SOLUSI UNIVERSITY

A CHARTERED SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST INSTITUTION

OF HIGHER LEARNING

FACULTY OF THEOLOGY AND CHAPLAINCY

An Assignment Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the course requirements

RELB 373: Acts and Epistles

Acts of the Apostles chapter 22-24

PETROSFIY MULEYA: SU200077t

LECTURE: DR S NDLOVU

2ND SEMESTER 2021 HARMONIZED

Chapter 22 – Thessalonica
Having left Philippi, Paul and Silas went to Thessalonica and addressed large congregations in
the synagogues of the Jews. They magnified the One who had wrought their deliverance on their
previous tortures. While ministering to the Thessalonians, Paul reflected to the Old Testament
prophecies about the Messiah. In preaching Christ, Peter had produced his evidence from the Old
Testament. Stephen did the same and Paul also in his ministry reflected back to the scriptures
pointing to the birth, sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ.
To Abraham was given the promise that of his line the Savior of the world should come. Moses,
near the close of his work as a leader and teacher of Israel, plainly prophesied of the Messiah to
come. Jacob had prophesied that the Messiah was to be of the royal line. Isaiah prophesied that
there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.
Jeremiah also bore witness of the coming Redeemer as a Prince of the house of David. Through
influencing power Paul preached from the Old Testament Scriptures that “Christ must needs
have suffered, and risen again from the dead just as Micah had prophesied “They shall smite the
Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek”? Micah 5:1. Even the manner of His death had been
shadowed forth. As the brazen serpent had been uplifted in the wilderness, so was the coming
Redeemer to be lifted up.
But He who was to suffer death at the hands of evil men was to rise again as a conqueror over sin
and the grave. Paul preached on how closely God had brought the sacrificial service with the
prophecies relating to the One who was to be “brought as a lamb to the slaughter. The Savior of
Prophecy was to come not as a temporal King to free the Jewish nation from earthly oppressors,
but as a man among the people to live a life of poverty and humility and ultimately to be
despised rejected and killed. The Savior prophesied in the Old Testament scriptures was to
sacrifice himself as a sacrifice for the fallen race fulfilling all of the requirements of the broken
law. In Him the types of sacrifice should meet their antitype and His death on the cross should
give meaning to the entire Jewish economy.
Paul told the Thessalonian Jews of his former zeal for the ceremonial law and of his wonderful
experience at the gate of Damascus. Before his conversion he had been confident in a hereditary
piety, a false hope. His faith had not been anchored in Christ; he had trusted instead in forms and
ceremonies. As with holy boldness Paul proclaimed the gospel in the synagogue at Thessalonica.
Chapter 23 - Berea and Athens
In Berea Paul found Jews willing to examine the truths he had taught, in Luke’s notes it says
“These were nobler than those in Thessalonica since they received the word with all the
willingness of the Spirit and daily searched the scriptures to see whether this was the case”. That
is why many of them believed; also from honorable women who were Greeks and from men
quite a few. The thoughts of the Bereans were not restricted by prejudice They were ready to
examine the truthfulness of the doctrines preached by the apostles. They studied the Bible, not
from curiosity, but in order that they might learn what had been written concerning the promised
Messiah.
Wherever the truths of the gospel are proclaimed those who sincerely want to do what is right are
guided to a careful search of the scriptures. If in the closing scenes of the history of this earth
those to whom the trial of truths is being preached followed the example of the Bereans daily
searching the scriptures and comparing the messages they brought with God’s Word, there would
be a great one today where a number to whom they are loyal to the prescriptions of Gods law
where there are now comparatively few.
Those who are sincerely seeking for truth will make a careful investigation, in the light of God's
word, of the doctrines presented to them. The unbelieving Jews of Thessalonica, filled with
jealousy and hatred of the apostles, and not content with having driven them from their own city,
followed them to Berea and aroused against them the excitable passions of the lower class.
Fearing that violence would be done to Paul if he remained there, the brethren sent him to
Athens, accompanied by some of the Bereans who had newly accepted the faith. Thus
persecution followed the teachers of truth from city to city. Yet in the face of opposition and
conflict, Paul pressed steadily forward.
Paul's hasty departure from Berea deprived him of the opportunity he had anticipated of visiting
the brethren at Thessalonica. The city of Athens was the metropolis of heathendom. In this great
city, where God was not worshiped, Paul was oppressed by a feeling of solitude. While waiting
for Silas and Timothy, Paul was not idle. He “disputed ... in the synagogue with the Jews, and
with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. Paul directed the
minds of his idolatrous listeners beyond the confines of their false religion to a true view of the
Godhead whom they had referred to as unknown God. This being which he now explained to
them was independent of humans and did not need anything from human hands to contribute to
its power and glory. Paul's words contain a treasure of knowledge for the church.
Chapter 24 – Corinth
In the first century of the Christian era Corinth was one of the leading cities not only in Greece
but in the world Greeks Jews and Romans with travelers from all over the world crowded the
streets eager for business and pleasure. As a major trading center easily accessible from all parts
of the Roman Empire it was an important place to erect monuments to God and his truth. At the
beginning of his work on this thoroughfare Paul saw serious obstacles to the progress of his work
on either side. Almost all of the city was left to idolatry Venus was the favorite goddess and
there were many demoralizing rites and ceremonies associated with Venus worship. The
Corinthians had become conspicuous even among the Gentiles for their gross immorality. They
seemed to think little or care about the joys and joys of the hour.

Jesus whom Paul wanted to represent as Christ to the Greeks in Corinth was a Jew of little origin
who grew up in a city that was proverbial for its wickedness. He had been rejected by his own
nation and eventually crucified as an evildoer. The Greeks believed that it was necessary to exalt
humanity but they viewed the study of philosophy and science as the only means to attain true
exaltation and honor. Could Paul make them believe that believing in the power of this obscure
Jew would exalt and ennoble every power of being? In Paul’s day, the cross was viewed with
repulsion and horror, to defend someone who died on the cross as the Savior of mankind would
of course arouse ridicule and opposition. Paul knew exactly how his message would be seen by
both the Jews and the Greeks of Corinth. For Paul however the cross was the only object of
greatest interest. He had never ceased to boast on the cross since he was arrested in his career of
persecution against the followers of the crucified Nazarene.

He knew from personal experience that once a sinner sees the love of the Father as it can be seen
in the sacrifice of his Son and gives in to divine influence a change of heart takes place and
henceforth Christ is all and in all. Paul’s listeners understood that the Messiah they longed to
come had already come. Paul “testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ”. Paul showed that
Christ had come to offer salvation first of all to the nation that sought the coming of the Messiah
as the consummation and glory of their national existence. But the Corinthian Jews closed their
eyes to the evidence so plainly presented by the apostle and refused to listen to his appeals. The
hatred with which the Jews had always viewed the apostles was now heightened. The conversion
and baptism of Crispus had the effect of angering these stubborn opponents rather than
convincing them