ACTS CHAPTER 17:1-16, “Are you
a Berean?”
By
Jim Bomkamp
1.
INTRO:
1.1.
In our last two studies, we looked
at the beginnings of the second missionary journey which Paul and Silas went on
1.1.1.
In our first study we saw
how that this second missionary journey began amiss and then for awhile it just
continued to get worse as the Holy Spirit forbid them to go to one area after
another
1.1.2.
Finally, we saw that Paul
and Barnabas had success during this missionary journey, however this success
occurred because Paul was willing to be flexible
1.1.2.1.The things that Paul had intended to do during this second missionary
journey he was not able to do, due to one circumstance or another under the
leading of the Holy Spirit, however last week we saw that Paul finally had
success and was used by the Lord, but this had occurred only after Paul had
become willing to be ‘flexible’ to God’s leading
1.1.2.1.1.I have heard it said by other pastors, that perhaps this type of
flexibility is one of the most important things for a person to have on any
mission field.
1.1.2.2.Paul had the vision of the man from Macedonia in the last chapter, and
we saw how that he immediately went to the city of Philippi, his first stop in
Europe, and then we saw how the church in Philippi was begun through the
conversion of a merchant lady named Lydia and a jailer.
1.2.
In our study today, we will
take a look at how the churches in Thesslonica and
1.2.1.
We will see first of all how
that Paul reasoned with the Jews in Thesslonica about Christ from the Old
Testament Scriptures
1.2.2.
We will next see how that
Paul and Silas went to
1.2.2.1.We will look at the importance of comparing any teaching to the Word of
God
1.2.2.2.We will look also at the importance of being real students of God’s
Word
1.2.3.
We will all be exhorted
today to become Bereans
2.
VS 17:1 - “1Now
when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to
Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:” - Paul and Silas travel to Thessalonica
2.1.
The events of this story begin approx. 20 years after the initial
inception of the church which began on the day of Pentecost in chapter 2 of The
Acts.
2.2.
Paul traveled
about 100 miles west from
2.3.
We do not
know the reason, however Paul seems to have bypassed ministering to the
churches in Amphipolis and Apollonia, as it is written that they ‘passed
through’ those cities.
2.3.1.
Some have
suggested that there were no synagogues in those cities and that is the reason
that Paul did no ministry there.
2.3.2.
It is obvious
from the rest of what is recorded of the book of Acts, that Paul walked closely
under the guidance of the Holy Spirit hereafter.
3.
VS 17:2-3 - “2
And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths
reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and giving evidence that
the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus
whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.”” - Paul reasoned from the scriptures concerning
Christ with the Jews in the synagogue in Thessalonica for three Sabbaths
3.1.
Paul’s method
of reaching out to the Jew first, and then the gentiles, after the Jews drive
him away, never changes in the book of Acts.
3.2.
We realize
also that in every place where Paul went in his missionary journeys, the Jews
were not far behind him, as they were a constant threat to persecute him.
3.3.
Paul used the
same method everywhere in the book of Acts when he went to the synagogues. He used ‘the Scriptures’ as His offensive
weapon of warfare to show the proofs of Christ being the Jewish Messiah of
promise.
3.3.1.
There are over 300 prophesies from the Old Testament about the Messiah
which Jesus fulfilled during His first coming to the earth, and Paul shared
with the Jews in each city in which he traveled about how Jesus had actually
fulfilled each of these, all of the way up to until and including those dealing
with His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead.
3.3.2.
Paul realized
that the Word of God was powerful, and thus he studied to be able to quote
God’s Word in order to win souls to Christ, especially the Jews who believed
and looked up to the scriptures.
3.3.2.1.It has been pointed out that in the depiction in Ephesians
6:13-18 of the armor which we are to wear for our spiritual warfare, that the
only offensive weapon that is included in the armor is the ‘Word of God’, which
Paul calls, ‘The Sword of the Spirit’, “13 Therefore, take up the full
armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done
everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins
with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having
shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield
of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of
the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in
the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and
petition for all the saints.”
3.3.2.1.1.How skillful are you on the battlefield of people’s
souls with the weapon of God’s Spirit which you have been given, ‘The Sword Of
The Spirit?’
3.3.2.1.1.1.It is the Sword of ‘The Spirit’ because it came by
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but more importantly it is powerfully energized
and made effective as a spiritual weapon to bring down the strongholds of
Satan, by the Holy Spirit.
3.3.2.1.1.2.In Isaiah 55:11, Isaiah writes about how
that God’s Word will not fail to accomplish that which He sends it forth to
accomplish, “11 So shall My word be which goes forth from My
mouth; It shall not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for
which I sent it.”
3.3.2.1.1.3.In 2 Tim. 2:15, Paul wrote to pastor
Timothy an exhortation to study and learn to rightly divide the truth in God’s
Word, which each of us as Christians ought to take to heart for our own lives, “15Study
to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.”
3.3.2.1.1.3.1.I encourage all young people
to wait making plans for their life, careers, education, and all until they
have truly taken the time to study God’s Word diligently for themselves.
3.3.2.1.1.3.1.1.Also, young people need to
wait upon God in their lives before making all of their plans for education and
career in order first to see if God might be calling them into fulltime
ministry.
3.3.2.1.1.4.Every Christian ought to
study God’s Word diligently in order to know what exactly it is that they
believe that it teaches doctrinally, and until they know why from the
scriptures they believe what they believe.
3.3.2.1.1.5.Every Christian ought really
to do five things with the Word of God, one for each finger on our hand:
3.3.2.1.1.5.1.READ IT
3.3.2.1.1.5.1.1.In 1 Peter
2:1-3,
Peter writes about how when we first come to Christ that we are like babies who
need to be breastfed milk, however our milk is to be the Word of God which we
need to daily drink, “2:1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all
guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babes, long for
the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3
if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”
3.3.2.1.1.5.1.2.Random reading is not the
best solution, nor is the best to just open up the scripture wherever it falls
open, it is best to at a minimum read continuously through one book at a
time. I recommend starting your reading
program in the New Testament, and staying there in the New Testament until you
have read all of it.
3.3.2.1.1.5.1.2.1.
3.3.2.1.1.5.1.2.2.Very early in my Christian
walk I made a very serious and solemn vow to the Lord (as all vows should be
made if made at all) that I would have a quiet time every single day of my life
and that I would read His Word at that time, and this I believe has been really
the most important decision that I have every made after coming to Christ.
3.3.2.1.1.5.2.STUDY IT
3.3.2.1.1.5.2.1.This is where you look up
cross references in your Bible and perhaps even use some Bible Study helps like
cross references, topical Bibles, Halley’s Handbook, etc. Try to stay mostly with the scripture
however, not with the words of men. (We
already saw the exhortation to study God’s Word from 2 Tim. 2:15.)
3.3.2.1.1.5.3.MEDITATE
UPON IT
3.3.2.1.1.5.3.1.Spend time thinking about scriptures
that you have read so that you can reap the maximum benefit from your study.
3.3.2.1.1.5.3.2.God commanded the Israelites
to do this in Joshua 1:8: “8 “This
book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it
day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is
written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will
have success.””
3.3.2.1.1.5.3.3.Psalm
119:97-99: “97 O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day.Thy
commandments make me wiser than my enemies, 98 For they are ever mine. 99 I have more insight than all my
teachers, For Thy testimonies are my
meditation.”
3.3.2.1.1.5.4.MEMORIZE IT
3.3.2.1.1.5.4.1.Find verses or passages that
encourage you specifically in various areas of your walk (both weaknesses and
strengths), or which you might be able to use when sharing with someone.
3.3.2.1.1.5.4.2.Psalm
119:9-11
says, “9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to
Thy word.With all my heart I have sought Thee;
10 Do not let me wander from Thy commandments. 11 Thy word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against Thee.”
3.3.2.1.1.5.5.SHARE IT
3.3.2.1.1.5.5.1.Sharing the scripture with
non-believers when witnessing is essential as is just sharing with brothers and
sisters things that the Lord teaches you through His Word.
3.3.2.1.1.5.5.2.Col. 3:16 says, “16 Let
the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and
admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
3.3.2.2.In Hebrews 4:12-13, the author of that book writes
about how powerful and effective God’s Word is in people’s lives, and I like
the way this quote from the KJV translates the passage, “12For the word
of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing
even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow,
and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13Neither is there
any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and
opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. ”
3.3.2.3.In Psalm 132:8, it says that the Lord honors
His Word above His Name, “2I will worship toward thy holy temple, and
praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast
magnified thy word above all thy name.”
3.3.2.4.Observe some of the things that Jesus said about God’s
Word (The Old Testament):
3.3.2.4.1.Quoting from Deuteronomy
8:4, Matthew
4:4 records
Jesus when He was tempted by the devil to turn the stones into bread saying, “…It is
written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds
out of the mouth of God.”
3.3.2.4.1.1.Notice that this temptation
occurred after Jesus had not eaten nor drank for 40 days and as His body was
telling Him that He was going to die if He did not eat right now.
3.3.2.4.2.Matt.
5:18-19: “18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth
pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law,
until all is accomplished. 19 “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these
commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of
heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the
kingdom of heaven.””
3.3.2.4.3.Luke 8:21: “21 But He answered and said to them, “My mother
and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it.”””
3.3.2.4.4.John 10:35: “…and the Scripture cannot be broken.”
3.3.2.5.Observe some of the things that Jesus, who is called,
“The Word Of God”, in the scriptures (John 1:1,14) said were true of His Words:
3.3.2.5.1.Matt. 24:35: “35 “Heaven and earth will pass away,
but My words shall not pass away.””
3.3.2.5.2.Mark 8:38: “38 “For whoever is ashamed of Me and
My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be
ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.””
3.3.2.5.3.Luke 6:47-49: “47 “Everyone who comes to Me, and
hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is
like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock;
and when a flood rose, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake
it, because it had been well built. 49 “But the one who has heard, and has not
acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house upon the ground without any
foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and
the ruin of that house was great.””
3.3.2.5.4.John 6:63: “63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh
profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”
3.3.2.5.5.John 8:31: “31 Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who
had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of
Mine; 32 and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.””
3.3.2.5.6.John 8:51, “51 “Truly,
truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.””
3.3.2.5.7.John 12:48: “48 “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My
sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the
last day.””
3.3.2.5.8.John 14:24: “24 “He who does not love Me does not keep My
words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.”
3.3.2.5.9.John 15:3, “3 “You are already clean because of the word which
I have spoken to you.””
3.3.2.5.10.John 15:7: “7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you,
ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.””
3.3.3.
We Christians
must realize that the Bible is the only and best offensive weapon of our
warfare in winning this world for Christ, and thus we need to read, study, and
memorize God’s Word.
3.4.
Sadly
today, many in the mainstream churches:
3.4.1. Don’t bring their Bibles to church (in fact it is not
in vogue to bring a Bible to some churches)
3.4.2. The Word of God is not taught
3.4.2.1.Many churches teach from the Bible, but it is a rare
thing to find a church that actually teaches the Bible (Genesis to Revelation).
3.4.3. Scripture is
only alluded to here and there
3.4.4. There is a
watered-down gospel that is taught that includes no repentence or commitment to
Christ
3.4.5. The Bible is
only looked upon as a starting point from which to springboard elsewhere
3.4.6. In some of the churches that are ‘liberal’in their
theology, the scripture is looked upon as being the word of men, not of God.
4.
VS 17:4 - “4
And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a great
multitude of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women.”
- Many came to salvation at Paul’s
preaching
4.1.
Again we see
that Paul had a very effective ministry amongst non-believers. Luke records here that some Jews believed in
Jesus as a result of Paul’s preaching, however a ‘great multitude of the
God-fearing Greeks’, or proselytes believed.
A powerful revival began.
4.2.
Luke records
here that ‘a number of the leading women’ of the city also came to salvation.
4.3.
A solid
church plant was in progress in Thesslonica.
5.
VS 17:5-8 - “5
But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market
place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and coming upon the house of
Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. 6 And when they did
not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city
authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also;
7 and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of
Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And they stirred up the
crowd and the city authorities who heard these things.” - The Jews became jealous that the Gentiles
were coming to faith in Christ as the Messiah, and they stirred a big riot
amongst the people
5.1.
It was always
jealousy that was behind the persecution of the Christians by the Jewish
leaders, never because they had honestly considered the gospel messaged
preached by Paul against the scriptures, and then had rejected it.
5.1.1.
The Jews saw
people leaving the synagogues in order to join with the Christians, and out of
jealousy, they found a bunch of ‘wicked men from the market place, formed a
mob’, and came after Paul and his companions.
Not having found Paul, they dragged Jason, the former head of the
synagogue who had become a Christian, and took him and some of the other
Christian brethren ‘before the city authorities’, and basically accused them of
treason against ‘Caesar’.
5.1.1.1.‘Caesar’ was the generic title for their leader, and
the Jewish leaders charged Paul and his companions with “treason” since they
were teaching the people that there is another King besides Caesar.
5.2.
Later, when
Paul penned the letters to the Thessalonians there was an emphasis upon the
theme of Jesus as being the ‘king’.
5.3.
The church in
Thessalonica was formed in such a short period of time, yet as we read in 1
Thessalonians 1:2-10, Paul’s ministry to the Thessalonians was very powerful
in the Holy Spirit, and a tremendous work was begun amongst them, even so much
that they themselves spread the word of the gospel out in all directions from
their city: “2 We give thanks to
God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly
bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope
in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, 4 knowing,
brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; 5 for our gospel did not come to you
in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full
conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for
your sake. 6 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received
the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you
became an example to all the believers in
6.
VS 17:9 - “9
And when they had received a pledge from Jason and the others, they released
them.” - They received a ‘pledge’
from Jason and then released the brethren to go home
6.1.
Jason and the
others had to pay a pledge of money in order to get out of jail, and by paying
this amount, they guaranteed that Paul and his traveling companions would leave
the city.
6.2.
Although
Jason was a new believer, he seemed to have braved this very trying test of his
faith in this incident without falling away or pulling back from the Lord.
6.2.1.
We sometimes
think that new Christians cannot brave severe testing of their faith, however
Jason and others prove our theories wrong concerning this.
7.
VS 17:10-11 - “10
And the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to
7.1.
7.2.
The town of
7.3.
The
scriptures were stored in the temple on scrolls, and in order for the people to
study the scriptures, they had to come together and study them as a group.
7.4.
We Christians
ought to be ‘noble-minded’ like the Bereans and search out and examine the
scriptures in order to see if what our preachers and teachers are teaching us
is true indeed.
7.4.1.
We could
easily be led astray if we do not search out the truth ourselves.
7.4.2.
We will learn
so much more if we will take the time to search out the truth for ourselves.
7.4.3.
I want you to
know that in my teaching I do not want you to take my word for being true just
because I said it, rather I would encourage any and all of you to go to the
scriptures and see if what I teach matches up against God’s word. If after doing so you think that I may be off
in some area, please do come and tell me about what you find, however I would
just ask you to come to me with an open mind.
7.5.
We Christians
ought also to be as ‘eager’ to study and know God’s Word as the Bereans
were. When you think about the fact that
God, because of His great love for you, has gone to the tremendous trouble and
expense to communicate to you through such a magnificent composite of letters,
literature, and history in the Bible, don’t you think that you ought to
seriously take a considerable amount of time and investigate exactly what it is
that He wants to say to you?
7.6.
If
non-believers would only open up their Bibles and study from God’s Word with an
open and honest heart before God, then they would come to know and understand
the truth about knowing God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
as Lord and savior. I have never yet
seen someone with a genuine open heart study the Word of God in order to see if
they feel that it is indeed God’s Word, who has come away rejecting it as being
divinely inspired.
8.
VS 17:12 - “12
Many of them therefore believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women
and men.” - Many of the Bereans came
to salvation, including a number of the prominent Greeks
8.1.
The people of
9.
VS 17:13-16 - “13
But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been
proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there likewise, agitating and
stirring up the crowds. 14 And then immediately the brethren sent Paul out to
go as far as the sea; and Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Now those who
conducted Paul brought him as far as
9.1.
We do not
hear much about this
9.2.
We don’t know
who brought the news to the Jews in the synagogue in Thessalonica that Paul and
his companions had gone to
9.3.
However, this
time Paul had to depart immediately by himself in order to be saved from the
crowd, however Silas and Timothy remained in the city.
9.4.
Paul sent the
message for them to rejoin him in