Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Saturday, July 27, 2013 Read – Acts 17:1-15 When we left Paul he and Silas had just been asked to leave Philippi. Readers of Luke should notice that once again the author is using the pronoun “they” to describe the action. We have already talked about that peculiar reference in the book of Acts. Luke tells us that they visited a couple of other cities in Macedonia, Amphipolis and Apolonia, but he tells us nothing of what happened in either city. Apparently Luke has some sort of travel itinerary that he is following – the reason he tells nothing about these two cities is simply because he had nothing in his sources about them. The next stop is Thessalonica. We have notice a pattern which continues here. Paul goes first to the synagogue (Acts 17:2). Luke does not repeat Paul’s speech – he has already provided that in Paul’s preaching in Antioch (Acts 13:16-47). The core of the message is mentioned – “it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and to rise from the dead” (Acts 17:3). The result, as in other places, is mixed – some believe and others don’t. Luke tells us that Paul’s ministry lasted three Sabbaths. Again, a pattern shines forth – the Jews who do not believe become jealous and bring trouble for Paul. Their attempt to apprehend Paul are not successful – either he is not at the home of Jason who had likely become a Christian and offered his home as a house church or Paul has been hidden away by his friends. It is not likely that Paul would have hid from anything – but his friends were learning something in this journey and they often protect Paul. At any rate Paul and his companions are sent out of town under the cover of darkness. Luke may be communicating to the followers of Jesus that there is no shame in avoiding trouble when that is possible. The next stop is Beroea whose Jewish population Luke describes in more positive terms. They seem to welcome Paul and to genuinely and diligently examine the OT scripture. I have often talked about “Messianic Exegesis” and it sound like more of that is going on here. Paul and his companion would read through the OT and notice connections to the experience of Jesus. Messianic Exegesis is not so much looking for OT prophecy in some wooden way – the OT says this and Jesus fulfilled it – but rather it is to read the OT through the lens of the experience of Jesus’ death and resurrection and to understand the death and resurrection of Jesus through the words of the OT. For example, Psalm 22 has lots of images of a suffering one. Christian readers read the Psalm and can’t help but see the crucifixion of Jesus. The Psalm takes on new meaning. And vice versa, the Psalm helps interpret what happened to Jesus. All the while everyone knows that the Psalm had and has a life and message of its own. Psalm 22 does not exist simply to witness to Jesus – but it does witness, interpret and give meaning to the experience of Jesus’ death and resurrection and the death and resurrection of Jesus certainly give new meaning to an old Psalm. Apparently lots of “Messianic Exegesis” was going on in Beroea. Once again it is noteworthy that Paul begins in the Jewish synagogue – you’d think he would figure out by now that eventually trouble will arise because of the division the gospel causes. We need to remember that as far as Luke is concerned Christianity is always a form of Judaism. Paul would agree. Gentile Christians are grafted into the Jewish vine (Romans11:17-24). The proclamation of the gospel is to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles. We have read enough of the book of Acts to know what will happen. Sure enough the Jews from Thessalonica come and incite the crowds and once more Paul’s friends whisk him out of town and send him off to Athens. As we hear this repeated pattern it would be really easy for us to develop an anti-Semitic attitude. What we need to remember is that the book of Acts – as well as the rest of the NT – is a book written by Jews about Jews. It is an inside argument. For Gentiles to criticize Jews is not only inappropriate but ungrateful. Gentiles have no claim on anything – they are welcomed by the grace of God. We need to hear these arguments with humility – and with a sense of sorrow.