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Texts -- Acts 17:1-4 (NET)
Pericope
NET
- Act 17:1-9 -- Paul and Silas at Thessalonica
Bible Dictionary
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Thessalonica
[ebd] a large and populous city on the Thermaic bay. It was the capital of one of the four Roman districts of Macedonia, and was ruled by a praetor. It was named after Thessalonica, the wife of Cassander, who built the city. She w...
[isbe] THESSALONICA - thes-a-lo-ni'-ka (Thessalonike, ethnic Thessalonikeus): 1. Position and Name: One of the chief towns of Macedonia from Hellenistic times down to the present day. It lies in 40 degrees 40 minutes North latitude...
[smith] The original name of this city was Therma; and that part of the Macedonian shore on which it was situated retained through the Roman period the designation of the Thermaic Gulf. Cassander the son of Antipater rebuilt and enla...
[nave] THESSALONICA, a city of Macedonia. Paul visits, Acts 17:1; Phil. 4:16. People of, persecute Paul, Acts 17:5-8, 11, 13. Men of, accompany Paul, Acts 20:4; 27:2. Paul writes to Christians in, 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1. Dem...
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Synagogue
[ebd] (Gr. sunagoge, i.e., "an assembly"), found only once in the Authorized Version of Ps. 74:8, where the margin of Revised Version has "places of assembly," which is probably correct; for while the origin of synagogues is unkno...
[isbe] SYNAGOGUE - sin'-a-gog: 1. Name 2. Origin 3. Spread of Synagogues 4. The Building (1) The Site (2) The Structure (3) The Furniture 5. The Officials (1) The Elders (2) The Ruler (3) The Servant (or Servants) (4) Delegate of t...
[nave] SYNAGOGUE 1. Primarily an assembly, Acts 13:43; Jas. 2:2. Constitutes a court of justice, Luke 12:11; Acts 9:2. Had powers of criminal courts, Matt. 10:17; Matt. 23:34; Acts 22:19; 26:11, of ecclesiastical courts, John 9:2...
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MACEDONIA
[ebd] in New Testament times, was a Roman province lying north of Greece. It was governed by a propraetor with the title of proconsul. Paul was summoned by the vision of the "man of Macedonia" to preach the gospel there (Acts 16:9...
[isbe] MACEDONIA - mas-e-do'-ni-a (Makedonia, ethnic Makedon,): I. THE MACEDONIAN PEOPLE AND LAND II. HISTORY OF MACEDONIA 1. Philip and Alexander 2. Roman Intervention 3. Roman Conquest 4. Macedonia a Roman Province 5. Later Histo...
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Silas
[isbe] SILAS - si'-las (Silas, probably contraction for Silouanos; the Hebrew equivalents suggested are shalish, "Tertius," or shelach (Gen 10:24) (Knowling), or sha'ul = "asked" (Zahn)): The Silas of Acts is generally identified w...
[nave] SILAS, called also Silvanus. Sent to Paul, in Antioch, from Jerusalem, Acts 15:22-34. Becomes Paul's companion, Acts 15:40, 41; 2 Cor. 1:19; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1. Imprisoned with Paul in Philippi, Acts 16:19-40. Driv...
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ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, 13-OUTLINE
[isbe] ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, 13-OUTLINE - XIII. Analysis. 1. The connection between the work of the apostles and that of Jesus (Acts 1:1-11). 2. The equipment of the early disciples for their task (Acts 1:12 through 2:47). (a) The ...
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ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, 8-12
[isbe] ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, 8-12 - VIII. The Speeches in Acts. This matter is important enough to receive separate treatment. Are the numerous speeches reported in Acts free compositions of Luke made to order a la Thucydides? Are ...
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TRUTH
[isbe] TRUTH - trooth (`emeth, emunah, primary idea of "firmness," "stability" (compare Ex 17:12), hence "constancy," "faithfulness," etc.; the Septuagint's Apocrypha and the New Testament, aletheia (Rom 3:7), pistis (Rom 3:3); in ...
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ATHENS
[isbe] ATHENS - ath'-enz Athenai In antiquity the celebrated metropolis of Attica, now the capital of Greece. Two long walls, 250 ft. apart, connected the city with the harbor (Peiraeus). In Acts 17 we are told what Paul did during...
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Amphipolis
[ebd] city on both sides, a Macedonian city, a great Roman military station, through which Paul and Silas passed on their way from Philippi to Thessalonica, a distance of 33 Roman miles from Philippi (Acts 17:1).
[isbe] AMPHIPOLIS - am-fip'-o-lis (Amphipolis): A town in Macedonia, situated on the eastern bank of the Strymon (modern Struma or Karasu) some three miles from its mouth, near the point where it flows out of Lake Prasias or Cercin...
[smith] (a city surrounded by the sea), a city of Macedonia, through which Paul and Silas passed on their way from Philippi to Thessalonica (Acts 17:1) It was distant 33 Roman miles from Philippi, to the southwest, and about three mi...
[nave] AMPHIPOLIS, a city of Macedonia, Acts 17:1.
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Apollonia
[ebd] a city of Macedonia between Amphipolis and Thessalonica, from which it was distant about 36 miles. Paul and Silas passed through it on their way to Thessalonica (Acts 17:1).
[isbe] APOLLONIA - ap-o-lo'-ni-a (Apollonia): A town in Mygdonia, a district in Macedonia. It was situated a little to the south of Lake Bolbe, on the Via Egnatia, the great Roman road leading from the coast of the Adriatic to the ...
[smith] (belonging to Apollo), a city of Macedonia, through which Paul and Silas passed in their way from Philippi and Amphipolis to Thessalonica. (Acts 17:1) According to the Antonine Itinerary it was distant 30 Roman miles from Amp...
[nave] APOLLONIA, a city of Macedonia, Acts 17:1.
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Paul
[nave] PAUL Called also Saul, Acts 8:1; 9:1; 13:9. Of the tribe of Benjamin, Rom. 11:1; Phil. 3:5. Personal appearance of, 2 Cor. 10:1, 10; 11:6. Born in Tarsus, Acts 9:11; 21:39; 22:3. Educated at Jerusalem in the school of Ga...
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Minister
[nave] MINISTER, a sacred teacher. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-topics; Call of; Character and Qualifications of; Charge Delivered to; Courage of; Duties of; Duties of the Church to; Emoluments of; Faithful, Instanc...
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THESSALONIANS, THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE
[isbe] THESSALONIANS, THE FIRST EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE - thes-a-lo'-ni-anz I. IMPORTANCE OF THE EPISTLE II. CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH 1. Luke's Narrative in Acts 2. Confirmation of Luke's Narrative in the Epistle ...
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TROPHIMUS
[isbe] TROPHIMUS - trof'-i-mus (Trophimos, literally, "a foster child" (Acts 20:4; 21:29; 2 Tim 4:20)): An Asiatic Christian, a friend and companion-in-travel of the apostle Paul. 1. An Ephesian: In the first of the three passages ...
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Greece
[nave] GREECE Inhabitants of, called Gentiles, Mark 7:26; John 7:35; Rom. 2:10; 3:9; 1 Cor. 10:32; 12:13; desire to see Jesus, John 12:20-23; marry among the Jews, Acts 16:1; accept the Messiah, Acts 17:2-4, 12, 34; persecute the e...
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Law
[nave] LAW. Psa. 19:7-9; Psa. 119:1-8; Prov. 28:4, 5; Matt. 22:21 Luke 20:22-25. Luke 16:17; Rom. 2:14, 15; Rom. 7:7, 12, 14; Rom. 13:10; 1 Tim. 1:5, 8-10; Jas. 1:25; 1 John 3:4; 1 John 5:3 See: Litigation; Commandments; Duty to G...
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TEACH; TEACHER; TEACHING
[isbe] TEACH; TEACHER; TEACHING - tech, tech'-er, tech'-ing: I. OLD TESTAMENT TERMS 1. Discipline 2. Law 3. Discernment 4. Wisdom 5. Knowledge 6. Illumination 7. Vision 8. Inspiration 9. Nourishment II. NEW TESTAMENT TERMS 1. Instr...
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ANOINTING
[smith] in Holy Scripture, is either, I. Material--with oil--or II. Spiritual--with the Holy Ghost. I. MATERIAL.-- Ordinary . Anointing the body or head with oil was a common practice with the Jews, as with other Oriental nations. (...
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Anoint
[ebd] The practice of anointing with perfumed oil was common among the Hebrews. (1.) The act of anointing was significant of consecration to a holy or sacred use; hence the anointing of the high priest (Ex. 29:29; Lev. 4:3) and of...
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Jesus, The Christ
[nave] JESUS, THE CHRIST. Index of Sub-topics History of; Miscellaneous Facts Concerning; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Ascension of; Atonement by; Attributes of; Compassion of; Confessing; Creator; Death of; Design of His...
Arts
Questions
- My personal opinion and practice is to avoid debates. Winning or losing tends to depend on the skillfulness of the debater, and not on the evidence. Paul speaks about avoiding the worldly "wisdom" and, in simplicity, preachi...
- Each of the gospels get its name from the names of the human authors who wrote them, of course, God being the One who enable them to write their message under His inspiration (2 Pet. 1:21). All of these men were either an apo...
Sermon Illustrations
Resources/Books
Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)
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17:22-23 Jesus next gave His disciples more instruction about the coming of the kingdom. One of the days of the Son of Man refers to one of the future days when the Son of Man will be reigning on the earth (cf. vv. 24-25, 30)...
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Longenecker identified five phenomena about the structure of Acts that the reader needs to recognize to appreciate what Luke sought to communicate."1. It begins, like the [Third] Gospel, with an introductory section of distin...
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I. The witness in Jerusalem 1:1-6:7A. The founding of the church 1:1-2:461. The resumptive preface to the book 1:1-52. The command to witness 1:6-83. The ascension of Jesus 1:9-114. Jesus' appointment of a twelfth apostle 1:1...
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The key to the apostles' successful fulfillment of Jesus' commission was their baptism with and consequent indwelling by the Holy Spirit. Without this divine enablement they would only have been able to follow Jesus' example,...
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9:10-12 Evidently Ananias was not a refugee from Jerusalem (22:12) but a resident of Damascus. He, too, received a vision of the Lord Jesus (v. 17) to whom he submitted willingly (cf. 1 Sam. 3:4, 10). Jesus gave Ananias speci...
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9:19b-20 How verses 19b-20 fit into the chronology of events in Saul's life is not perfectly clear. They could fit in any number of ways. We should probably understand "immediately"in a general sense. As soon as Saul became a...
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Luke recorded the events of Paul's first missionary journey to document the extension of the church into new territory and to illustrate the principles and methods by which the church grew. He also did so to show God's supern...
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14:21b-22 The missionaries confined their labors to the Galatian province on this trip. They did not move farther east into the kingdom of Antiochus or the province Cilicia that Paul may have evangelized previously during his...
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Luke devoted more space to Paul's evangelizing in Philippi than he did to the apostle's activities in any other city on the second and third journeys even though Paul was there only briefly. It was the first European city in ...
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17:1 Paul, Silas, Timothy, and perhaps others left Philippi and headed southwest on the Egnatian Road. Luke evidently stayed in Philippi since he again described Paul's party as "they"instead of "we"(cf. 20:5-6). Paul and Sil...
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17:10 For a second time Paul fled a city under cover of night (cf. 9:25; Matt. 10:23). He and Silas left the Via Egnatia at Thessalonica and took the eastern coastal road toward Athens. They headed for Berea (modern Verria) a...
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Most Greeks rejected the possibility of physical resurrection.721Many of them believed that the most desirable condition lay beyond the grave where the soul would finally be free of the body (e.g., Platonists). The response o...
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18:1 Corinth was the capital of the Roman province of Achaia and was a Roman colony. The Romans razed Corinth in 146 B.C., but it was rebuilt a century later in 46 B.C. Its site lay about 50 miles southwest of Athens at a ver...
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Paul had attempted to reach the province of Asia earlier (16:6). Now the Lord permitted him to go there but from the west rather than from the east. Luke recorded his initial contact in Ephesus in this section to set the scen...
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The following incident throws more light on the spiritual darkness that enveloped Ephesus as well as the power of Jesus Christ and the gospel.19:13 "But"introduces a contrast to the good miracles that "God was performing . . ...
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This incident reveals more about the effects of the gospel on Ephesian society and religion (cf. vv. 13-20)."Luke's purpose in presenting this vignette is clearly apologetic, in line with his argument for the religio licitast...
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Paul was not on trial here. When he had appealed to Caesar (25:11), he had guaranteed that his next trial would be before the emperor. This was just a hearing designed to acquaint Agrippa with Paul's case so Agrippa could giv...
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Sequence of Paul's ActivitiesDateEventReferenceBirth in TarsusActs 22:3Early life and theological education in Jerusalem under GamalielActs 22:334Participation in Stephen's stoning outside JerusalemActs 7:57-8:134Leadership i...
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Albright, William Foxwell. The Archaeology of Palestine. 1949. Revised ed. Pelican Archaeology series. Harmondswroth, Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, 1956.Alexander, Joseph Addison. Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles. ...
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Paul had been somewhat critical of the strong and the weak in the Roman church (14:1-15:13). He now balanced those comments by pointing out other strengths in the church beside the faith of his Roman brethren (1:8).15:14 Paul...
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Sequence of Paul's ActivitiesDateEventReferenceBirth in TarsusActs 22:3Early life and theological education in Jerusalem under GamalielActs 22:334Participation in Stephen's stoning outside JerusalemActs 7:57-8:134Leadership i...
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Paul seems to have intended the references in these verses to previous gifts that the Philippians had sent him to dispel any doubts they may have had about the genuineness of his gratitude.4:15 The Philippians had been very t...
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Thessalonica was an important city. Cassander, the Macedonian king, founded it in 315 B.C. and named it for his wife, who was a half-sister of Alexander the Great. It was the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia, and it...
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1:4-5 Paul's favorite appellation for the Thessalonians was "brothers."He used it 15 times in this epistle and seven times in 2 Thessalonians. It emphasizes the equality of Christians in the family of God, Jews and Gentiles. ...
Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)
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Now, when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: 2. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath-days reasoned with them out of the...
