Acts 17:5-9 5But after the Jews became jealous and taking a rable of evil men and forming a mob, they threw the city in an uproar, and after attacking the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the crowd. 6And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the whole world have come here also, 7and whom Jason has received, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9And when they had taken bond from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
Right when things were going so well in Thessalonica, opposition arose. The mission team experienced this same pattern in many places. Many people will believe the gospel, while others will fight against it. In Thessalonica, the problem was that some of the Jews were jealous. The reason for their jealousy is not stated, but the influence of the synagogue and its leaders was diminished as people became followers of Jesus. A mob formed by the instigation of the Jews, who were strategic in finding bad men who got others all riled up and spread false rumors about the missionaries.
The content of the false rumors is given in verses 6-8. When the mob could not find Paul or Silas, they took their opposition out on Jason and the new believers who were gathered in his house. They make four points in their accusation before the city’s leaders. The first statement was true, though exaggerated. The mission team was impacting the world because of their message. The gospel changes people. The early church was small, just a drop in the bucket of humanity, but they were making an impact that riled up entire cities. In a few centuries, the message about Jesus would impact the entire Roman Empire. The hope of Jesus continues to impact the whole world.
Second, the target of their opposition was Jason, the synagogue leader. Not much is described about him except that he was the host of the Paul and the team. It is possible that Jason had become a believer. If so, it would be significant that the gospel had reached people of influence and position. Paul and the team were not at Jason’s house, but some of the brothers were, which further indicates how the gospel was changing people in the city. Other Jews in the synagogue had come to believe. However, they faced a lot of opposition right from the start. When Paul wrote his first letter to them, known as 1 Thessalonians, he was thankful for how they had grown in spite of their challenges (1 Thessalonians 2:1-6). Their faith was sincere and unshakable, even from the first days of Paul’s visit there.
Third, the mob, with the support of the Jews, appealed to Caesar. A statement that faithful Roman citizens and the inhabitants of the empire proclaimed was “Caesar is Lord.” Proclaiming anyone else was political heresy and sedition and could get a person in trouble. Fourth, related to this was that the Christians were proclaiming Jesus to be king. They had a new allegiance and a new master. They were going against culture and political pressure, and it was getting them into trouble. The city magistrates appeared to compromise by appeasing the Jews while also not physically harming the new believers. Jason and the others posted a form of bail. If the missionaries did not leave, the money would be forfeited. The church in Thessalonica began with persecution but remained faithful to the Lord Jesus. Paul’s first letter to them may have been the first document in our collection known as the New Testament.