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Acts 17:1-4 - Thessalonica
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1. Thessalonica

Paul is leaving Philippi from the end of Acts 16 to go to Thessaloniki (then Athens then Ephesus).

Timothy is not mentioned in the verses until they are ready to leave. It appears he was with Paul for some or all of the time covered by the following verses.
2. Thessalonica
Paul wrote several letters to the church at Thessalonica. The ancient Greek word "Θεσσαλονίκη" ≈ "Thessalonica" comes from two Greek words.
3. Victory and strife: bema seat
Nike shoes logo

The ancient Greek word "νίκη" ≈ "victory" and is used as the company name for Nike shoes. Nike was the Greek goddess of victory. The GNT (Greek New Testament) uses the Greek word for "victory" often.

A related word is the ancient Greek word "νεῖκος" ≈ "quarrel, wrangle, strife" which appears in the GNT and LXX (Septuagint). In the KJV (King James Version), another Greek word meaning "bad logic", as in "eristic" logic, is often translated as "strife".

Information sign More: Victory and strife: bema seat
4. Saint Nicholas
The Christmas Saint Nicholas of Smyrna is from the ancient Greek name "Νικόλαος" ≈ "Nicholas" from the ancient Greek word "νίκη" ≈ "victory" and the ancient Greek word "λαός" ≈ "people" which is the source of the English words "laity" and "lay" (as in a Lay Reader at a church service).
5. Acts 17:1
   Acts 17:1 
 All 
KJV: Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
Greek: διοδευσαντες δε την αμφιπολιν και την απολλωνιαν ηλθον εις θεσσαλονικην οπου ην η συναγωγη των ιουδαιων
Latin: cum autem perambulassent Amphipolim et Apolloniam venerunt Thessalonicam ubi erat synagoga Iudaeorum
6. Gathering together a synagogue
Today, one thinks of a "synagogue" as a place where Jewish worship takes place. The word "synagogue" is a Greek word made of up two parts. The meaning, both in the LXX and GNT (and today) is that of people being led to come or be brought together.

Information sign More: Matthew 25:38 Taking someone into a synagogue
7. Strongs
8. Acts 17:2
   Acts 17:2 
 All 
KJV: And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Greek: κατα δε το ειωθος τω παυλω εισηλθεν προς αυτους και επι σαββατα τρια διελεγετο διελεξατο αυτοις απο των γραφων
Greek today: Και κατα την συνηθειαν του ο Παυλος εισηλθε προς αυτους, και τρια σαββατα διελεγετο μετ αυτων απο των γραφων,
How long is the period of "three sabbath days"?
9. Strongs
10. Scriptures
The Greek "writings" are the KJV "scriptures".
11. Writing sounds
The Greek word for "I write", today as in Bible times, is «γράφω» (gra-fo), from which we get words such as "graph", "graphic", "photograph", etc.

Many Greek linguistics books describe the word «γράφω» is onomatopoeic in that it sounds like what it describes. That is, in ancient times.

Whenever, in ancient times, scribes would create a scripts (both "scribe" and "script" are from the Latin "scriba" and "scriptor") they would use sharp tools to inscribe the letters onto stones or clay tablets.

Listening to all those tools inscribing one would hear the sound of "grph", "grph", "grph", from which came the Greek word «γράφω» (gra-fo).

Information sign More: Word sounds like onomatopoeia
Information sign More: John 19:19-22 Languages on the cross
12. Strongs
13. Logical arguments
The choosing or selecting had to do with logical arguments.

Paul used reason, as in logic, to argue for Christ. How often do you hear pastor's today use reason and logic from the "scriptures" to argue for the truth of Christ?
14. Strongs
15. 1 Peter 3:15
   1 Peter 3:15 
 All 
KJV: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Greek: κυριον δε τον θεον χριστον αγιασατε εν ταις καρδιαις υμων ετοιμοι δε αει προς απολογιαν παντι τω αιτουντι υμας λογον περι της εν υμιν ελπιδος αλλα μετα πραυτητος και φοβου
Latin: Dominum autem Christum sanctificate in cordibus vestris parati semper ad satisfactionem omni poscenti vos rationem de ea quae in vobis est spe
Wycliffe: But halewe ye the Lord Crist in youre hertis, and euermore be ye redi to satisfaccioun to ech man axynge you resoun of that feith and hope that is in you,
16. Acts 17:3
   Acts 17:3 
 All 
KJV: 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.
Greek: διανοιγων και παρατιθεμενος οτι τον χριστον εδει παθειν και αναστηναι εκ νεκρων και οτι ουτος εστιν ο χριστος ο ιησους ον εγω καταγγελλω υμιν
17. Eyewitness versus prophetic scriptures
What is the better evidence that the Jesus and the resurrection are true? In 2 Peter 1:16-20, Peter says that he (and others) were eyewitnesses, but that we have a more sure word of prophecy.

2 Peter 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. [kjv]
1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; ... [kjv]

In Luke 24:27, after the resurrection, on the Road to Emmaus, Jesus could have used eye-witness testimony to convince the travelers that it was he, Jesus, who was resurrected. Instead, he expounds on the "scriptures". Later, he would reveal himself as in eye-witness testimony.
Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. [kjv]



Information sign More: Eyewitness versus prophetic scriptures
Paul appears to have made some very convincing arguments at Thessaloníki.

The same types of arguments would be made through the centuries by great evangelists of other ages.
18. Acts 17:4
   Acts 17:4 
 All 
KJV: 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.
Greek: και τινες εξ αυτων επεισθησαν και προσεκληρωθησαν τω παυλω και τω σιλα των τε σεβομενων ελληνων πολυ πληθος πολυ γυναικων τε των πρωτων ουκ ολιγαι
Note again that the "chief women" can be quite influential.

We continue at Acts 17:5-9 - Jason with Jason and Berea in the rest of Acts 17.
19. End of page
by RS  admin@creationpie.org : 1024 x 640