Another King, Another Way
August 30 | Rick Thiemke
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Acts 17:1-10
Paul and Silas in Thessalonica
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
Paul and Silas in Berea
10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.
1 Thessalonians 1:1
Greeting
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace.
Paul arrives in Thessalonica after a brutal experience in Philippi. He and Silas had been beaten, imprisoned and eventually asked to leave the city. Yet they continue west until they reach Thessalonica, one of the most significant cities in Macedonia. It was a prosperous port, located along the Via Egnatia, the major highway connecting Rome with the eastern provinces. Thessalonica was thoroughly shaped by the Roman world - its commerce, culture, religion, politics and loyalties. Caesar’s power was not an abstract idea there. Rome was everywhere.
Paul enters the synagogue and for three Sabbaths, reasons from the Scriptures, explaining that the promised Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead, announcing that Jesus is the Christ (verses 2-3). Some Jews believe, along with many God-fearing Greeks and prominent women (verse 4). A church begins.
But almost immediately there is resistance. A mob attacks Jason’s house, looking for Paul and Silas. Unable to find them, they drag Jason and other believers before the city authorities (verses 5-6). And then comes the accusation that reveals just how disruptive the gospel sounded: these Christians were acting “against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus” (verse 7).
Jesus is King - So Following Him Changes Our Allegiance
That accusation captures something essential about Christianity. The gospel is not simply advice about becoming a better person. It is not adding some spirituality to an otherwise unchanged life. Paul was announcing an event that had changed the world: Jesus was crucified, God raised him from the dead and Jesus is Lord.
To say Jesus is King means every other loyalty becomes secondary. Caesar may claim ultimate authority, but Jesus is King. Culture may tell us what matters most, but Jesus is King. Money may promise security, success may promise significance, politics may promise salvation and possessions may promise happiness - but none of them gets the final word.
Following Jesus means continually learning to bring every part of our lives under His loving reign. He is King over our relationships, our sexuality, our money, our ambitions, our politics, our schedules and even the way we treat our neighbors and our enemies. Jesus does not simply want a place in our lives. He is King over the whole of life. As Paul writes, “Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:11). Living for Jesus begins with a changed allegiance.
The Church Embodies the Coming Kingdom
Eventually, Paul and Silas have to leave Thessalonica under cover of night (verse 10). Imagine how vulnerable this new congregation must have seemed. Their founding missionaries are gone, opposition surrounds them and they are trying to follow Jesus in a city whose values and allegiances run in another direction.
Then Paul writes back, “To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 1:1). They live in Thessalonica, but their deepest identity is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. They belong to a particular city, but they belong ultimately to another King and His Kingdom. Jesus has risen and reigns as King, so His Kingdom has already begun. Yet we still await the day when He returns and His Kingdom is fully realized throughout all creation. Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
The Church is not the Kingdom in its fullness, but through the Spirit, the life of the coming Kingdom is already taking shape among us. The Church becomes a foretaste of what God intends for His whole creation, a small and imperfect working model of life under the reign of Jesus. We forgive, serve, welcome, give, pursue holiness and love across the divisions of our world. We do this imperfectly, but by the power of the Spirit, something of God’s future becomes visible in the present. This is part of God’s mission for the world. Jesus is King. His Kingdom has already begun, and one day He will return and renew all creation under His gracious rule. Until then, the Church embodies a foretaste of His coming Kingdom.
Discussion Questions
What competing stories or allegiances in our culture most challenge us to live as though Jesus is truly King?
What area of your life is Jesus inviting you to bring more fully under His loving reign?
How can our life together as the Church give others a tangible foretaste of God’s coming Kingdom this week?