Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-17
Opposition often .l,.s. forces men to higher
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
On the morning after the night when
the earthquake occurred and the jailer
was converted to a joyous faith in Christ
the praetors ordered the missionaries to
leave the jail and to get out ofzthe city.
isbutzPaul, in a. manly and dignided way,
claimed his rights as a Roman citizen
and demanded that he and Silas should
be brought out blythe magistrates them
selves, by way: Of apology and .vindica-
ton, and these officers, who had yield
ed to the clamor5o of the mob the day be-
fore, recognizing with apprehension the
business Of the demand, FASTENED in per-
son to make amends BY accompanying
them to- the borders Of the city. This
must have had a salutary effect upon
the spopulace and caused them to respect
the rights of the Christians LETT behind at
I.hilippi. Paul. and Silas repaired for
awhile to the house of Lydia, and COM
forted the little group OF converts there.
Then, they with Timothy, leaving Luke
behind with the new church, took up
their journey southwestward along the
great Roman road, the Via Egnatia, a
famous military highway 500 miles long,
connecting Rome with Byzantium and
Asia Minor, marked from end to end with
nilestones, and passing two great cities
Of considerable size, 4A1nphipolis and APP
polonia, they made a stop at Thesso-
lonica, about one hundred miles from
Philippi. This occurred probably in the
year A. .. 81. Thessolonica. was the
largest City, and the commercial CEN
ire and capital OF Macedonia, It had the
proud distinction of being named for a
sister Of Alexander the Great, whose
husband, Cassander, rebuilt the city.
Xerxes rested his army here before at
tempting the conquest of. Greece. It Is
COW called @Salonica, and is an important
Turkish city of 100000 inha bitants. From
this city Miss Ellen NJ. Stone last year
went forth on the journey during which
she and Madame Tsilka were captured
by brigands- and the two captives return
ed to it when Miss Stone had been ran
ever famous for Its openeminded and stu
dious people, whom Paul found there,
was forty-fve miles still further on, a
comparatively small and of-the-way
place, Nesting among the mountains. yet
it was large enough to have a. synagogue.
TWO RESULTS OF SCRIPTURAL
PREACHING.
Paul and Silas came to Thessa lonica.
The Jews had a, synagogue there: and
following his usual customs, Paul Joined
them; and for three Sabbath days rea-
soned with them from the Scriptures, ex-
pounding and pointing out that 1t was
necessary for the Christ to suffer and to
rise again from the dead; and that this
Jesus, whom, said he, It proclaim unto
YOU is the Christ, Some of the peo-
pie were convinced and allied themselves
with Paul and Silas, also a large num-
Der Of Greeks who were adherents of the
Jewish religion, as well as a considerable
number Of women of high social stand
ing. However, the Jews. becoming jeal-
Gus, engaged some worthless fellows
from the streets, and getting a mob to-
gether. kept the city In an uproar. They
attacked the house of Jason with the in
tention of bringing Paul and Silas before
the Popular Assembly. AS they did not
find them there. they proceeded to drag
Jason and some of the brethren before
the city magistrates, crying out: 'These
that have turned the world upside down
are come hither also. and have been har-
boured by Jason! They are all acting in
opposition to the DEGREES of Caesar! They
say that some one else is king-one
Jesus!" The brethren sent Paul
and Silas to Berea in the course Of that
Very night. On reaching that place,
they went to the Jewish synagogue.
These Jews of Berea were more noble
than those in rhessalonica, in that they
received the word with all readiness of
mind, and daily examined the Scriptures
to see II what was said was true. AS a
consequence many Of them believed. be-
sides considerable number of Greek
women of honorable estate, as we'll as
men.
PERSISTENT EFFORT.
Paul was q man who did not know how
to give up in a good cause. AS soon as
he was turned out Of the jail and city at
PE1lippi, he Immediately sought other
fields to SOW the. seed Of everlasting life
Paufs Christian life is an example TO us