Alex Kremer - 11-06-2022 // Preach the Word; Acts 17:1-15

There are those today who act as if Christians should not quote Scripture.  One reason is the fear that people will find us silly.  Another reason being that Scripture no longer has the power to convict.

But what does the Word of God say?  In today's lesson we continue with Paul and Silas and Timothy into Thessalonica.  Having been driven from Philippi, Acts records how they next came to this city, where Paul spent three Sabbaths in the synagogue, reasoning with them from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.  The result is many believed; both Jew and Gentile.

The Jewish leaders in Thessalonica, jealous of the response to the Gospel, stirred up the city to drive out Paul and his companions.  Those who knew the Word of God best, rejected the very Scripture they claimed to uphold.

Exiled, Paul and his companions next come to Berea and again enter the synagogue of the Jews.  By contrast, the Jews in Berea are described as, "more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica."  For when they heard the Gospel preached from the Scriptures, rather than reject it, they, "received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily whether these things were so."

The truth is, Scripture always draws a response.  And in a world where the Word of God is rejected, the believer always runs the risk of seeming silly.  But we must also remember that the Word of God is powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword.

Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Holy Word.