New Testament in a Year

Paul and Silas in Thessalonica

17 Paul and Silas^[a] traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. ² As usual, Paul entered there and on three Sabbaths discussed the Scriptures with them. ³ He explained and showed them that the Messiah^[b] had to suffer and rise from the dead: “This very Jesus whom I proclaim to you is the Messiah.”^[c]

⁴ Some of them were persuaded and began to be associated with Paul and Silas, especially a large crowd of devout Greeks and the wives of many prominent men. ⁵ But the Jewish leaders^[d] became jealous, and they took some contemptible characters who used to hang out in the public square,^[e] formed a mob, and started a riot in the city. They attacked Jason’s home and searched it for Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the people. ⁶ When they didn’t find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials and shouted, “These fellows who have turned the world upside down have come here, too, ⁷ and Jason has welcomed them as his guests. All of them oppose the emperor’s decrees by saying that there is another king—Jesus!”

⁸ The crowd and the city officials were upset when they heard this, ⁹ but after they had gotten a bond from Jason and the others, they let them go.

Paul and Silas in Berea

¹⁰ That night the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. ¹¹ These people were more receptive than those in Thessalonica. They were very willing to receive the message, and every day they carefully examined the Scriptures to see if those things were so. ¹² Many of them believed, including a large number of prominent Greek women and men.

¹³ But when the Jewish leaders^[f] in Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul also in Berea, they went there to upset and incite the crowds. ¹⁴ Then the brothers immediately sent Paul away to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed there.

Paul in Athens

¹⁵ The men who escorted Paul took him all the way to Athens and, after receiving instructions to have Silas and Timothy join him as soon as possible, they left.