Today’s Reading: Acts 17

Paul and Silas then traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As was Paul’s custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to reason with the people. He explained the prophecies and proved that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m telling you about is the Messiah.” Some of the Jews who listened were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and quite a few prominent women. But some of the Jews were jealous, so they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a riot. – Acts 17:1-5

For three weeks, Paul preached straight from the scriptures, taking the time to explain the Old Testament prophecies and how Jesus fulfilled each one of those prophecies. Some who listened were open to the good news about Jesus, and others let jealousy take over. Instead of celebrating both the message and the messenger, these Jews chose to start trouble for Paul and Silas.

When they could not find the evangelists at the home of Jason, where they had been staying, they drug Jason and some of the other Jews who had accepted Paul’s message before the city council. They accused them of aiding and abetting one who was committing treason against Caesar, because Paul and Silas referred to Jesus of Nazareth as a king.

That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men. – Acts 17:10-12

The initial response of the people in Berea is a stark contrast to how things played out in Thessalonica. The difference can be found in these verses. When the people searched the scriptures to check the message that Paul was preaching, they were able to confirm the truth of the good news about Jesus. Their willingness to study God’s word to protect themselves against false teaching made all the difference in their reception to the truth about Jesus. They checked what the apostles were saying against the holy scriptures and what they found changed their lives.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO SPEND TIME IN GOD’S WORD SO THAT WE CAN COMPARE THE THEOLOGY PREACHED BY MAN WITH THE WORD INSPIRED BY GOD.

When some Jews from Thessalonica arrived to stir up trouble for Paul, he went on to Athens. Now Athens was known for its love of the newest ideas. Paul spent time reasoning with the Jews in the synagogue and he preached in the public square to anyone who would listen. When they brought Paul before the high council of the city, they asked him lots of questions out of curiosity.

So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.

“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries.

“His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone.

“God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” – Acts 17:22-30

IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO SEEK AFTER GOD, FEELING OUR WAY TOWARD HIM UNTIL WE FIND HIM. FOR IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND EXIST.

God is so faithful to be found when we authentically seek him, for He is never far from any of us. He does not stay in the shadows to be the unknown God, but He sent His Son into the world to be the light we needed to truly know God.

Just like the people of Athens, some hear the truth of God’s word and laugh in contempt, while others eagerly want to hear more about Jesus. While it can be discouraging to listen to the world’s critical voice against Christianity, and while it can be distracting to hear new ideas that run dissonant with the bible, God is calling us to continue seeking the truth so that we can be a beacon of truth and light to those who are feeling their way towards God. Every day becomes about Him and every decision becomes an act of obedience, for in Him we live and move and exist. To God be the glory! Amen.