The World Turned Upside Down

... explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” Acts 17:3

Acts 17:1–15 – The Story of the Church: Living Into This Drama in the 21st Century
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 26, 2021 (am)

The World Turned Upside Down! This generation will recognize that title as the stirring song sung in Hamilton, celebrating and reflecting on the victory of the Colonial Army in the Siege of Yorktown in 1781. And it surely expresses the presence of highly dramatic events, ones that completely astound us—Copernicus’ heliocentric solar system, Einstein’s Special, then General Theories of Relativity—the world turned upside down! But this description goes a lot further back than any of this! These are the words spoken by the irate Jews in first-century Thessalonica (6) assessing the work of Paul and Silas! Let’s look into Acts 17 and see how it applies here.

As we begin, though, let me pose a bit different question. How is it possible that people read the Book of Acts and find miraculous signs and wonders for today, and supernatural gifts of communication, and prescriptive instruction on church polity, and yet still miss the suffering all gospel messengers endure, in imitation of Christ? (cf. Rom.8:17; 2Ti.3:12)

Today’s text is yet another of those in Acts that’s very forgettable. It’s not likely anyone’s favorite passage. But I believe it teaches some lessons that are quite relevant for us today, especially as we share the gospel and suffer for it. Let’s take it in four parts—two pairs of two!

A Fresh Start – 1-4

After getting out of prison in Philippi, Paul, Silas, Timothy, and possibly Luke [traveled] on southwest (94 miles [Polhill 2008]) through Amphipolis and Apollonia… to Thessalonica (1), the capital city of Macedonia. Unlike Philippi, there was a Jewish synagogue there. And evidently sometime later there was also a Samaritan synagogue (Marshall 276), which may be why Luke called this one specifically a synagogue of the Jews (1). The team visited this synagogue on three successive weeks (2), 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ,” the [promised Messiah]. Paul [explained] this to them from the Scriptures (2), from [our OT]! Christ [had] to suffer—which means, He had to die—and rise from the dead. Paul would likely use passages like Psa.2 or 16 or even 110, which is the most quoted OT chapter in the NT. But almost certainly he’d use Isa.53614. And as he did, he would identify the suffering servant in that passage as, the Christ, the [Messiah]. And wouldn’t you have loved to hear how he did that, how he made that argument? Surely he would’ve zeroed in on v.10: … it was the will of the Lord to crush him—so, the [death] of the Christ by crucifixion was the will of [God], of [Yahweh]—he put him to grief—so, the crucifixion was also the [work] of [God]! [W]hen his soul makes an offering for guilt, which is just what Jesus’ sacrifice was, namely, a meticulously exact remedy for the sin of all who believe (Motyer 382, cf.Lev.5:1-6:7), he shall see his offspring, meaning essentially, he will bring many sons to glory (Heb.2:10) (Motyer 382); he shall prolong his days—he shall [live on], he shall [be raised]; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He’ll accomplish the will of the Lord! He’ll enact it! He’ll finish it! As Paul stated it to the Romans: [He] was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification (Rom.8:25). This was precisely the will and the [work] of [God] according to the Scriptures (2). 4 And this work was now bearing fruit right here in Thessalonica: some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women—this may refer to women from the upper class or the wives of political or business leaders, but influential women.

A Familiar Scuffle – 5-9

Again, provoked to [jealousy] likely by Gentile conversions to what they perceived to be a distortion of their religion, the Jews in Thessalonica set all the city in an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, where the team was staying (7), and taking some wicked men of the rabble (5 niv), certain lewd fellows of the baser sort (kjv), they staged a riot with a hired mob! This practice, which we still see today when emotions run high on a controversial issues, actually has a long and infamous history! This mob [rushed] Jason’s house (5), but didn’t find Paul and Silas there (6). So, they dragged Jason and some of the [other Christians] before the city authorities (6) instead. Look at the end of v.6. Here it is: 6 These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also! That’s quite an accusation! And Jason’s complicity with the team, which came in the form of offering them hospitality, should be viewed as treason according to this mob! 7 … Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus. This is sedition! And it did turn [their] world upside down! (6) It threw the whole city into turmoil (5, 8). Jason and the [others] were forced to post a form of a bond (9) in order to return home. But this is likely different than we think. This meant that Jason and the rest had to put up security to ensure that Paul and Silas would cause no more trouble, meaning that [they] had to leave the city quietly and not return (Bruce 325-6). So, if the team didn’t leave town, Jason and the rest would forfeit their bond.

A Fresh Start – 10-12

This is probably the reason why 10 the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. And this may well have been what Paul was referring to over in 1Th.2:18 … we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. This arrangement may have worked as the [hindrance] of Satan to gospel advance in Thessalonica—his opposition didn’t show itself only as physical persecution.

In Berea, though, there was another Jewish synagogue (10). 11 [And the] Jews there were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so—these things Paul was teaching. Did the Scriptures really teach that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead? (3) And did they point to the fact that this Jesus, whom [Paul] proclaimed…, is the Christ? (3) These folk wanted to find out! But note: the [Bereans] were interested but unbelieving Jews! Not what we often think! Still, 12 many of them therefore believed—therefore suggesting that their [belief] was awakened by the word of God—and, again, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. The conversion of affluent and influential women seems not only to be a fact in this Greek world, but a fact worthy of note!

A Familiar Scuffle – 13-15

But an additional noteworthy matter in this text is that these [Thessalonian] Jews (13), like the ones from [Pisidian] Antioch and Iconium back in Lystra (14:19), were not satisfied just stamping out gospel preaching in their hometown. They came to Berea to continue their protest (13), agitating and stirring up the crowds! And the result was familiar: 14 … the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, [while] Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 [Paul’s escort] brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command from him for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed, and apparently headed back to Berea.

Luke doesn’t say whether Silas and Timothy actually met Paul there in Athens. But it appears they may have, and that he then sent them right back to Macedonia, possibly Silas to Philippi but surely Timothy to Thessalonica (1Th.3:1-5). Then Luke’s mention of these two meeting up with Paul in Corinth (18:5) is likely the same event as when Paul himself mentions his reunion with just Timothy (1Th.3:6) (cf. Marshall 1980 297).

Conclusion

So, what relevant lessons does this passage hold for us today as we face suffering in our gospel witness?

Three Quick Lessons

1. The Word of God remains central and prominent in our gospel witness even when our culture is opposed to it. With a divine call on his life and access to super-natural guidance through Silas (a known prophet [15:32]), and with all the experience and argument he’d amassed, Paul was still in the synagogue [reasoning] (2) and explaining and proving and [proclaiming] (3) the word of God. And when it brought opposition, even to the point where he and Silas had to [flee] away by night (10), they didn’t move off of this message. The word of God remained central. And the Jews in Berea received [it] with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily (11) to test all they were hearing. Scripture will always have the answers. And those answers will always need to be discerned by digging in and discovering not just soundbite refutations of this world’s opposing views, but by discerning the spirit in which those ought to be communicated—primarily as an invitation and an encouragement to this world that is so trapped in every sort of sin and self-absorption—not as a club to beat them or a code to shame them. In his next city, Athens (16-34), Paul will show us just how to do this. The word of God remains central. But the opposing culture gathers to it like bees to pollen! No matter where or when or with whom we share the gospel or defend its truth or disciple those who receive it, no matter what opposing issue we’re addressing—and there are many—the word of God must remain central! There’s no other fount of knowledge for this world. Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of [God] (Rom.10:17).

2. Opposition is just as present as acceptance in gospel proclamation, and over time it’s even more present (Mat.24). This was surely so here, such that the apostle Paul was run out of some towns! Even he could say that Satan hindered his work (1Th.2:18) in discernible and inconvenient ways! Still, the opposition he felt was never sufficient to silence or dishearten him (2Co.4:8-16). As Luke was giving his ongoing narrative of Paul’s second journey, he was also essentially disarming the problem of evil as he told the story! The results of Paul’s preaching were undeniable evidence that an all-loving, all-powerful God was saving people according to His own will and purpose. Yet, His own chosen messengers were enduring great pain and persecution all along the way, just as Jesus said they would (cf. 9:15). We, too, must live out a refutation of the problem of evil in our day, showing in our lives that suffering is not incompatible with the existence of an all-powerful, all-loving God. Rather, our attitude and actions in the midst of our suffering must be of such a quality as could only be enabled by just such a God (cf. Psa.62:11-12). But, to do this we must realize that…

3. Only an all-powerful, all-loving God can produce this quality of endurance in His redeemed children. We can’t do it ourselves! Only God can so transform us that we, like Paul, never even consider the possibility of walking away from the faith, of turning our back on the gospel, or on our calling to proclaim it, or on the triune God—Father, Son, and Spirit—Who has blessed us with it!

Now, one quick closing word to those who’ve not received the gospel: Imitate the Bereans! Before you reject the word of God or the gospel, at least look into it! Seek to understand it! Read it. And believe what you read—just allow the possibility that it’s true, and see where that leads you! And if you have questions, come and ask them. Let’s talk!

Now let’s celebrate the body and blood, the saving work, of Him Who is the living word of God, Who enables us to embrace His gospel by faith, and then to endure in that faith to the praise of His glory!

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Resources

Beale, G. K. and D. A. Carson, eds. 2007. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Acts, by I. Howard Marshall, 513-606. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.

Beveridge, Henry, ed. Commentary upon the Acts of the apostles, vol. 1, by John Calvin. Translated by Christopher Featherstone.

Bruce, F. F., ed. 1988. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. The book of Acts, revised, by F. F. Bruce. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.

Carson, D. A., R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, and G. J. Wenham, eds. 1994. New Bible Commentary 21st Century Edition. Acts, by Conrad Gempf, 1066-1114. Leicester, Eng.: InterVarsity.

Dockery, David S, ed. 1992. New American Commentary. Vol. 26, Acts, by John B. Polhill. Nashville: Broadman & Holman.

Grudem, Wayne, ed. 2008. ESV Study Bible. Study notes on Acts, 2073-2156, by John B. Polhill. Wheaton: Crossway.

Longman III, Tremper and David E. Garland, eds. 2007. Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 10, Acts, by Richard N. Longenecker, 665-1102. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Morris, Leon, ed. 1980. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Vol. 5, Acts, by I. Howard Marshall. Downers Grove: InterVarsity.

Stott, John, ed. 1990. The Bible Speaks Today. The Message of Acts, by John Stott. Leicester, Eng.: InterVarsity.

Wiseman, Donald J., ed. 1999. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Vol. 20, Isaiah, by J. Alec Motyer. Downers Grove: InterVarsity.

NEXT WEEK: Preaching Jesus and the Resurrection, Acts 17:16–34