Acts 17:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What slander! Again they accuse them of a crime against the state. Since they said nothing contrary to the laws and did not disturb the city, they accuse them of another offense, a state crime. But what do you fear if Christ is dead?

In the same way their fathers accused Jesus, saying that He called Himself a king (Lk 23:2). Yet they had at least a somewhat plausible pretext, since the one accused was still alive. But what did these men expect from their lie? They said of the apostles that they called Jesus king, though in their opinion He had died. Earthly kings no longer had anything to fear from Him, since they saw that He did not appear at all anymore.

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).

In this shouting, Paul and Silas were properly accused as disturbers, while Jason was accused only of having received them into his house.

"These men who have turned the world upside down": this is an exaggeration expressing the passion of the risen crowd and its hatred for the preachers of the Gospel.

"They all act," and so forth: here the accusation is already directed against all Christians, and hatred is stirred up against Christianity itself and against Christ.

Christians are accused of all acting against Caesar's decrees, that is, against imperial edicts which forbade treason under threat of death and protected the emperor's majesty.

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.