Acts 17:13

But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people. BUT WHEN THE JEWS OF THESSALONICA HAD KNOWLEDGE THAT THE WORD OF GOD WAS PREACHED OF PAUL AT BEREA, [ kai (G2532) en (G1722) tee (G3588) Beroia (G960)] - 'in Beroea too,' THEY CAME THERE ALSO, AND STIRRED UP THE PEOPLE - their blind zeal prompting them to travel above fifty miles to have the missionaries of Christ hunted out of Beroea, as they had been out of their own city. Thus had they of Iconium done, when they followed Paul and Barnabas...

− 13._And when the Jews. _We see how the Jews were carried to and fro with such hatred of the gospel as could never be appeased. For they do not only expel Christ furiously when he is offered unto them at home; but when they hear that he is preached elsewhere, they run thither like mad men. But we must not so much in this place consider the fury of the nation as the desperate malice of Satan, who pricketh forward those which be his to trouble the kingdom of Christ, and to destroy man’s salvation; and he useth them as fans to raise sedition. Wherefore, let us know, that when at this day so many furious enemies do set themselves against the faithful ministers of Christ, it is not men which procure the war, but it is Satan, the father of lying, who doth go about all these things that he may overthrow the kingdom of Christ. ( John 8:44.) And though there be not always the same form

10-15 The Jews in Berea applied seriously to the study of the word preached unto them. They not only heard Paul preach on the sabbath, but daily searched the Scriptures, and compared what they read with the facts related to them. The doctrine of Christ does not fear inquiry; advocates for his cause desire no more than that people will fully and fairly examine whether things are so or not. Those are truly noble, and likely to be more and more so, who make the Scriptures their rule, and consult them accordingly. May all the hearers of the gospel become like those of Berea, receiving the word with readiness of mind, and searching the Scriptures daily, whether the things preached to them are so....

Verse Acts 17:13. _THE JEWS OF THESSALONICA - STIRRED UP THE PEOPLE._] With what implacable malice did these men persecute the Gospel! And in the same spirit they continue to the present day, though it is evidently the sole cause of their wretchedness....

STIRRED UP THE PEOPLE - The word used here σαλεύειν saleuein denotes properly “to agitate” or “excite,” as the waves of the sea are agitated by the wind. It is with great beauty used to denote the “agitation and excitement of a popular tumult,” from its resemblance to the troubled waves of the ocean. The figure is often employed by the Classic writers, and also occurs in the Scriptures. See Psalms 65:7; Isaiah 17:12; Jeremiah 46:7....

EXPOSITION ACTS 17:1 AMPHIPOLIS. This was the ancient capital of that division of Macedonia (Macedonia Prima); see Acts 16:12, note. It was situated on the Via Egnatia, thirty-four miles southwest from Philippi, and three miles from the AEgean Sea. It lay in a peninsula, surrounded on three sides by the Strymon, whence its name, _Amphipolis; _its modern name is _Neokhoria, _now a village. Its original name was Ἐννέα ̔οδοί, The Nine Ways. Originally a Thracian city, it was conquered by the Athenians, then by the Lacedaemonians, then fell under the dominion of Philip of Macedon, and finally, with the rest of Macedonia, became part of the Roman empire. APOLLONIA; now probably _Polina, _thirty miles due west

BUT WHEN THE JEWS OF THESSALONICA,.... The unbelieving Jews there, HAD KNOWLEDGE THAT THE WORD OF GOD WAS PREACHED OF PAUL AT BEREA; which they came at, either by persons that came from thence to Thessalonica, or by letters sent them: THEY CAME THITHER ALSO; as the Jews from Antioch and Iconium came to Lystra on a like account, Acts 14:19 AND STIRRED UP THE PEOPLE; the common people, the natives of the place, against the apostles; suggesting that they were wicked men, and enemies to all laws, human or divine, civil or religious....

ACTS 17:13 kai. tara,ssontej tou.j o;clouj {B} Many witnesses, including î45 E P 049 056 0120 0142 _al,_ followed by the Textus Receptus, lack the words kai. tara,ssontej. The shorter text appears to be the result of transcriptional oversight, occasioned by homoeoteleuton with the preceding saleu,ontej. The vernacular dialimpa,nein occurs in D only here and at Acts 8:24....

CHAPTER 17 _ 1. The Gospel in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1)._ 2. The Gospel in Beroea (Acts 17:10). 3. Paul in Athens (Acts 17:15). Three cities in which the Gospel is next preached are before us in this chapter. But there is a marked difference between these three places. In Thessalonica there was much hostility, the result of the success of the Gospel. In Beroea a more noble class of Jews were found. Their nobility consisted in submission to the Scriptures, the oracles of God, and in a ready mind. There was a still greater blessing among the Jews and the Gentiles. In Athens the Apostle Paul met idolatry, indifference and ridicule. An interesting fact is learned concerning the activity of the apostl

THROUGH BERŒ A TO ATHENS. Berœ a was a populous place but off the main route. Paul and Silas at once go to the synagogue; by this time we should think they could scarcely look to the synagogue with hopeful eyes. The Berœ an Jews, however, were more noble, _i.e._ better-behaved, than their brethren at Thessalonica; they did not close their minds to the message, but applied themselves with interest to testing it by Scripture. The new church at Berœ a is composed, like that at Thessalonica, of Jews, Greek ladies of position, and men, _i.e._ Greeks. We hear of Sopater of Berœ a in Acts 20:4. The Jews of Thessalonica follow Paul with their hostility and he has to leave Berœ a also. As to Silas and Timothy there is a little difficulty. In Acts 18:5 they do not join Paul at Athens as he expected, but at Corinth. But i