows, late 1800s to bring some peace to Christians, one inmate painted it white to earn his freedom
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.
Paul likes to point out any time prominent people come to Christ to undo the perception that Christianity is only for the poor, weak, or enslaved; it is for everyone and everyone is responding!
But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them out to the crowd. Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city council. “Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted, “and now they are here disturbing our city, too. And Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.” The people of the city, as well as the city council, were thrown into turmoil by these reports. So the officials forced Jason and the other believers to post bond, and then they released them.
Hospitality is a sacred duty— re: Jason.
The Jews who silenced Christ are now using mob mechanics on Paul, using politically charged language and referencing Claudius’s expulsion of all Jews from Rome as a warning and a threat to the whole crew.
Key Terms
Crowd/People of the city = Greek, Demos, assembly of the people
City Council = Greek, Politare, political force
City Officials = Greek, military generals
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. 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.
Berea - pronounced bear-ee-uh, accent it on the first part of the word
Paul & Silas go; Timothy always gets away with it. His dad was Greek, maybe that’s why.
Bereans known for 1. Examining Scriptures 2. Daily
More prominent Greek men and women saved!
Once the stalkers arrived, Timothy stays (always gets away with it, again) and Silas too, this time.
Bereans *immediately* helped escort Paul away to the coast/Athens. This is a 440 mile round trip journey and would’ve taken weeks. At the drop of a hat, they made this sacrifice for Paul. They went the extra 440 miles…
Can I just say? Way to go Bereans!! :D
Acts of the Apostles 17:1-15 NLT
Macedonian History- went to Philip II’s grave/tomb. It was buried under a big mound of dirt (tumulus) and had been untouched for 2200 years. Discovered in 1980, now it is a museum of absolute archeological treasures! The only thing comparable is King Tut’s tomb in Egypt.
Philip II was the 3rd son & never supposed to be King
Companion cavalry - summon sons of aristocrats, pay for expenses & educate them; all friends = companion cav.; lacked good infantry
Philip used different strategies & weaponries to train his district troops
When 5/6 threats were dealt with, battled his brother’s assassin and won
First years he laid low, boosted economy, trained army
Following decade was a whirlwind of action & he becomes strongest monarch in the empire
Combined military action & diplomacy
Diplomatic with bribes, marriage, etc.
“Battering ram” - attracted all the great minds of the area
Married at least nine wives, many were foreigners; had lots daughters, one son but was disabled, most beautiful wife had one son (Alexander)
Marrying for last time to a girl age late teen, the daughter of one of his most important generals, who said at the wedding, “may this union produce an heir” Alex responds, “What am I? A bastard?” Phil is half drunk and had a javelin wound, couldn’t attack general and fell over. Alex insults him not being able to walk to two couches.
Few months later, marrying one of his daughters off, gets stabbed by one of his own bodyguards
Age 47, murdered by bodyguard unexpectedly
After death, dug a hole, prepared body, put all the things around him, everything he could use in the afterlife— cooking equipment, weaponry, shaving kit, even killed his horses and dogs to put beside him, set fire to all of it, burned it up, then took all the bones and washed them in wine, mounded up a massive amount of dirt, artificial hill (tumulus); stayed that way 2200 years
1980- on perimeter of the mound, found the edge of the tomb, called police and archeological experts, saved most things (sea sponge instantly disintegrated when sun shined on it)
Only other tomb like this is King Tut
Some of the most amazing jewelry ever discovered in the world
Alexander III
Taught by Aristotle
Took throne at 20 and immediately went on campaign (fulfilled prophesies in Daniel)
Went to theos, sacrificed 100 bulls, big party, went to sleep, has a dream about armored person not from here
Went to Troas, (Paul landed there 300 years later)
#1 military man of all time, best army of the ancient world
Prophesy in Ezekiel, island will join mainland, what is left is for fisherman, Alexander - does all of that without knowing
Historian, Flavius Josephus - creation to Jesus, first version; 11th book of the Jewish antiquities, talks about Alexander had a dream, went to Jerusalem and met priest, and showed him book of Daniel.
^I’m a little fuzzy on the details of all of this. Going to research more.
Alexander always thinks he will win and always has a sense of urgency, like he’s running out of time
Beats Babylon and enters Persia and falls in love with their culture; marries Roxanne (little star); reaches India, retreats to Babylon, gets sick, loses ability to speak, generals ask him to whom will the kingdom go? He says, “to the strongest.” Fight it out for power and control; split into 4 parts (this is part of the prophecy)
They found all of this buried in the dirt! Absolutely incredible.