Paul & Silas Trust God’s Strategy
September 27, 2022
Commentary
Paul and Silas traveled 100 miles from Philippi to Thessalonica. According to verse one they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia but didn’t minister in those cities. Thessalonica was the capital of Macedonia, with a population of about 200,000. Paul’s master plan for missions was to evangelize the main city of an area, leave behind him a mission-minded church, move on to another population center, and leave the evangelization of the rural areas to the new church.
Much of our missionary activity, since the days of David Livingston, has been concentrated on the jungles and bush country. Somehow the fascination of wild barbaric tribes and untamed tongues has exerted a big influence on the Western mind. It is true that such areas need to be evangelized, but in my opinion, all too often we have bypassed the cities and headed for the hills. In more recent years the strategy of many missionary organizations is to evangelize the people who live in the cities, where the seats of power and influence are found.
Paul worked at the tent-making trade (Acts 18:3); however, as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and there ministered to both devout Jews and Gentiles. In verses two and three, Paul reasoned (give and take conversation with questions and answers) with them out of the Scriptures, opening (explaining and proving, by evidence) that Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. As a result, many people believed, especially Greeks and influential women who traveled with Paul. Among the men were two, named Aristarchus and Secundus who later traveled with Paul (Acts 20:4). The unbelieving Jews began persecuting the believers. They wanted to drag the missionaries before the people but because they were unable to find them, the mob took Jason and some of the believers instead. They were charged with “turning the world upside down.”
Application
Today Christians need to have the reputation for “turning the world upside down.” Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Lord, help me to constantly be asking myself, “What am I doing to make Christ known to others?”
Acts 17:1– 9 (NET)
1 After they traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed them from the scriptures, 3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, saying, “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” 4 Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women. 5 But the Jews became jealous, and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. They attacked Jason’s house, trying to find Paul and Silas to bring them out to the assembly. 6 When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, screaming, “These people who have stirred up trouble throughout the world have come here too, 7 and Jason has welcomed them as guests! They are all acting against Caesar’s decrees, saying there is another king named Jesus!” 8 They caused confusion among the crowd and the city officials who heard these things. 9 After the city officials had received bail from Jason and the others, they released them.
Illustration: Strategy for Long Term Results
According to Wikipedia, “A strategy is a long term plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. Strategy is differentiated from tactics or immediate actions with resources at hand by its nature of being extensively premeditated, and often practically rehearsed.” (Source Unknown).