29th Oct 26 | 04:00
Studies by Book
Boldness under persecution
📖 Acts 17:05-06
Acts 17 - Series 01/Episode 15 - Sun 27th Sep 2026 - Boldness under persecution - Acts 17:01-09 - MINISTRY IN THESSALONICA - Acts 04:29-31
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Acts 17:5-6 But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. (6) But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.
The Jews attacked the house of Jason to bring out the apostles but did not find them there.
Persecution defies logic. Paul and the team reasoned the truth of the Gospel. Any audience can choose to reject, be indifferent or accept the Gospel. There is no necessity to be violent and inflict serious and severe harm and legislation against the Gospel. 13 States in India have passed anti-conversion laws. The severe and totally unjust violence perpetrated on the church is done intentionally, in public, and with the sanction of our rulers. It is strange and bewildering that the general public, which is easily agitated on many issues, does not even raise its eyebrows at the persecution done against the church.
This mob, consisting of evil men from the marketplace, was a mercenary force. It is almost certain that money had changed hands. This is the reality of how persecution happens even today. The mob in Thessalonica, as in Philippi, were not ideologically against the reasoning of Paul and the team. Yet, persecution took place. Jason and other believers were the ones who experienced the brunt of the attack.
Jason was probably a Hellenistic Jew from Tarsus. A kinsman of Paul. Romans 16:21 Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you. Being a kinsman of Paul, he had opened his home for the apostles, and so the church was established in the home of Jason. The Jews said, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too."
Let us keep in mind that the Apostles were on Paul's second missionary journey, and they were on a different continent. The news of them had travelled across the seas to Macedonia. There was no synagogue in Philippi for the information of them to be communicated to the Jews in Thessalonica. Yet, they got the news that they were those who had turned the world upside down.
What made the unbelieving Jews of Thessalonica make this statement about Paul and the team? The news of Paul and the team had travelled across the Jewish world through the network of Jews, who were merchants. They understood that the reasoning of Paul was explosive. The Gospel was breaking their authority, freeing people from tradition and blindness, exposing their hypocrisy, and creating a new community that they could not control. This was a threat to their religious, social, financial, and political power. This is the same threat that the leaders of the majority faith in India feel towards the Gospel.
The Gospel was forming a new community called the church. The Jews saw the church as a threat. The church was being established in the home of Jason. The Jews were determined to crush the church in Jason's home. The church is seen as a threat, especially the informal home churches. If these small churches are allowed to grow, then a mushrooming of home churches will take place. We can understand why the small home churches are attacked.
The threat for the Jews was also that the church was now made up of influential people. Devout Greeks and chief women were now part of the church. Jason, himself, was a man of stature and financial standing in the community. He hosted the Apostles. They were afraid that the church was gathering momentum very quickly, for Paul and the team had been in Thessalonica for only three Sabbaths.
These are the underlying issues that we are being confronted with in our present times. We can see that, though the unbelieving Jews seemed to be the main opponents and attackers of the church, the church was not wrestling with them. Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
As we face similar circumstances, let us bind the devil. We do not "bind the devil" by our own power, but by submitting to God, standing in Christ's authority, and resisting the enemy through truth, holiness, and prayer. The verses that speak of "binding" always connect authority to God's will, Christ's victory, and the church's obedience. Matthew 16:18-19 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (19) And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Learning: The church must remain bold in the face of persecution
Valentine Davidar - valentinedavidar@gmail.com
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