Acts 17:1-9: Affirmative Christianity

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Introduction

1) v. 1 – Thessalonica

A)   Paul travelled 100 miles from Philippi along the Via Ignatia to the biggest dot on the map, Thessalonica.  

B)    It was the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia and had a major port, so this city was a major hub for Paul.

2) v. 1 – Paul’s habit was to always go the synagogue first because…

A)   He had a ready-made audience, and

B)    This was a place where he could speak the same language with a system of shared values and background.

C)    POINT: Use what you have where you are. You have opportunities that nobody else has.

There are two ways to operate and motivate people to do the right thing.

1) vv. 2-4

A)   Paul’s affirmative message (i.e. I have something to say)

1) v. 3b – “that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead”

(a)   1 Cor. 1:23 – “we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles”

(b)   Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection was just dumb to Gentiles.

(c)   But for Jews, it was a stumbling block: How could Jesus be God’s messiah if he was arrested and tortured and crucified by the Romans? The whole point of the messiah, they thought, was to defeat the Romans.

(d)   Paul’s argument was that Jesus’ crucifixion was necessary. It was a part of God’s plan all along, and he needed to show them that and convince them that it was true. He had to take the Scriptures that they already knew and connect dots for them in a way that they had never thought of before.

2) v. 3b – That Jesus is the Christ

3) v. 7b – Later accusation, that there is another king.

4) NOTE: This is what we do when we tell people everything that they have ever thought about the world and life is wrong. We flip their world upside down.

B)    How Paul communicated his message

1) v. 2 – He reasoned with them from the Scriptures

(a)   Reasoned = dialegomai (Compound word: through speaking)

(b)   BDAG – to engage in speech interchange, converse, discuss, argue

(c)   POINT: He had a conversation with them and talked to them about what the Bible says. He talked to them.

(d)   There is a huge difference in preaching at people, and talking to people.

2) v. 3 – Explaining

(a)   BDAG – 1. Open, 2. Explain, interpret.

(b)   L/N – to explain something which has been previously hidden or obscure

(c)   cf. Neh. 8:7b-8

(d)   The Bible can be a difficult book to understand even on the surface, and even more when you have to learn to see how God has painted picture of Jesus throughout the OT. People need help understanding this, and it’s our job to open up to them what is closed.

3) v. 3 – Proving

(a)   BDAG – “to place something before someone” (primarily food in the NT, but facts in this case)

(b)   L/N – to establish evidence to show that something is true

4) v. 4 – Persuading (“some were persuaded”)

(a)   BDAG

(i) to cause to come to a particular point of view or course of actions, convince, persuade, win over

(ii)  to be so convinced that one pouts confidence in something, trust in, to be won over

(b)   L/N – to convince someone to believe something and to act on the basis of what is recommended

(c)   v. 4 – The result: They joined Paul and Silas

C)   My main takeaway from this text

1) We have an affirmative, positive message about Jesus to share with people.

2) Paul and Silas did it in all kinds of different ways, but the point is that they had a message.

2) vv. 5-9

A)   Motivation: v. 5 – “the Jews were jealous”

1) They didn’t have an affirmative message that they were trying to move the people forwards towards. They were just mad that people were listening to Paul and Silas instead of them.

2) Their entire posture was negative and resistance.

B)    Their entire posture was negative, and resistance; so, look at how they responded

1) v. 5 – Underhanded methods

(a)   “taking some wicked men of the rabble” (NASU – from the marketplace)

(b)   “they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar” (others – started a riot)

(c)   POINT: If this is how you have to make your case that you’re right, then you’re not right.

2) vv. 5b-6 - Violence

(a)   Jason was hosting Paul and Silas, and when the mob got to his house Paul and Silas were not there, so they grabbed Jason and some of the other new Christians.

(b)   This is cancel culture that operates from a place of terror: If we can’t find Paul and Silas, then we’re going after anyone else who is associated with them.

(c)   Compare this reaction to how Paul made his case.

3) vv. 6b-7 – Deceit

(a)   This is the deceit in the same way that the demon spoke in 16:16-17.

(b)   Satan operates by telling half-truths and deceiving (“you will not surely die”).

(c)   The Gospel is that Jesus is king, but that doesn’t mean that the Christians are stockpiling weapons in Jason’s basement for the uprising.

(d)   If you have to lie and deceive, then you’re not on the right side of things.

4) v. 8 – Motivation

(a)   cf. v. 4 – some were persuaded

(b)   The Jews got the city disturbed. Motivation by fear, and rage, lies.

5) v. 9 – Threatening and running Paul out of town

(a)   Jason [“and the rest”] put their property and wealth on the line that there would not be any more trouble.

(b)   What a joke. They didn’t cause the trouble in the first place.

(c)   The Thessalonians basically forced Paul out of town under the threat of harming these new Christians. We saw from his time in Philippi that his goal was to serve God and his people, not himself, so he left.

C)   My main takeaway from this text

1) Paul and Silas had an affirmative, positive message about Jesus to share with people.

2) The Jews, on the other hand

(a)   Were driven by jealousy

(b)   They made their case with underhanded methods, violence, lies and deceit.

(c)   And they did not persuade their audience. They disturbed them and drove them with fear.

3) There was no substance to their position, they were just loud. When you can’t rely on truth, you have to lean on volume.

3) Christians and churches today should follow Paul’s example.

A)   We should have an affirmative, positive message about who we are and what we’re doing.

1) Jesus is both Savior and Lord. He died on the cross to save us from our sins, and he is the rightful king who deserves all of my loyalty and service.

2) We should not be defined by who we are not and what we don’t do.

(a)   “Tell me about your faith?”

(b)   We don’t use instruments in our worship.

(c)   We don’t spend our collective money in certain ways.

(d)   We don’t baptize babies.

(e)   These things may be true, but they are not who I am, and they do not define me.

3) You need to be able to define yourself with affirmative statements. This is who I am and this is what I do and this is where I’m going.

B)    We should be able to have a conversation about these things, and explain ourselves, and set proof before people, and persuade others that they should do it too because it is the right thing to do.

C)    If you ever find yourself in a situation where you have to act like the Jews:

1) If you’re motivated by jealousy

2) If you have to employ underhanded methods

3) If you have to rely on violence or deceit

4) And if you have to convince other people of the truth by stirring them up and getting them disturbed

5) Then just know that you’re not on the right side of things.