In 17:3 Luke indicates that Paul simply announced Christ to those in the synagogue. Actually, Paul must have reasoned concerning Christ in a lengthy and detailed way. I believe that he reasoned about Christ being God and man. According to verse 3, Paul told them that it was necessary for Christ to suffer. Christ’s suffering implies His incarnation, and His incarnation implies His dual status, that is, His deity and His humanity. Furthermore, Christ’s suffering implies His death. In 17:3 Paul explicitly spoke of Christ’s resurrection, saying that “the Christ must suffer and rise from among the dead.” Therefore, Paul must have reasoned concerning the incarnated Christ in His deity, humanity, human living, suffering, death, and resurrection.
The fact that Paul reasoned in detail concerning Christ is indicated by the fact that on three Sabbaths he reasoned with those in the synagogue from the Scriptures. It is not likely that on these Sabbaths Paul reasoned only for an hour. It is much more likely that he spent several hours, even half a day, reasoning with them concerning Christ.
Paul’s reasoning in the synagogue concerning Christ corresponds to his being led by the Holy Spirit and regulated by the Spirit of Jesus. Paul was this kind of person. Because he was under the leading of the Holy Spirit and the regulation of the Spirit of Jesus, Paul carried on a work of presenting, conveying, and ministering the all-inclusive Christ to others. Paul did not minister law, genealogies, prophecies, or types—he ministered the living and all-inclusive Christ. This is the deeper significance of this portion of the Word. When we come to these verses in Acts, we need to read and study them in this way.
Acts 17:4 continues, “And some of them were persuaded and joined themselves to Paul and Silas, and of the worshipping Greeks a great multitude, and of the leading women not a few.” These worshipping Greeks may have been Greeks that were converted to the Jewish religion. The great multitude that joined themselves to Paul and Silas included a number of leading women. It is significant that in Acts the leading women among the Greeks often were among the first to believe in the gospel. This indicates that many of the Greek women were seeking God.
Acts 17:5-7 describes the opposition of the Jews: “But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some evil men who were loafers in the marketplace, gathered a crowd and set the city in an uproar; and coming upon the house of Jason, they sought to bring them before the populace. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers before the city officials, shouting, These men who have upset the world have come here also, whom Jason has welcomed; and these all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” Literally, the Greek word translated “world” in verse 6 means the inhabited earth. Probably the apostles did preach that Jesus is the King. The opposers used their word to accuse them and in a subtle way to involve Caesar. Opposers often have this ability, which may come from the training they have received from the Devil, the evil instigator.
In 17:5-7 we can see how strong was the influence of Judaism. This influence was prevailing not only in Jerusalem but also in the Gentile world, even in eastern Europe. According to verse 8, “they troubled the crowd and the city officials when they heard these things.” Here we see their subtlety in joining with local politics and even utilizing it to persecute the apostles. This indicates that the Jewish religion has been usurped by God’s enemy, Satan, to oppose God’s economy. In principle, the situation is the same today. Religion joins the worldly authorities to frustrate God’s genuine move on earth.