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Acts 17:1-9. Paul and Silas journey through Amphipolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica, where some of the Jews raise an uproar against them and Jason their host

1. they had passed through] The verb occurs in N. T. only here and in Luke 8:1. The use of the same expressions is a noticeable point in support of the identity of authorship of the two books.

Amphipolis and Apollonia] The journey is made to the south and west. Amphipolis was about 33 miles distant from Philippi, along the Egnatian road. It had been a famous place in the time of the Peloponnesian war, and was in St Paul’s time a great Roman military station. Its name was given to it because it was as nearly as possible enclosed by the winding stream of the river Strymon. Apollonia was about 30 miles farther on, in the district of Macedonia known as Mygdonia, and was about 37 miles from Thessalonica. The Apostle and his companions appear not to have made any stay in these towns.

Thessalonica] The modern Saloniki; to the Christians of which place St Paul afterwards addressed the two earliest of his extant epistles. From very early times Thessalonica had been a famous place. Its old name was Therma, and it was called Thessalonica after a sister of Alexander the Great. It is now one of the most important towns in European Turkey, and it played a great part in the history of the Middle Ages as the bulwark of Christendom in the East. It was captured by the Saracens a.d. 904, then by the Crusaders in 1184, and lastly by the Turks in 1430. Even now there is a large Christian element among its population, and a still larger number of Jews.

a synagogue] The Text. Rec. gives the definite article “the synagogue,” though it is overlooked in the A.V., and we cannot always be sure that we represent the force of the Greek article by the English one. (R. V. retains “a synagogue”). But there was apparently no synagogue at Philippi, and it may very well be that in Thessalonica dwelt the greatest number of Jews and therefore the facilities for their worship had there alone been advanced so far as to secure them a building for their meetings, which would be known therefore as “the synagogue.”

2. as his manner was] See Acts 13:5; Acts 13:14; Acts 14:1, &c.

went in unto them] And was no doubt asked (cf. Acts 13:15) to offer any exhortation to the people which he might feel moved to do.

three sabbath days] Of course the Jews would assemble on that day in greater number, and for the other days of the week be less accessible.

3. opening] St Luke (and he only in the N. T.) Luke 24:32 uses this verb of making plain what before was not understood. We may see from that passage what had been St Paul’s work in Thessalonica, “He began at Moses and all the prophets and expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Christ.”

and alleging] The more modern use of allege,=to assert, has somewhat obscured the older English meaning, which was merely “to set forth.” The Greek verb here translated by it signifies primarily “to set out food, &c. on a table,” and then figuratively “to set out arguments,” but without the idea of assertion. St Paul reasoned but only out of the Scriptures. For the English word, cf. Coverdale, Works (Parker Soc.), p. 14, “We will first declare our mind out of Scripture and allege (i.e. set before you) somewhat more for the better understanding of the matter.”

that Christ must needs have suffered] Better, “that it behoved the Christ to suffer,” i.e. the Messiah, whom the Jews expected, but whom they looked for in New Testament days only as a mighty conqueror who should deliver them from their oppressors. Their wishes had been father to their thoughts, and they overlooked all that spake of the Messiah as the “Man of sorrows.” This portion of the Scriptures it was which St Paul opened.

and risen again from the dead] Better, “and to rise again from the dead.” For they like the disciples themselves in earlier days (John 20:9) “understood not the scriptures (such as Psalm 16:10) that he must rise again from the dead.”

and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ] The force of the words will be improved if “said he” be inserted to introduce the direct address. Read (as R. V.) “this Jesus, whom (said he) I proclaim unto you is the Christ.” For He has both suffered and risen again in accordance with the teaching of the Scriptures, and we are witnesses of His resurrection and ascension into heaven.

4. And some of them believed (were persuaded)] For St Paul’s teaching was by arguments of which they all were able to form an estimate.

and consorted with] The notion conveyed by the Greek and by the English so far as its derivation is concerned is of “casting in their lot with the disciples,” deciding to join their community.

and of the devout Greeks] These were proselytes of the gate, heathens by birth, who had embraced in part the Jewish faith. (Cp. Acts 13:43; Acts 13:50, and below, Acts 17:17.)

a great multitude] For these had not the prejudices which clung so close about the born Jews.

5. But the Jews which believed not] In the oldest MSS. the last three words are unrepresented in the Greek. These are very likely a gloss which has crept into the later texts, the reader who made it on his margin wishing to note that not all the Jews were adverse to the Apostle.

moved with envy (jealousy)] They did not like to see numbers of men and women drawn away from their party.

certain lewd fellows of the baser sort] The Greek is more nearly represented in modern English by “vile fellows of the rabble.” ἀγοραῖος, “of the rabble,” is properly the man who having no calling lounges about the ἀγορὰ, the market-place, in the hope of picking up a chance living, and who is ready for anything bad or good that may present itself. We have no English word sufficiently dignified to use for such a term in translation. “Loafer” comes nearest, but of course is too colloquial. The word “lewd” meant in old English “people,” but afterwards came to signify (1) “the common people” and (2) “the ignorant and rude among the people,” which is the sense intended by the A. V. The word nearest akin to “lewd” is the Germ. leute = people.

set all the city on an uproar] There is no word in the Greek for “all.” The Jews in Thessalonica must have been numerous and influential to bring about such a tumult, but they preferred to raise (see Acts 17:7) the cry that the new teachers were enemies of the Roman power. This would gain them a larger following.

the house of Jason] Manifestly the host of Paul and Silas. Beyond what is said of him in the following verses (6–9) we know nothing. The name is found, Romans 16:21, in a list of those whom St Paul speaks of as his “kinsmen,” but this may be quite a different person. He is most likely to have been a Jew, whose proper name perhaps was Joseph, and Jason, which is Greek, may be only that which he used in his intercourse with Gentiles.

bring them out to the people] So that the excited mob might inflict summary vengeance on them.

6. they drew Jason] The word is expressive of considerable violence. Better, “dragged.” It is used of Saul (Acts 8:3) “haling” men and women, and committing them to prison.

certain brethren] We see therefore that in these three weeks a congregation or church had been formed.

the rulers of the city] The title πολιτάρχης is found nowhere in literature but in this chapter. But an inscription connected with this very city of Thessalonica has been preserved on an arch which spans a street of the modern city. It contains some names which occur as the names of St Paul’s converts, Sosipater, Gaius, Secundus, but the inscription is probably not earlier than the time of Vespasian (see Boeckh, Inscr. 2, p. 52, n. 1967). There the title of the magistrates is given in this precise form; a striking confirmation of the truthfulness of the account before us.

the world] Lit. “the inhabited earth.” A phrase used in later Greek to signify the whole Roman Empire, which then embraced a very large portion of the known world (cp. Luke 2:1). It speaks much for the spread of Christianity and its powerful influence, that words like these should come from the lips of enemies.

7. hath received] As guests into his house, and therefore he may be counted a sympathizer with their teaching.

these all] Implying that Paul and Silas, whom they had not found, would also be included in their accusation, if they could be caught.

another king, one Jesus] So far as this chapter gives an account of St Paul’s preaching, he had drawn the attention of the Jews to the sufferings of the Messiah, but we cannot doubt that he had also spoken of His kingdom. Such language the mob would be urged to seize on, and make it the justification for their uproar. For Thessalonica though a free city was subject to the Emperor.

8. And they troubled the people] i.e. spread alarm among them at the prospect of insurrection, and made them eager to punish the Apostles.