Acts 17:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The great part taken by the Gentiles in the preaching of the Gospel aroused all the stronger fanaticism and jealousy among the numerous Jews.

It was bitter for them to hear what was offered in the synagogues. Even more of this could be found in the apostle's private conversations with the believers.

They succeeded in raising a disturbance among the people, and part of the crowd rushed to the house of the Christian Jason, where Paul was living.

They did not find the apostle there. But Jason and some other Christians were brought before the tribunal.

Since the persecution came from the Jews, while the Gentiles were only their instrument, different accusations were brought against the apostles than those made at Philippi (Acts 16:20-21).

After passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, the apostles came to Thessalonica. There were many Jews there, and to them, according to his custom, the Apostle Paul first turned with preaching about Christ, visiting their synagogue for three Sabbaths.

The apostles' preaching had great success. Many were converted to faith in Christ, especially among the proselytes.

But the unbelieving Jews stirred up a disturbance against the preachers of Christ. A certain Jason suffered especially from it, because he had given the apostles shelter in his house.

Because of this, the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea (vv. 1-10).

Not finding them: either by chance, or because Paul and Silas had received advance warning of the danger threatening them, they had left Jason's house in good time.

Thus the violent crowd was mistaken in its calculations and did not find there those whom it hoped to find.

Then this violent crowd, of course still more enraged by failure, dragged Jason himself away. They treated him as guilty because in his house he had given shelter to disturbers of public peace (v. 6).

They also dragged with him certain brethren, that is, believers in Christ who at that time may have gathered in Jason's house.

They brought them to the city authorities in order to hand them over for judgment.

The violent crowd did not wish to set forth calmly before the authorities the accusation against Jason. Instead, it shouted.

The crowd's accusation against the Christians before the city authorities of Salonika consisted in the same slander that had been brought against the apostles in Philippi.

They were accused of speaking about customs different from those that ought to exist in a land subject to Caesar. It was also mentioned that the Christians have their own King, Jesus.

As an aggravating circumstance it was said that they were causing disturbance, and everywhere.

Nothing was said about the apostles being Jews, since this would not have benefited the leaders of the disturbance.

It must be said that the Christians brought before the authorities were chiefly not Jews, since there were few such Christians, while Paul and Silas had hidden themselves.