Scripture: Acts 17:13
The Jews from Thessalonica learned that Paul also proclaimed God’s word in Beroea, so they went there too and were upsetting and disturbing the crowds.
Thought for the Day: Paul’s experience in Thessalonica was not so good. As I am currently in Thessalonica, I am hoping my experience is better than what Paul experienced. He and Silas had to escape with the help of some friends as they feared the mob, and they went to Beroea (another town that has changed names — it is now, Veroia). It is interesting that we have no letters from Paul to the church in Beroea. In the way Paul’s initial encounter is described, it sure sounds like a place where there was immediate excitement and support of the message. Tradition suggest that Onesimus, the slave spoken of in the Letter to Philemon, would eventually become the first Bishop of this area in the decades following the death of Paul. For me, this is a microcosm of Christianity. The great persecutor of the church, Saul, becomes its greatest messenger (as the Apostle Paul). He plants the seeds for a church in Beroea, and later a former slave becomes the leader of this church. The least likely people are those used by God to do some of the most unlikely and unimaginable work of the Gospel.
Prayer: May I never underestimate your capacity, O Spirit of Grace, to lift up and call forth missionaries and advocates of the Good News. The “who” you call is, in part, the essence of your Gospel. Amen.
FYI – I don’t know how many more devotionals I will be writing in the next couple of weeks. I am on Sabbatical, though I do find the task of writing to be helpful as I process these many experiences. I will post as I have time.
Grace & Peace, B
