From Philippi to Thessalonica

“Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.” (1) After leaving Philippi, the group immediately headed for the next city. Although it would have been normal to rest and recover first, Paul dedicated every spare moment to his mission. The subject here, “they,” likely refers to Paul and Silas. Timothy probably joined them later, and Luke stayed behind in Philippi. (2) The group passed through the city of Amphipolis. (a) Traveling about 31 miles (50 km) westward from Philippi along the Via Egnatia, they reached this sizable city. Although Amphipolis was a large city, they only stayed for one night before moving on, as there was no Jewish synagogue there. (3) Next, they passed through the city of Apollonia. Traveling approximately 25 miles (40 km) southwest along the Via Egnatia from Amphipolis, they reached this ciry. Here, too, they likely stayed only one night. This city also had no Jewish synagogue. Since in Philippi they could only engage in ministry to Gentiles, Paul and his companions likely sought a town where Jews were present. (4) Traveling about 34 miles (55 km) west from Apollonia along the Via Egnatia, they arrived in Thessalonica. (a) This city was the capital of the province of Macedonia. (b) It was a key transportation hub, located along the Via Egnatia and serving as a major port town (on the Thermaic Gulf). In Paul’s time, Thessalonica held significant economic and military importance. (c) The population at that time is estimated to have been around 200,000. While the majority of the residents were native Greeks, there were also many Romans, as well as Asians and Jews. (d) Thessalonica, like Tarsus and Athens, was a “free city.” A free city is a city where autonomy is granted and is governed by elected representatives in a parliamentary system. Such cities had the privilege to mint their own currency, and no Roman military units were stationed there. (e) The Jewish synagogue in Thessalonica held significant influence, attracting a large number of “God-fearing Gentiles.” (f) The city was rife with the moral decay that idol worship brought. Consequently, many Gentiles were drawn to the disciplined teachings of Judaism, gathering at the synagogue as God-fearing Gentiles. In Thessalonica, those who became believers were saved from a background of idol worship. In this sense, it bears a resemblance to present-day evangelism. Let’s pray that our fellow countrymen may be saved from idol worship.