|
Click here for a PDF printable file
Click here to download your PDF reader - FREE
Uproar At Thessalonica
By
Rev. Todd W. Allen
Villa Rica November 27, 2005
Acts 17:1-14
Leaving Philippi where
they had been beaten and jailed, Paul and Silas came to
Thessalonica. Again, as elsewhere, Paul sought out a synagogue to
preach the gospel. His method followed this pattern -- wherever
there was a synagogue he would go there on the Sabbath and reason
from the scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that Christ had
to suffer and rise again, and that Jesus was the Christ.
For Christians today
this method might sound just a bit unusual. We don't find it
essential to explain that the Old Testament scriptures prophesied
that the Messiah would suffer death and then rise from death back to
life. But the Jews did not believe that the Messiah of Israel when
he came would experience rejection and death. Such a teaching was
completely foreign to them even though Isaiah 53, Psalm 22 and
other scriptures prophesied it.
In the gospels we read
that Christ told his disciples before he went to the cross that it
was going to happen, but they simply didn't understand what he was
talking about. It wasn't until after the resurrection that this
truth about his suffering was understood. Remember how Jesus walked
with the disciples to Emmaus following his resurrection and opened
the scriptures to them. In Luke 24:25-27 we read:
And He said to them,
“O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets
have spoken! 26“Was it not necessary for the Christ to
suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27Then
beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them
the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
All of the Jews believed
that when the Messiah came he would be a conquering king who would
deliver them from their enemies. They expected him to set up his
headquarters at Jerusalem and to reign over the world from there.
There was no idea of suffering; nothing about a cross. They had no
concept of a spiritual kingdom of God. It was a carnal, physical,
materialistic kingdom with the Messiah seated as king at Jerusalem
just as David had done when he was king.
Paul had to explain
from the scriptures that this was a wrong view of the Messiah and
his kingdom. He had to explain that and also that Jesus was none
other than the long awaited Messiah who had fulfilled the Word of
their own prophets in becoming a Savior by dying for our sins on the
cross.
We read in verses 3 & 4 that he
persuaded some of the Jews and a great multitude of the God-fearing
Greeks, including a number of leading women. But as Paul taught this
to all the people a reaction set in among those who did not believe.
This always happens when men refuse to believe the gospel.
But for Paul the
strongest reaction always came from the Jews who would not forsake
their kingdom concept. They despised Paul for teaching this new
kingdom concept, and for talking about a Messiah who had to die an
ignoble death on a Roman gibbet. This struck at their Jewish pride.
It seemed to rob them of a glorified Messiah who would restore to
Israel all of her glory under David and Solomon. They also got
jealous of Paul and Silas because so many people were adopting this
new teaching, which seemed to overthrow their own teaching.
It is not unfair to
say that the gospel made some Jews mad. But it was not only anger
and wrath that they expressed toward the apostolic party; they
showed madness. I say madness because the very hope of salvation and
of going to heaven was rejected. Is it not madness to refuse and
despise the only message given by God to men which promises to save
them from sin and death and offers to them forgiveness and heaven?
These mad Jews found
some wicked fellows in the market place, some ruffians, some tough
punks, and they formed a mob. One way or another they were
determined to shut up Paul and Silas.
You can see how
vicious the opposition got to be in many places. You wouldn't have
expected it from men who professed belief in God, but they -- like
Paul before he was converted -- thought they were doing God service
in shutting the mouths of the Christians.
We see this paralleled
in Israel today. An article in the October 22, 2005 issue of World
magazine tells of demonstrations, harassment and threatened death
against Jews who believe that Jesus Christ is their promised
Messiah. Time will not permit me to quote the entire article but let
me quote a few paragraphs of the article…
“In some ways, Rebekah
Frei's life is similar to that of many other single moms. She drives
her 5-yearold daughter to and from school, manages household
duties, works hard to make ends meet, and has little time left for
sleep. But Ms. Frei’s life in Arad, Israel, is far from typical. The
almost daily harassment from ultra-Orthodox Jews in her Negev desert
town requires Ms. Frei to continually duck in and out of restaurants
and the "rescue cars" of other Messianic Jews.
"They corner us in the
street -yelling, cursing, and threatening. They stalk us,
photograph us, and try to intimidate us all the time," Ms. Frei told
WORLD.
“Ms. Frei and her
daughter, Michelle, are among the 15 Messianic Jewish families in
Arad being targeted by the Hassedei Gur, or Haredim, an ultra
Orthodox sect of Jews determined to expel the believers from Arad.
In recent months, the confrontations have turned violent: An August
fire all but decimated a center used for outreach, and a September
outing turned into a two-hour hostage situation when hundreds of
Haredim arrived to protest the trip. The ultra-Orthodox accuse the
believers of ‘missionary activity,’ and local authorities have done
little to curb the harassment.”—World, October 22, 2005, p. 27
Let me return to our scripture from
Acts 17. When these angry Jews at Thessalonica got their mob
together they went to the house of Jason who had become a Christian
and tried to find Paul and Silas, but they were not there. So they
dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the city authorities.
They weren't quite ready to kill these new believers, but they had
been quite ready to turn Paul and Silas over to the mob.
Notice what their words were that
they spoke against Jason and the others, they
shouted,
“These men who have upset the world have come here also; 7and
Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of
Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”
They charged them with
breaking the laws of Rome, though they cite none, and that they are
setting up another rival king, Jesus.
Did they understand the gospel? Where
was Jesus?
If Jesus was raised from the dead, where was
his throne? Besides, wasn't this hypocritical? They did not yield
any allegiance to Rome or Caesar. They were not the least bit
interested in protecting and preserving the military rule of Rome.
Had Jesus been a real king with an army that could set up the kind
of kingdom they were looking for, that would have been to their
liking.
This hostility goes on yet today.
Both Jews and Gentiles dislike the gospel because it calls them to
account for their sin. It says to them that they need to repent and
turn to Christ for remission and forgiveness. It demolishes pride,
it does not glorify the Jews or any nation of men, instead it
glorifies God in Christ and him only. Men can take no credit for his
work of redemption, all they can do is receive it and be thankful
for it. This doesn't suit men. To receive salvation from a naked
condemned man on a cross, Never! As the scripture says it is a
stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.
“When Dionysius, the
tyrant, sent Lysander some rich Sicilian garments for his daughters,
Lysander refused them, alleging that such fine clothes would make
them look homely in comparison.
“The truth of God
is so comely in itself that the trappings of oratory are far more
likely to lessen its glory than to increase it. Paul said that he
preached the gospel "not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of
Christ should be made of none effect." -- Charles Haddon Spurgeon,
The Quotable Spurgeon, (Wheaton: Harold Shaw Publishers, Inc, 1990)
I am reminded of the
story out of World War II. In the last memorable days of France's
liberation a soldier wrote home: "We have seen many strange sights.
Recently we have raced on day after day meeting great crowds of
Germans along the way jumping and shouting for joy at the thought of
being taken prisoner. Now and then an old S. S. man is brought in --
stern truculent, and dour. One of these fanatics was carried in the
other day, badly wounded. He required an immediate blood
transfusion, and was quickly told so by one of the doctors. Will it
be British blood?' asked the German. 'Yes; good, British blood,'
replied the doctor, who added, solemnly, 'If you refuse it, you will
die!' 'Then,' answered the proud Nazi curtly, 'I would rather die'.'
A short time afterward his body was carried out for burial."
No wonder the British
Tommies exclaimed of this poor, deluded man, "What a fool!" Every
day, men and women are being fooled even more than this German --
fooled into believing that they would rather die without mercy than
accept God's salvation, purchased at infinite cost, by the blood of
Christ. Surely such an attitude is the height of folly.
But the uproar at Thessalonica did
not stop the gospel. Paul and Silas went on to Berea where they once
more went to the synagogue and began the same procedure of preaching
and teaching the gospel. And we read in verse 11 that these folks
were more noble minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received
the Word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see
whether these things were so. We are told that many of them
believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.
Praise the Lord!
Though all do not believe, many do. The gospel advances in spite of
unbelief, in spite of opposition. Yes, the opposition came seeking
to silence Paul and Silas. The Jews from Thessalonica came to Berea
and began agitating and stirring up the crowds. Again, they had to
move on. This gospel opposition reminds me of the fellow who went to
a movie and when it got to the bad part he got up and said, "This is
where I came in."
Paul and Silas must
have been through this opposition so much that they almost got used
to it. When the gospel comes, there is belief and unbelief. From
some quarter or another the opposition and persecution inevitably
would come. It is still like that today.
When you become a
Christian you can expect to face opposition. Satan does not give up
easily. But the gospel is greater than Satan. And God even turns the
persecution to his advantage.
I like the story told by Charles
Hadden Spurgeon about the response a certain widow gave to an
unbelieving lecturer… An unbelieving lecturer gave people an
opportunity to reply to him after his oration, and he was of course
expecting that one or two rashly zealous young men would rise to
advance the common arguments for Christianity, which he was quite
prepared, by hook or by crook, to battle with or laugh down.
Instead, an old lady carrying a basket, wearing an ancient bonnet,
and altogether dressed in an antique fashion that marked both her
age and her poverty, came up on the platform.
She began by saying,
"I paid three pence to hear of something better than Jesus Christ,
and I have not heard it. Now, let me tell you what Christ has done
for me. I have been a widow thirty years, and I was left with ten
children. I trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ in the depth of
poverty, and he appeared for me and comforted me, and helped me to
bring up my children. None of you can tell what the troubles of a
poor lone woman are, but the Lord has made his grace all sufficient.
You say that's all nonsense. Those who are young and foolish may
believe you, but I know there is a reality in religion. Tell me
something better than what God has done for me, or you have cheated
me out of my three pence."
Such a mode of controversy was new to
the lecturer, and therefore he gave up the contest, and merely said,
"Really, the dear old woman was so happy in her delusion he should
not like to undeceive her."
"No," she said, "that won't do.
Truth is truth, and your laughing can't alter it. Jesus Christ has
been all this to me, and I could not sit down in the hall and hear
you talk against him without speaking up for him. I've tried and
proved him, and that's more than you have."
The testing and proving of God,
getting his love really shed abroad in the heart, is the great
internal evidence of the gospel. -- Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The
Quotable Spurgeon, (Wheaton: Harold Shaw Publishers, Inc, 1990)
The gospel has always
been hated and opposed. In Islamic lands, Buddhist lands, Hindu
lands and communist lands the persecution is intense. And even in
lands and countries where secularism and humanism predominates there
will be open hostility and opposition. But opposition and
persecution, instead of hindering the spread of the gospel seems to
spur on the growth of Christianity. Men who have suffered for the
gospel are not apt to give it up easily. Actually, the opposition
only proves that the gospel is true, for the Lord said it would be
that way.
The world is at enmity
with God. Not until a soul turns to Christ and finds salvation and
forgiveness is that enmity dissolved. Only then does he begin to
love God and God’s people and desire to serve him.
Dear friend, have you
taken the gospel to heart and committed your way to the Lord Jesus
Christ? Have you acknowledged your sinfulness and need of salvation?
I invite you to
believe the gospel. Receive the gift of his salvation. Make Jesus
Christ the Savior and Lord of your life. Do it today.
Hymn #327 “One Day He’s Coming”
World Magazine
October 22, 2005 -- In some ways, Rebekah Frei's life is similar
to that of many other single moms. She drives her 5-yearold
daughter to and from school, manages household duties, works hard to
make ends meet, and has little time left for sleep. But Ms. Frei’s
life in Arad, Israel, is far from typical. The almost daily
harassment from ultra-Orthodox Jews in her Negev desert town
requires Ms. Fret to continually duck in and out of restaurants and
the "rescue cars" of other Messianic Jews.
"They corner us in the
street -yelling, cursing, and threatening. They stalk us,
photograph us, and try to intimidate us all the time," Ms. Frei told
WORLD.
Ms. Frei and her daughter, Michelle, are among
the 15 Messianic Jewish families in Arad being targeted by the
Hassedei Gur, or Haredim, an ultra Orthodox sect of Jews determined
to expel the believers from Arad. In recent months, the
confrontations have turned violent: An August fire all but decimated
a center used for outreach, and a September outing turned into a
two-hour hostage situation when hundreds of Haredim arrived to
protest the trip. The ultra-Orthodox accuse the believers of
"missionary activity," and local authorities have done little to
curb the harassment.
There are few visible
signs of Christians in Arad since believers worship together in
homes, but the chess club where Ms. Frei volunteers also serves as
an information center for Messianic Jews. Lura and Eddie Beckford
opened the chess club a year and a half ago for the many Russian
immigrants who love to play chess. They also distribute clothes and
food to the poor in Arad and sell Bibles and books.
The Beckfords are now
raising money to rebuild the chess club with security doors and
steel bars around the windows this time-since an August fire
destroyed much of the building. Charges of arson brought against
three Haredim in the wake of the fire were recently dropped, and
Mrs. Beckford is concerned about the increasingly hostile incidents:
"The attacks are becoming more violent, and the Haredim have
promised that we will be taken out of the city in coffins."
The demonstration-turned-hostage
ordeal in September was equally frightening. More than 100 Haredim
surrounded the group and forced them to retreat into the club. When
a carload of people attempted to evacuate the scene, several Haredim
jumped on the car while others lay in the street, Mrs. Beckford
said. Several believers were slightly injured during the
confrontation.
The Haredim accuse the Messianic Jews of
actively seeking people to convert: "They tell the passersby that we
kidnap children and brainwash them, and we are converting Jews and
making them into Gentiles," Mrs. Beckford said.
Although Israeli law
says little about sharing religious beliefs with others, conducting
underage conversion ceremonies is punishable by law. One Messianic
Jewish family in Arad has been careful to follow this law but is
targeted nonetheless by the Haredim in a case that has received
national attention in Israel. A girl who often socialized with the
family began attending their youth activities and was eventually
baptized after she turned 18. The Haredim began weekly
demonstrations-often with hundreds of people-in front of the
family's home shortly after her faith became public over a year ago.
The Israeli High Court weighed in
when local authorities-realizing that the
confrontations were escalating in hostility-refused to grant the
Haredim a permit for a 700-person demonstration in front of the
family's home. The Haredim appealed to the Israeli High
Court which proposed a compromise -half the
number of people once each year. Both sides rejected the proposal
and await a final ruling by the Court.
Ms. Frei believes she
is a frequent target of their harassment because of her
ultra-Orthodox background and journey into the Messianic Jewish
faith: "It's a bitter pill for them to swallow . . . knowing that a
nice Gur girl is a missionary." She admits the continual
confrontations are taxing and worries about the safety of the
Messianic Jews in Arad. But recent incidents have opened the eyes of
the local police and brought attention to the existence of Messianic
Jews in Israel and their faith-a worthy outcome in her eyes.
Back to
the Top |