Overall Question: What would it have been like to preach Christ in Thessalonica in Paul's Day?

Memory Text: 1 Corinthians 9:19 Today's New International Version Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

Overall View of the City
SDA Bible Dictionary, article “Thessalonica” - A city of eastern Macedonia, the modern Thessalonike. Its original name was Thermae, “hot springs,” but when Cassander, one of the successors of Alexander the Great, made it his capital in 315 b.c., he changed the name from Thermae to Thessalonica in honor of his wife, Alexander’s sister. The city experienced its greatest expansion under the Romans, into whose hands it fell after the battle of Pydna in 168 b.c. When the province of Macedonia was organized in 146 b.c., Thessalonica became the provincial capital as well as the capital of the 2d district of the 4 into which the province was divided. After the battle at Philippi (42 b.c.), Thessalonica was made a free city, administered by magistrates called politarchai, “rulers of the city,” in Acts 17:8, an expression attested also by a Greek inscription on the arch in Thessalonike . It was an important commercial city and military station on the Via Egnatia (Egnatian Way), which crossed the whole of Macedonia from west to east. Paul came to Thessalonica fom Philippi during his 2d Missionary Journey. Beginning his preaching in the synagogue, he had little success among the Jewish community, but was able to found a church before persecution drove him out of this city (Acts 17:1–9). Notwithstanding persecutions this church, which seems to have been composed mainly of Gentile Christians (1 Th 1:9), grew into a strong Christian community (vs 4–8). Paul made a 2d visit, and possibly a 3d, to Thessalonica during his 3d Missionary Journey (Acts 20:1–6). Two of his extant letters are addressed to this church, and 2 of his travel companions, Aristarchus and Secundus, came from Thessalonica (chs 20:4; 27:2). The city has never lost its importance through the centuries, and at the present time has a population of 346,000 (1971).
Pilgrim Tours website - The site where the monastery of Vlatadon was built is believed to be the location where Jason’s house once stood and where Paul was accommodated during his visit to Thessaloniki. http://www.pilgrimtours.com/greece/sched_tours/christian_cruise_tour11.htm

Personal Comment: When you look at the location on Google Maps, this monastery seems to be above the city on a hill and thus Jason’s dwelling was probably not an apartment but a fair-sized house. This doesn’t mean that it was a mansion in our estimation.

Sunday – The Romans Arrive in Thessalonica
John 11:48-50 Common English Bible 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our people." 49 One of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, told them, "You don't know anything! 50 You don't see that it is better for you that one man die for the people rather than the whole nation be destroyed."
John 11:48 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE If we permit him to work but a few more miracles like these two last (the cure of the blind man, and the resurrection of Lazarus) he will be universally acknowledged for the Messiah; the people will proclaim him king; and the Romans, who can suffer no government here but their own, will be so irritated that they will send their armies against us, and destroy our temple, and utterly dissolve our civil and ecclesiastical existence. Thus, under the pretense of the public good, these men of blood hide their hatred against Christ, and resolve to put him to death.

Monday – A Pagan Response to Rome
1 John 2:15-27 Bible in Basic English 15 Have no love for the world or for the things which are in the world. If any man has love for the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 Because everything in the world, the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but of the world. 17 And the world and its desires is coming to an end: but he who does God's pleasure is living forever.
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 New Century Version 1 I said to myself, "I will try having fun. I will enjoy myself." But I found that this is also useless. 2 It is foolish to laugh all the time, and having fun doesn't accomplish anything. 3 I decided to cheer myself up with wine while my mind was still thinking wisely. I wanted to find a way to enjoy myself and see what was good for people to do during their few days of life. 4 Then I did great things: I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made gardens and parks, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made pools of water for myself and used them to water my growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and slaves were also born in my house. I had large herds and flocks, more than anyone in Jerusalem had ever had before. 8 I also gathered silver and gold for myself, treasures from kings and other areas. I had male and female singers and all the women a man could ever want. 9 I became very famous, even greater than anyone who had lived in Jerusalem before me. My wisdom helped me in all this. 10 Anything I saw and wanted, I got for myself; I did not miss any pleasure I desired. I was pleased with everything I did, and this pleasure was the reward for all my hard work. 11 But then I looked at what I had done, and I thought about all the hard work. Suddenly I realized it was useless, like chasing the wind. There is nothing to gain from anything we do here on earth.
Ecclesiastes 2:11 COMMENTARY FAMILY BIBLE NOTES God gave to Solomon all of this world that heart could wish, with wisdom to enjoy it in the highest degree. Yet, after a full experience, he pronounced the whole to be "vanity and vexation of spirit." From this we learn the folly of hoping to gain from this world a satisfying good, and the true wisdom of going to God for blessedness.

Tuesday – The Gospel as a Point of Contact
1 Corinthians 9:19-27 Common English Bible 19 Although I'm free from all people, I make myself a slave to all people, to recruit more of them. 20 I act like a Jew to the Jews, so I can recruit Jews. I act like I'm under the Law to those under the Law, so I can recruit those who are under the Law (though I myself am not under the Law). 21 I act like I'm outside the Law to those who are outside the Law, so I can recruit those outside the Law (though I'm not outside the law of God but rather under the law of Christ). 22 I act weak to the weak, so I can recruit the weak. I have become all things to all people, so I could save some by all possible means. 23 All the things I do are for the sake of the gospel, so I can be a partner with it. 24 Don't you know that all the runners in the stadium run, but only one gets the prize? So run to win. 25 Everyone who competes practices self-discipline in everything. The runners do this to get a crown of leaves that shrivel up and die, but we do it to receive a crown that never dies. 26 So now this is how I run—not without a clear goal in sight. I fight like a boxer in the ring, not like someone who is shadowboxing. 27 Rather, I'm landing punches on my own body and subduing it like a slave. I do this to be sure that I myself won't be disqualified after preaching to others.

Wednesday – Paul the Street Preacher
Acts 17:17 New International Version So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.
Acts 17:17 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES And in the market. In the forum. It was not only the place where provisions were sold, but was also a place of great public concourse. In this place the philosophers were not unfrequently found engaged in public discussion.
Acts 19:9-10 New Century Version 9 But some of the Jews became stubborn. They refused to believe and said evil things about the Way of Jesus before all the people. So Paul left them, and taking the followers with him, he went to the school of a man named Tyrannus. There Paul talked with people every day 10 for two years. Because of his work, every Jew and Greek in the country of Asia heard the word of the Lord.
Acts 19:9 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES Who this Tyrannus was, is not known. It is probable that he was a Jew, who was engaged in this employment, and who might not be unfavourable to Christians. In his school, or in the room which he occupied for teaching, Paul instructed the people when he was driven from the synagogue. Christians at that time had no churches, and they were obliged to assemble in any place where it might be convenient to conduct public worship.

Thursday – Home Churches
Romans 16:5 Common English Bible Also say hello to the church that meets in their house. Say hello to Epaenetus, my dear friend, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ.
Romans 16:5 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY The early Christians, having no church buildings, were dependent for their meeting places upon the hospitality of members who made their homes available.
1 Corinthians 16:19 English Standard Version The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.
Colossians 4:15 GOD'S WORD Translation Greet our brothers and sisters in Laodicea, especially Nympha and the church that meets in her house.
Philemon 1:1-2 Common English Bible 1 From Paul, who is a prisoner for the cause of Christ Jesus, and our brother Timothy. To Philemon our dearly loved coworker, 2 Apphia our sister, Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church that meets in your house. 3 May the grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Acts 18:1-3 English Standard Version 1 After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, 3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
Acts 18:3 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY The hint of wealth in Paul’s background and his receiving a high degree of education have no bearing upon the fact that he was required to learn a trade, for the rabbinical proverb, “He who does not teach his son a trade teaches him to be a thief,” made such instruction almost universal in Hebrew families. For example, the great Hillel was a carpenter. Hence Paul was equipped to work for his livelihood in Corinth as he had done in Thessalonica, thus guarding himself against any charge of self-interest in preaching the gospel among the Greeks (1 Cor. 9:15–19; 2 Cor. 11:7–13; 1 Thess. 2:9). He began at Corinth as a new artisan working for wages, or perhaps as a partner, in the workshop of a Jew, not yet being known to the city of Corinth as anything else than a Jew.
Acts 18:3 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE It was evidently no reproach for a man, at that time, to unite public teaching with an honest useful trade. And why should it be so now? May not a man who has acquired a thorough knowledge of the Gospel way of salvation, explain that way to his less informed neighbours, though he be a tent-maker, (what perhaps we would call a house-carpenter,) or a shoemaker, or any thing else?

I picked "maybe", because of the system we now have. But if we really want to cut back what we pay preachers, ministers, etc., and be like back in NT times, than yes they need to work the other days of the week to maintain a home. In Paul's day the church was much smaller, it has gotten very big, so not sure that that can be done today.

JAMES423

with the system we have today it would not be needed

dgrimm60