Points and Problems 1. " They came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue" (Acts 17:1). The American Revised Version uses the definite article before synagogue, indicating that the synagogue of the Jews in that region was located at Thessalonica. Evidently there was no such synagogue in either Amphipo- lis or Apollonia. Therefore Paul and his companion d}d not tarry in those places. Thus it becomes plain that these early missionaries sought out strategic centers in which to do their work. Amphipolis and Apollonia need ed the Gospel, but Thessalonica was more advantageous for the entire re gion. There is a lesson in this for all Christian workers. At times it is necessary to make a choice among needy places so that work may be more firmly established and one’s ef forts may not be scattered and inef fective. The wisdom of their course becomes evident in the success of the Thessalonian Church. 2. "Reasoned with them out of the scriptures" (Acts 17:2). Such reasoning will be blessed of the Lord. Too often God’s servants give themselves to hu man argumentation which only stirs up resentment, and accomplishes no good. When God’s servants seek to show the unsaved “out of the scrip tures” that Jesus is Messiah, Saviour, and Lord, they will have the Spirit’s approval and they will see results. 3. "And some of them believed , . . but the Jews which believed not" (17:4-5), In these two statements we have suggested the twofold response to be expected whenever and wher ever the Gospel is preached. The business of the witness for Christ is to present the Gospel without fear or favor. He will find that some will gladly receive the Word and give evi dence of their new found faith by “consorting with Paul and Silas.” Others will be aroused to indignation and led by the devil into all manner of opposition. 4. "These that have turned the world upside down" , (17:6). Happy the condition when such a testimony is given by God’s children to the un saved! The new birth should work such a transformation in the individ ual life, the Christian home and the church, that the world will take note of the dynamic of the Gospel. Does anyone see a “world upside down” by your life? For the Children P a u l P reaches in t h e S ynagogue A cts 17:1-4 MEMORY VERSE: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:31). Last week we learned from God’s Word about the prayer meeting led
LE SSON FO R N O V E M B E R 1 7 How Christ Changes People LESSON M A T E R IA L : Acts 17:1-7:1 Thess. 1 : 2 - 8 . GOLDEN T E X T : "Be not weary in well doing" (2 Thess. 3:12).
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Outline and Exposition I. T he P reach ing (A cts 17 :l-4 )
At Thessalonica, Paul entered the synagogue, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with the people out of the Scriptures, that is, out of the Old Tes tament, the New not yet having been written. These Scriptures revealed that the Christ was to suffer and to rise from the dead. The high light of Paul’s preaching was the declaration of the astounding fact that the Christ referred to in the Scriptures was the same Jesus of Nazareth who had been crucified at Jerusalem, and had risen from the dead. The result of his preaching was that some of the Jews, a great multi tude of the Greeks, and not a few of the chief women, believed. Thus peo ple are changed by Christ through preaching of the truth. It T he O pposition ( A cts 17:5-7) The unbelieving Jews, moved by envy, determined to stop Paul’s preaching. They used “lewd fellows of the baser sort,” that is, the rabble; and did not hesitate to engage in acts of violence against those who showed interest in the preaching. They misrepresented both the preaching and the preachers, saying, “these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar,” when there were no more law-abiding and obedient citizens than these preachers. Thus their atti tude toward Christ changes people for good or ill. f i t T he T hank sg iving (1 T hjiss . 1:2-8) In spite of the opposition, certain ones at Thessalonica were gathered to the Lord, and these Paul remembered with much thanksgiving. He recalled how they had mani fested their life in Christ by three out standing marks of true Christianity: the work of faith, the labor of love, and the patience of hope. He knew their election by observation of their lives, as the word "knowing” indicates. He had not forgotten how his Gospel came to them: in power, affliction, and joy, and that this resulted in their sending it forth everywhere until all knew of the change Christ had wrought in the hearts and lives of the Thessalonian Christians.
Benjamin N. Bogue, Dept. 4771, Circle Tower, Indianapolis 4, Ind.
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OCTOBER, 1946
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