ACTS: Witnesses to Christ Jesus; the Scripture Supports the Message!

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” (Acts 17:1-3)

Oftentimes we want to share the gospel with people, but we're not sure what to say.  Paul gave a perfect example of what we should say. Paul said exactly what Christ taught the disciples, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations,... (Luke 24:46-47) Sharing with people what we think and feel is ok sometimes, but we should always reason with them from the Scriptures, and always concluding with the fact that Jesus is the Christ.  God's Word convicts people; as He said, ...It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. (Acts 17:4) 

But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.” And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. (Acts 17:4-9)

We mentioned it in a previous lesson that the Jews persecuted the apostles because they lead the people away from their traditions and customs.  The Greeks persecuted the apostles because they lead people away from their lucrative false gods businesses.  Now, the rulers of Thessalonica only let them go after they paid money as security.  The point is, the world may try to silence us in many ways - by lying about our message; maybe trying to bribe us to keep silent; maybe even threatening our lives.  No matter what, ...let us hold fast our confession. ... Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men. (Acts 17:10-12)

No matter what, we have to keep sharing the Word of God, because we don't know who may have ears to hear!  Paul and Silas went to a new city, Berea, but did exactly what they did in very place they went, they went into the synagogue.  We can only pray that the majority of people we witness to will respond the same way these people did; they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. 

People who don't want to believe the Truth will often say, "Men wrote the Bible"; "The Bible is made-up stories".  But if they ever took the time to really study the Word of God, either with a good teacher or Bible study group, they would discover, just like the people in Berea, that ...we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed...; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (II Peter 1:19-21)

But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds. Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and Timothy remained there. So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed. (Acts 17:13-15)

The Jews kept following the apostles, trying to stop the gospel from being taught.  But unknowingly, they were helping the disciples “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)  Every time the Jews followed them one place, they would go to another Gentile nation, and many of them would believe.  As we stated earlier, God's Word shall not return to Him void, But it shall accomplish what He please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which He sent it. We just have to share His Word with others, and He will do the rest. And He [Christ] said to them, ...But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me...to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8)