The beloved physician Luke wrote how Paul and Silas were thrown into prison, experienced an earthquake, and afterward sergeants came to them and said, “The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out secretly? no verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. And the sergeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed”, and in chapter seventeen and verse one of the book of Acts Luke shared how Paul and Silas, “passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia” and “they came to Thessalonica” where we read:
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia,
they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
The verse begins, “Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, ...” Luke began with the words, “now when” which means “moreover at the time and moment” “they had passed through Amphipolis” or “Paul and Silas traveled and journeyed through Amphipolis whose name means a city surrounded by the sea and was a city in Macedonia Prima, so called because the Strymon flowed around it” “and Apollonia” whose name means “belonging to Apollo and was a maritime city of Macedonia about a day's journey from Amphipolis”. Luke shared how “Paul and Silas” traveled through the cities of “Amphipolis and Apollonia”.
The verse continues, “... they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:” Luke added the words, “they came to Thessalonica” or “Paul and Silas entered the city of Thessalonica which means victory of falsity and was a famous and populous city, situated on the Thermaic Gulf, the capital of the second division of Macedonia and the residence of a Roman governor and quaestor ”, “where was a synagogue” which means “in which there was a sacred assembly of Jews formally gathered together to offer prayers and listen to the reading and expositions of the scriptures” “of the Jews” or “belonging to people who were Jewish by origin, birth or religion”. Luke shared how “Paul and Silas” entered the city of “Thessalonica” where there was a “sacred worship place” for the Jewish people.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn how “Paul and Silas” continued to travel to places where they could share the “gospel” of Jesus Christ. “Amphipolis, Apollonia and Thessalonica” were the next in their path of travels, and we shall see what they do in “Thessalonica” in our next verse, but for now let us realize God was spreading His “good news” of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ by using “Paul and Silas”. God wants all people to be “saved”, and when they yield to His Son Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive them of their sins and grant them everlasting life. Let all who read these words invite Jesus to come into their hearts and become another one who believes and trusts in Jesus Christ God's Son.
Next time Luke shares how, “Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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