by Tim Green
things first and then rise again from the dead. I preached Christ, and Him crucified. I heralded, "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming unto you is the long awaited Messiah!" Some of the Jews believed and associated themselves with Silas and I, as did a great many of the "God - fearing" Greek men and woman.
Again the unbelieving Jews grew jealous. So they gathered together a band of vicious men, ruffians and rascals that hung around in the market square. After they had collected a crowd together, they started a riot in the city. They attacked Jason's house, where we were staying, hoping to bring me and Silas out to the mob. But when they didn't find us there, they dragged Jason and some other brothers out before the city authorities and shouted, "These men who have turned the whole world upside down have come here too! This man Jason has let them stay in his home and has privately protected them. All of them are defying the decrees of the Emperor, because they assert that there is another king, One Jesus!"
There words threw the crowd and the authorities into turmoil. Jason and the other brothers were only released by the authorities once bail had been paid over to them as security. As soon as night fell, the brothers sent Silas and I off to the city of Berea, in a fertile farm country. However our visit to Thessalonica was not fruitless. On the contrary, although we had already suffered a good beating in Philippi, we had the courage, united with our God, to tell them the Good News even under great pressure.
The appeal that we made did not flow from error or impure motives, neither did we try to trick the people there. Instead, since God had tested us and found us fit to be entrusted with the message of the Gospel. This is how we speak, not to win favour with people but with God, who tests our hearts. We did not resort to words of flattery or to conceal greedy motives for selfish gain. Nor did we seek human praise. We were gentle when we were with them, like a mother feeding and caring for her children. We did not put a burden on them. Our behaviour was righteous and blameless in the sight of all the believers there. We treated every one of them like a father treats his children. Not only did we impart the gift of God to them but we imparted our very souls as they were so dear to us. We encouraged and comforted them, appealing to them to live lives worthy of God.
As soon as we arrived in the city of Berea, again we went into the synagogue of the Jews. Always to the Jews first and then the Gentiles. The people in Berea were of more noble character than those in the city of Thessalonica. They eagerly welcomed the message, even checking the Scriptures everyday to see if the things that I taught were true. Many of the Jews there came to trust and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, as did a number of prominent Greek men and woman.
When the unbelieving Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God had been proclaimed by me in the city of Berea also. They travelled down to Berea to make trouble for me and agitate the crowds. The brothers at once sent me away again. I went down to the sea-coast, while Timothy and Silas remained at Berea. My escort went with me as far as Athens, then I left him with instructions for Silas and Timothy to come as quickly as they could. Athens was the capital city of Greece. It derived its name from the goddess Athena, the goddess of wisdom, fertility and war. She was believed to be the founder and the guardian of Athens.
While I was waiting for them in the magnificent city of Athens, my spirit within me was disturbed at the sight of the city being full of idols. So I began holding discussions in the synagogue with the Jews and the "God-fearers", and in the market square everyday with the people that happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers started meeting with me. Some asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others, because I proclaimed the Good News about Jesus, the Messiah and the resurrection, said, "He seems to be an announcer of foreign deities."
They took me and walked me to the Areopagus, the Mars Hill auditorium, named after the agriculture and War-god, known as Mars to the Romans and Ares to the Greeks. They shouted, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? Some of the things that we are hearing from you strike us as strange, and we would like to know what they mean." All the Athenians and the foreigners living there used to spend their spare time talking or hearing about the latest intellectual fads. The Greek were always seeking wisdom while the Jews always wanted to see a miracle or a sign. So I stood up in the middle of the congregation at Mars' Hill, and said, "You men of Athens, I see how very religious you are in every way! For as I was walking around, looking at your shrines, I even found an altar which has been inscribed, 'To An Unknown God.' So, the one that you are already worshipping in ignorance, this is the One I'm proclaiming to you."
The Mars Hill auditorium was silent as I spoke to them. I had got their full attention. I proclaimed with all boldness, "The God who made the universe and everything in it, He is Lord of heaven and earth. He does not live in man-made temples, nor is He served by human hands, as if He is lacking something. It is He Himself who gives life and breath to everything and everyone. From one man, Adam He made every nation living on the entire surface of the earth. He fixed the limits of their territories and the periods when they would flourish. God did this so the people would look for Him and perhaps reach out and find Him - although in fact, He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and exist. Indeed as some of the poets among you have said, 'We are actually His children.' So, since we are children of God, we shouldn't suppose that God's essence resembles gold, silver or stone shaped by human technique and imagination."
I had the crowd where I wanted them, curious about the God of heaven. "In the past, God overlooked such ignorance," I continued, "but now He is commanding all people everywhere to turn to Him from their sins. For He has set a day when He will judge the inhabited world, and do it justly, by means of a man He has designated. And He has given public proof of it by resurrecting this man Jesus, from the dead."
At then mention of a resurrection of people from the dead, some began to scoff at me, while others were curious and said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." So, I left the meeting, but some men stayed with me and came to trust, believing on the Lord Jesus. Including the High Council member Dionysius. There was also a woman named Damaris, and others with them who came to believe. Timothy and Silas had not yet joined me in Athens, so I left word where I was heading. I decided to leave without them and go to the city of Corinth.
I am Paul, now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever.
Amen, so be it.
The God of All Comfort. #9
I departed alone from Athens, and went to Corinth, the capital city of the Province of Achaia. It had three temples to the gods there, Apollo, Poseidon and Aphrodite. There were one thousand priestesses in the temple of Aphrodite, who were ritual prostitutes. There I met a Jewish man by the name of Aquila, originally from Pontus but having recently come with his wife Priscilla from Rome in Italy. They left Italy due to the fact that Claudius, the Roman Emperor had issued an edict, decreeing that all the Jews be expelled from Rome. So I went to see them. This was a divine appointment. They had the same occupation and trade as me, making tents. I stayed on with them and we worked together making tents. I also continued to carry out discussions every Sabbath in the synagogue, where I tried to convince both Jews and Greeks about Jesus being the Messiah. By the time Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, I was completely engrossed with preaching, earnestly arguing in depth and testifying to the Jews about the Messiah.
Again the unbelieving Jews set themselves against me and began hurling insults at me. Finally I shook out my garments from all the dust against them. I said to them, "Your blood be upon your own heads! From my part, I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles!" So I left them and went into the home of a "God-fearer" named Titus Justus, whose house was right next to the synagogue. Crispus was the president of the synagogue who had come to believe on the Lord, along with his whole household. Many of the Corinthians who heard me preach came to believe and were baptised in water
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One night, the Lord said to me in a vision, "Don't be afraid Paul, but keep speaking and don't keep silent. For I am with you, and no man shall assault you and harm you. I have many people in the city who believe and they will protect you." There is nothing like knowing that God is with you and on your side. If God is with you, who can be against you. I am amazed how the enemy will always try to keep you silent from speaking God's word. This word that I received from God, caused me to settle down among the Corinthians for a year and six months, teaching the Word of God to them.
When Gallio became the new governor of the Province of Achaia, the unbelieving Jews made a concerted attack on me and took me to court, saying, "This man is trying to persuade people to worship God in ways that violate the Law of Moses and the Laws of Rome." I was just about to open my mouth in my defence, when Gallio said to the Jews, "Listen, you Jews, if this were a case of inflicted injury or a serious crime against Rome, I could reasonably be expected to hear you