But the truth always divides. There are those who hear and receive the message, accepting Jesus as Saviour and Lord, and those who are hostile. The Jews, it appears, have little status in Thessalonica. There is no one of their own in a position of authority or influence to whom they can appeal. So they are resorting to rabble rousing, stirring up the layabouts who hang around the market place in order to gain some momentum before taking their complaints about the message of Paul to the authorities.
Discretion tells the three missionaries they had better leave the city.
So in the middle of the night they depart, making their way 80 kilometers south to Berea. Now in Athens, Paul is anxious for news of the Thessalonian believers. He remembers the message he delivered to them in person. It is these truths which stimulate evangelism, promote holiness, deepen fellowship, inform worship, and inspire hope. It is the gospel which shapes the church just as it is the church which spreads the gospel.