The Apostle Paul and Silas
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks, a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.-Acts 17:1-5***Paul (Saul) was a well-known Pharisee from the tribe of Benjamin, descended from Abraham (Abram the Hebrew) and Sarah (Sarai), Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob (Israel) and his 2nd wife Rachel, and Jacob and Rachel's 2nd and last son Benjamin. Paul worshiped the Lord God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Throughout Jerusalem, Paul persecuted and imprisoned Israelites who believed Jesus, who had been betrayed, arrested, crucified, buried in a tomb, resurrected, and returned to heaven, to be the Christ, the Son of God. When Paul was journeying to the synagogues in Damascus, Syria, to find, bind and take to Jerusalem any Israelite believers he found, Paul and those with him saw a light from heaven flash around them. Paul heard the voice of Jesus speaking to him, and Paul spoke to Jesus, and obeyed Jesus. In Damascus Paul was baptized. From thenceforward, Paul the apostle journeyed and wrote divinely inspired letters, teaching the good news of Jesus the Christ and everlasting life to Israelites and Gentiles, people not born into the Israelite tribes. Paul often journeyed with other believers, including Barnabas, who spoke to other Israelites about Paul's new life in Christ. Silas (Silvanus), an Israelite and respected leader and prophet, sometimes journeyed with Paul and was with Paul in prison, and when a group in Thessalonica was corralled and grew into a riotous mob.-Genesis 11:26-35:29, 1 Chronicles 1:1-34, 2:1-17, 3:1-24, 8:1-40, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1:1-4:37, 6:1-8:4, 9:1-31, 11:19-28:31, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon