Act 17:1-17 These Have Turned the World Upside Down

[Study Aired June 11, 2023]

Act 17:1  Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
Act 17:2  And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Act 17:3  Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
Act 17:4  And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
Act 17:5  But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
Act 17:6  And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
Act 17:7  Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
Act 17:8  And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
Act 17:9  And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
Act 17:10  And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
Act 17:11  These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Act 17:12  Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
Act 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.
Act 17:14  And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.
Act 17:15  And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.
Act 17:16  Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
Act 17:17  Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

In our last study, Paul and Silas had insisted that the hypocritical magistrates of Philippi, who had commanded that Paul and Silas be beaten without a trial, not knowing they were both Roman citizens with the right to a trial, must come themselves to the prison and lead them out of their city. Those magistrates, upon learning that they had broken Roman law, were humbled enough to come to the prison and “beg” Paul and Silas to leave the city:

In this study we will first review our last study to demonstrate the pattern of being rejected which developed in Paul’s life.

Act 16:37  But Paul said to them, Having beaten us publicly, being Romans and uncondemned men, they threw us into prison. And now do they throw us out secretly? No, indeed! But coming themselves, let them bring us out.
Act 16:38  And the floggers reported these words to the magistrates. And hearing that they were Romans, they were afraid.
Act 16:39  And coming, they begged them. And bringing them out, they asked them to go out of the city.
Act 16:40  And going out from the prison, they went into the house of Lydia. And seeing the brothers, they exhorted them, and went out. (LITV)

Paul and Silas accommodated their persecutors because that is what the Lord had instructed them:

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Mat 10:23  But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

This is a pattern which was established on Paul’s first missionary journey with Barnabas. He was cast out of Pisidian Antioch and fled to Iconium. In Iconium he became aware of a plot to stone him, and he and Barnabas fled to Lystra where Paul was stoned and left for dead. The Lord raised him up, and he and Barnabas fled to Derbe.

On this second missionary journey, Paul travels from Syrian Antioch through his hometown of Tarsus in the province of Cilicia, where he had spent well over a decade after fleeing Jerusalem for his life. He then visits all the churches he and Barnabas had established in Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch. Then being forbidden by the spirit to preach the gospel in Asia at this time, and being forbidden to preach the gospel in Bithynia, Paul is directed by the Lord in “a vision… in the night” to go into Macedonia and preach the gospel:

Act 16:6  Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
Act 16:7  After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
Act 16:8  And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas.
Act 16:9  And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
Act 16:10  And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

It was at the Lord’s direction that Paul and Silas ended up in “Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia.”

Act 16:11  Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;
Act 16:12  And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.

Philippi is a Roman colony, and there is no mention of a synagogue in Philippi. Instead, we are told that Paul and Silas met on the sabbath day with the women of the city who prayed by a river. This is where Paul and Silas met with and converted a woman named Lydia, who insisted they stay at her home.

Act 16:13  And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
Act 16:14  And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
Act 16:15  And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.

It is here in Philippi that “a certain damsel” follows Paul and Barnabas “many days” proclaiming them as men of God who “show us the way of salvation.”

While the young lady’s message was true, she was doing exactly what the scriptures tell us will place us under a curse:

Pro 27:14  He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.

Constantly singing the praises of any man, as opposed to constantly affirming the praises of Christ, places us in the unenviable position of placing a man above our Lord, and that is exactly what this young lady was doing.

Paul was given to discern an evil spirit which was directing this young lady, and he ordered it to come out of her, and it did:

Act 16:16  And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
Act 16:17  The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
Act 16:18  And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

That spirit of divination came out of the young lady, and she was no longer able to “bring her masters much gain.” So, her masters caught [Paul and Silas], and dragged them to the magistrates of Philippi and accused Paul and Silas of “teaching customs which are not lawful for us to receive… being Romans.” The multitudes and the magistrates “rose up together against them” [Paul and Silas], beat them mercilessly with “many stripes”, and then cast them into prison.

Act 16:19  And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
Act 16:20  And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
Act 16:21  And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
Act 16:22  And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
Act 16:23  And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

While in the stocks in this Philippian jail, at midnight Paul and Silas were praying out loud and singing praises to the Lord when ‘suddenly there was an earthquake’ so [powerful] that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and all the prisoners were set free of their bonds:

Act 16:25  And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
Act 16:26  And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.

The jailer wakes to see the doors of the prison open and immediately assumes that all the prisoners had already fled, but miraculously none of them had fled. Not knowing this, the jailer proceeds to commit suicide because he is well aware of the Roman law that if a prisoner escapes, the person who was in charge of that prisoner must die for being negligent.

Act 16:28  But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.

This entire miraculous series of events, along with the witness of Paul and Silas, led to the conversion of the Roman jailer and all his house:

Act 16:30  And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Act 16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Act 16:32  And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
Act 16:33  And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
Act 16:34  And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

The next morning the magistrates sent word to secretly let Paul and Silas go free, but Paul insisted that since they had beaten and imprisoned them publicly, Paul and Silas, both being Roman citizens with all the rights to a trial of a Roman citizen, insisted that these hypocritical magistrates must come publicly to the jail and lead them out of the city themselves. Upon learning what they had illegally done to two Roman citizens, they were more than happy to comply with Paul’s demands, and they came and begged them to leave their city, which they did:

Act 16:39  And coming, they begged them. And bringing them out, they asked them to go out of the city.
Act 16:40  And going out from the prison, they went into the house of Lydia. And seeing the brothers, they exhorted them, and went out. (LITV)

This all brings us to the verses of our study today where the same scenario of being rejected by the Jews is about to be repeated in a Greek city named Thessalonica, which had a Jewish synagogue and was south of Philippi some 100 miles, or 161 kilometers.

Act 17:1  Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
Act 17:2  And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Act 17:3  Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

As was always the case, the spirit had prepared the hearts of many to receive Paul’s words and given them eyes to see and ears to hear the words of the witness of Paul:

Act 17:4  And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is designed to appeal to those who are not part of nor accepted by the established religions and their leaders in every generation. In Thessalonica Paul’s preaching at first appealed to “a great multitude…  of the devout Greeks… and of the chief women not few”, but once again the established church became envious of the appeal the gospel was having.

Act 17:5  But the Jews which believed not [the established church of that day], moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them [Paul and Silas] out to the people.

As we just read “the Jews that believed not” were not only envious of the multitudes to whom the gospel appealed, but they also “believed not” the doctrines of the gospel of Christ, and once again they stirred up the people and would have assaulted Paul and Silas if they had found them:

Act 17:6  And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

The leaders of the established church, and the people of Paul’s day, signifying the religious leaders and people of our day, had lived their lives in a world that was upside down. Being upside down is the human condition in which we all just naturally worship and serve the creature, meaning ourselves, rather than the Creator. This rebellious, “marred…upside down” condition of mankind is referred to in Romans 1 as “the unrighteousness of men” (Rom1:18):

Jer 18:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

It is mankind’s marred composition which makes him “to err from [the Lord’s] ways and hardens [our] hearts against [His] ways.” That is how we are all first “made”:

Isa 63:17  O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

‘The creature’ (mankind) is at first ‘marred’ and unrighteous by God’s design. Our naturally marred and unrighteous condition places all mankind under the Lord’s wrath:

Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Rom 1:24  Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Rom 1:25  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature [our own fleshly desires] more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

We all as carnal-minded mankind just naturally tend to please our own flesh instead of striving to put Christ and His Father first in our lives. That is why the doctrine of Christ, which teaches us to love our enemies and turn the other cheek and resist not evil, appears as an upside-down world to our natural man. A doctrine which teaches that we should seek first the spiritual kingdom of God and His righteousness, and afterward all the necessities of this physical realm, seems very much upside down and backwards to our natural man.

Act 17:7  Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.

Christ’s kingdom is a spiritual kingdom which is no threat to civil governments of this age. The truth is that the gospel and doctrines of Christ produce the very best citizens in this present time because true Christians are obedient to these words which are inspired by the holy spirit:

Rom 13:1  Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Rom 13:2  Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation [G2917: ‘krima’ judgment].
Rom 13:3  For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
Rom 13:4  For he [civil government, “the powers that be”] is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute [God’s] wrath upon him that doeth evil [against others, including God’s elect].
Rom 13:5  Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for [the execution of] wrath, but also for conscience sake. [For the sake of being obedient to the Lord]

These words make for the most honest and peaceful and productive citizens of any country. These words are not the sum of the Lord’s instructions to us, but they are only part of the Lord’s words on this subject. There is a time when we are forced to resist the powers that be, as Peter demonstrated when responding to “the powers that be” when they ordered him and all the apostles to refrain from preaching the gospel to the people:

Act 5:27  And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
Act 5:28  Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.
Act 5:29  Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

This is a Biblically qualified exception to being obedient to the powers that be. Therefore, any time the powers that be command us to disobey our Lord, we must refuse to do so.

Act 17:8  And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.

This other king other than Caesar, is the same ingenuous, hypocritical canard which the chief priest and the Pharisees had placed upon Christ, acting as if they themselves were loyal to Caesar:

Luk 23:2  And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King.

Joh 19:12  And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.

They were lying, and they knew they were lying. Christ never once forbade anyone to give tribute to Caesar. This is His doctrine concerning paying taxes:

Luk 20:22  Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?

Luk 20:24  Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar’s.
Luk 20:25  And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.

Rom 13:7  Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

The gospel of the kingdom of God in this age is a spiritual kingdom within us. That gospel proclaims a time when “the kingdoms of this world [will] become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ.” However, when that day would arrive, it will not arrive because those who proclaim the gospel have inspired a physical insurrection against the civil governments of this age. When the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ, it will be a supernatural work of God which will be beyond the ability of mere flesh and blood to resist:

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Act 17:9  And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
Act 17:10  And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

It was on the first journey that Paul and Barnabas declared that since the Jews always rejected the gospel and ‘counted themselves unworthy of salvation, we turn to the Gentiles.’

Here is what Paul declared to the rebellious Jews in Pisidian Antioch during his first missionary journey:

Act 13:46  Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Act 13:47  For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

Where does the Lord command Paul and Barnabas to go to the Gentiles? These are the verses Paul references as a commandment for him to take the gospel to the Gentiles:

Isa 49:1  Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
Isa 49:2  And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
Isa 49:3  And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
Isa 49:4  Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.
Isa 49:5  And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.
Isa 49:6  And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Even after proclaiming that his ministry was ‘turning to the Gentiles, Paul continued to also go into the local synagogues:

Act 13:46  Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Act 13:47  For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.

Act 17:11  These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Act 17:12  Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

The pronouns, ‘these were more noble’ and ‘many of them believed’ are referring to the Jews of Berea mentioned in the previous verse:

Act 17:10  And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

Act 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.
Act 17:14  And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.

The apostles typify the Lord’s elect, who are indeed “hated of all men” as the Lord told us we would be:

Mat 10:21  And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.
Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Mat 10:23  But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

When we are persecuted, we are instructed to flee to another city, and that is the pattern of all of Paul’s efforts to share the gospel with both the Jews and the Gentiles to whom the Lord has sent him. We do not attempt to make people see the truth who are not given eyes to see the truth.

Act 17:15  And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.

We are not told who ‘they’ are, but we know ‘they’ were not Silas and Timothy because we are told that they remained in Berea for a time before being instructed to later join Paul in Athens.

Act 17:16  Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
Act 17:17  Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

Once again, we see Paul first going into the synagogue in Athens. He always does so, because the gospel was intended to be preached to those who already had a relationship with God before being preached to others:

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Rom 2:10  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

That is what the holy spirit had originally told Saul of Tarsus by the agency of Ananias of Damascus:

Act 9:15  But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
Act 9:16  For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
Act 9:17  And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
Act 9:18  And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

Immediately, Saul of Tarsus, the man who three days earlier had been seeking to kill all who followed Christ, was now in Christ’s employ and is proclaiming Him in the synagogues of Damascus:

Act 9:19  And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
Act 9:20  And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

As we will see in our next study, Paul had little impact upon this great Gentile city of Athens even though he was invited to speak in the Areopagus by “certain philosophers of the Epicureans” (Act 17:18).

Athens is the one city which did not persecute Paul before he left. He was not threatened there in Athens as he had been in every other city in which he had spent time preaching the gospel. Judging from ‘that which is written’ he spent more time speaking to the Gentiles at the Areopagus than the Jews in the synagogue. He did however speak to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles.

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Rom 2:10  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

Christ Himself came to His own first, and other than healing the Roman centurion’s servant (Mat 8:8), granting the Syrophoenician woman her request (after calling her a ‘dog’ to her face [Mar 7:24-30]), Christ never once went to a Gentile. They always came to Him because, as He told that woman:

Mar 7:27  But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.

This is the principle which rules the thoughts of all the apostles throughout the book of Acts.

In our next study we will see that the Gentiles also rejected the gospel of the resurrection of the dead. As always there was and there is a remnant who are given to receive our Lord and His Word.