Acts 17:2

Acts 17:2. And Paul, as his manner was. Cf. Luke 4:16. Paul imitates his loved Master, who, we read, ‘as His custom was, went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day.'

Then as now, the great trading centre of Thessalonica attracted vast numbers of Jews. The synagogue here seems to have been the headquarters of the ‘religion' for all Macedonia and the adjacent district.

Three Sabbath days. Paul's invariable custom was in the first instance to address himself to Jews, and only after he had given his message to the chosen people to turn to the Gentile inhabitants of the place. These ‘three Sabbath days' by no means represent the length of the apostle's stay at Thessalonica. These three weeks were doubtless devoted to his fellow-countrymen, but Paul must have resided in the great city much longer. We know he left behind him the nucleus of a great and flourishing Christian community, chiefly composed of Gentile converts. We read also how, although Paul worked with his own hands for his support while preaching and teaching there, Philippi in token of its loving friendship twice sent to his necessities (Philippians 4:16); and as the two cities were some hundred miles apart, this would imply a lengthened sojourn on the part of the apostle at Thessalonica.

Out of the Scriptures. When Paul spoke of Jesus to the Jews, it is noticeable he never appealed to His miracles, but always referred them to their own Scriptures, every letter of which they valued as Divine; and then, after calling their attention to this or that well-known and often read type or prophecy of Messiah, he would turn to the life and death of Jesus, every detail of which at least the well instructed of the foreign synagogue well knew, and would ask them, Was not this One after all the Messiah, the Christ?