Acts 17:1
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
Original Language Analysis
τὴν
G3588
τὴν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
3 of 15
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Ἀμφίπολιν
Amphipolis
G295
Ἀμφίπολιν
Amphipolis
Strong's:
G295
Word #:
4 of 15
a city surrounded by a river; amphipolis, a place in macedonia
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
5 of 15
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ἦλθον
they came
G2064
ἦλθον
they came
Strong's:
G2064
Word #:
7 of 15
to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
εἰς
to
G1519
εἰς
to
Strong's:
G1519
Word #:
8 of 15
to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases
ἥ
G3588
ἥ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
12 of 15
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
συναγωγὴ
a synagogue
G4864
συναγωγὴ
a synagogue
Strong's:
G4864
Word #:
13 of 15
an assemblage of persons; specially, a jewish "synagogue" (the meeting or the place); by analogy, a christian church
Cross References
Philippians 4:16For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.1 Thessalonians 1:1Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.Acts 20:4And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.2 Thessalonians 1:1Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:2 Timothy 4:10For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.Acts 17:13But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.Acts 27:2And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.Acts 17:11These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Historical Context
This occurred during Paul's second missionary journey (~50 AD). The Via Egnatia was Rome's strategic highway built in 146 BC, spanning 500 miles from Dyrrhachium to Byzantium. Amphipolis (33 miles from Philippi) and Apollonia (30 miles further) were smaller cities. Thessalonica, founded in 315 BC and named after Alexander the Great's half-sister, was the most important city in Macedonia—serving as the provincial capital and a free city with its own government.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's sovereignty in directing ministry (bypassing some cities for others) challenge your assumptions about "successful" evangelism?
- What can we learn from Paul's strategic focus on major population centers with established Jewish communities rather than attempting to reach every town?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia—These cities along the Via Egnatia (the major Roman highway connecting Asia to Rome) received no recorded ministry, illustrating Paul's selective strategy guided by the Spirit. The Greek verb diodeuo (διοδεύω) means "to travel through" without stopping—a significant omission suggesting divine direction toward strategic population centers.
They came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews (συναγωγὴ τῶν Ἰουδαίων)—Thessalonica was the capital of Macedonia with a population of ~200,000, a major commercial port, and home to a substantial Jewish community. Paul's consistent pattern was "to the Jew first" (Romans 1:16), using synagogues as beachheads for gospel proclamation. The presence of a synagogue (requiring 10 Jewish men) indicated an established Jewish community that would provide access to God-fearing Gentiles already familiar with Scripture.