The
Gospel Comes to Thessalonica
By
Stephen Terry
Commentary
for July 7, 2012 Sabbath School Lesson
“For
we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our
gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy
Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.” 1
Thessalonians 1:4-5, NIV
A
Parable Loosely Based on Acts 17 and Modern Evangelism
Theophilus
was excited! This weekend was the big event! All of Thessalonica would be
there! He had seen the painted billboards for weeks. They were a sight to
behold. Large, frightening beasts lept out at you from the signs. With
razor-sharp teeth they devoured other beasts and threatened people with their
fierce wrath. He trembled when he looked at them. Were these beasts threatening
Thessalonica? Theophilus and most of the city wanted to know. The signs
promised answers, so everyone planned on attending the upcoming meeting.
Besides, a well-known speaker was going to be doing the presentation.
The
signs announced that the Apostle Paul, fresh from speaking engagements in Asia
Minor would be explaining the pictures on the signs and much more. The program
also promised a presentation of pictures from Palestine. There would be
pictures of Jesus healing, preaching and performing miracles. Theophilus didn’t
know much about Jesus, but he looked forward to finding out more. Some of the
signs had His picture painted on them and in contrast to the ferocious beasts,
He seemed kind and compassionate.
While
Theophilus was Greek, he had friends who were Jews. Since Paul seemed to be
from Jerusalem, he asked them about it. It seems that the Jews wanted to win
more converts to Judaism and since they had heard Paul was successful at
winning converts, they would ask him to come and present a series of meetings.
When they contacted him, he responded by letter that he would be happy to come
in response to this Macedonian request. However, he would need a thousand
drachmas to cover expenses for him and his team. When the leaders of the local
synagogue balked at paying such a sum, he suggested they contact church
headquarters in Jerusalem to see if they could help fund the series. After
several letters were exchanged by all parties involved and the Jerusalem
Council, the money was raised and Paul was invited to come.
Next,
Paul’s team forwarded instructions for advance preparation for the meetings.
Synagogue members were urged to go door-to-door to hand out invitation scrolls
to the meetings. Those invitations would have more pictures of the beasts,
Jesus, and also Paul in a fine suit of clothes. He looked like a real
celebrity, someone everyone would like to meet. With a huge, welcoming smile,
he also looked warm and friendly. Theophilus was inviting his friends, also.
Besides, even if Paul turned out to be a boring speaker, the travelogues would
still be interesting.
When
the night of the first meeting came, so many people came that the synagogue was
filled to capacity. The local fire marshal was not amused and told them they
would have to come up with a better solution. Afraid that they would have to
cancel the meetings, they were saved when at the last minute a well-to-do
citizen named Jason offered his home for the overflow crowd. He had previously
offered his home for Paul and his companions to stay in as well, so those who
were interested would have the opportunity to see Paul outside the synagogue in
addition to the regular meetings.
Theophilus
noticed some rather burly fellows at the entrances to the synagogue as he went
in to take his seat. Asking around, he discovered that the priests of the local
pagan temple had hired some hooligans to disrupt the meetings. Those thugs had
been heard boasting in the local taverns that they would hang dead cats from
the doors of the synagogue and worm their way inside to heckle the speaker. The
men at the entrances were there to thwart that and if anyone should attempt to
disrupt the meeting from inside, they would quickly usher him out. While they
were initially successful in keeping the meetings orderly and Theophilus
learned a lot about the painted beastly images and many other things,
eventually the pagan priests managed to hire enough hooligans to completely
overwhelm the meetings and bring them to an end. They even disrupted the
overflow crowd at Jason’s house, and managed to make the city officials believe
that it was Jason’s fault and not theirs so that he was charged with disturbing
the peace.
Theophilus
was disappointed that the meetings ended so soon, he was hungry to learn more.
Several were baptized during the meetings and continued to meet in Jason’s
house in spite of the previous problems. Theophilus continued to attend
synagogue and the meetings at Jason’s, but found himself gradually attending
more at Jason’s and less at synagogue. Paul, who had received a contractual
commitment to cover the expenses for another series of meetings in Berea, moved
on. After he left, there were mutterings in the synagogue about the group
meeting at Jason’s place. Some maintained that they could not be properly
grounded in Judaism with such a short series of meetings. Others began to point
out to those who tried to attend the synagogue how their understanding was
flawed compared to real Judaism. As a result, several of those stopped coming
to synagogue although they continued to visit Jason who accepted everyone
without restrictions as long as they weren’t hooligans trying to disrupt
everything and genuinely were seeking answers.
Other
new converts, when confronted about their shortcomings compared to the Judaic
system, set about becoming more Jewish than the Jews, if such a thing were
possible. They quoted from the inspired writings in addition to Torah. If the
Jews wore tassels on their garments, theirs would be longer. If the Jews prayed
three times a day, they would pray four. However, eventually, the burden became
too great and most of these fell away. Those who remained would quickly latch
on to anyone who showed interest in attending synagogue and try to make them
over into their image. (See Matthew 23:15)
While this parable represents an attempt to portray
evangelism as it is practiced today in the context of Paul the Apostle’s time,
it differs considerably from actual events. In reality, Paul never had his
expenses or those of his companions guaranteed anywhere he traveled with the
exception, perhaps, of his free trip to Rome when he appealed to Caesar after
he was imprisoned at Caesarea in Palestine. Paul did not arrive in Thessalonica
as a well-known celebrity with a tailor-made suit and a winning smile. His
meetings in the synagogue were not peaceful discussions but sparked contention
and opposition.
When Paul arrived in Thessalonica it was with the wounds
of a flogging fresh upon his back. Probably, he was still in pain from his
flogging and imprisonment in Phillipi. While the believers in Phillipi may have
provided him some clothes to wear, they probably were not what you would find a
popular leader wearing to impress the crowds. Being a new person in town in an
unfamiliar city, he looked for common fellowship with those of his own culture
and the place to find that was the synagogue. Seventh-day Adventists as well as
those of other denominations can understand this. When they travel the world
for vacation or business, they can always find fellowship in a church even in a
foreign location where the church service is conducted in an unfamiliar
language. There is a commonality of spiritual experience that overrides those
differences. In that regard, the experience of Paul then was not unlike the
experience of Christians today. When you are hurting, lonely, or have had a bad
experience far from home, you turn to the church you know for comfort.
The synagogue in Thessalonica opened its doors to him as
a fellow Jew from a distant country. As it is today, I can imagine the members
of that synagogue asking about his travels and experiences, perhaps over a
fellowship meal. As Paul began to share his experiences, some drew closer
wanting to hear more, but others, perhaps put off by his encounter with the
authorities in Phillipi or rumors from other quarters, drew back and resisted entertaining
someone they saw as a threat to a comfortable peace they had established with
their non-Jewish fellow citizens in Thessalonica. When not only some in the
synagogue but also many Greeks began to seek out Paul, they felt the line had
been crossed, and they actively opposed Paul, even bringing the authorities to
Jason’s house where meetings with Paul were taking place. With such opposition
from the synagogue in Thessalonica making it impossible for him to continue
working there, he moved on to the synagogue in the city of Berea, where he
found a more hospitable reception.
A stark contrast exists between how evangelism is
conducted in the present day, and how it was handled by Paul. Some might say
that modern times require modern methods. Perhaps this is so. However, the
results do not seem to support that argument. For instance we take pride in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church being the fastest growing protestant denomination
in North America. Yet, our growth rate is only in the lower single digits.
While we compare ourselves to other denominations in this way, we overlook that
the population is growing faster than we are. In reality, we are actually
losing ground. Even if we weren’t, a snail which takes pride in being the
fastest among the snails is still a snail. The rabbit will snicker at the snail’s
delusions of speed. While a snail will never become a hare, the power of God is
greater than either snail or hare can appreciate. Perhaps there is a greater
result to be obtained from a Pauline model of evangelism that we have yet to
understand. Perhaps the Gospel coming to Thessalonica is more than simply an
account of Paul’s persecution while winning converts. Perhaps there is a model
for evangelism that can reignite the passion of Christianity.
This Commentary is a Service of Still
Waters Ministry
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