Acts 17:5-9 – But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.” 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.
“But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city.” Some Jews were jealous of Paul and company. The original word can mean that the jealous Jews were either boiling with envy, hatred, and anger or the word can mean that they were passionately aroused, they were zealous in the pursuit of good. Perhaps some may argue that the Jews were not intending to do bad, but actually, in their error of rejecting Jesus, were thinking that they were doing good. However the context surrounding the word certainly points to the fact that they were aroused with envy and hatred. They meant to do harm and were insincere liars who meant to arouse disreputable people to be on their side. The riled up these “bad characters” into a mob. This brings to mind too many old westerns where some disreputable persons wants to lynch a suspect in jail and so they rile up a mob in an attempt to kidnap the suspect from the sheriff’s control and hang him. The problem was, that often, the suspect had not yet had a fair trial and in fact, was innocent. Shameful.
These Jews and the mob started a riot in the city. That is still a tactic that works today. Do something wrong, maybe criminal, and then when the evil deed is about to be uncovered blame another so to divert the attention away from what oneself has done. Old tactic that is still, unfortunately, very effective today.
“They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”” It was known that Paul and Silas were staying at Jason’s house so the mob rushed to his house to take Paul and Silas by force. Family, unfortunately this is another thing that is still done today. Rile up a mob, divide people, and use the mob to be complicit in the seizing, and harming, or innocent people. Clearly it is done in the world, easily seen in politics, but let us not deceive ourselves because it is also done in the Church throughout the world. In the Word the people who do this are named as “divisive” people (Titus 3:10-11, Romans 16:17-19). Beware of those who stir up trouble. They make their judgements, or perhaps they say observations, to people to stir them up and cause them to become a part of their divisive group. Often this group goes only on the word of the divisive person and does not do their due diligence to find out the facts. In fact, what we should always do is tell such people that they should first go to the person they complain about and try to get the matter settled “one on one.” Then, if necessary, to raise the level and bring someone with them to reason with the person. We should do as Jesus said we should do in Matthew 18:15-17. Beware divisive people. Beware rabble-rousers. Correct gossipers. Find out facts. By doing so it will strengthen peace in the church and the community.
They lied, but they mixed the truth with a lie, just as the devil does. They said that Paul and Silas have and are causing trouble throughout the whole world. Well the Gospel that Paul and Silas were preaching is, as the KJV states “turned the world upside down.” Let’s remember that when Adam and Eve sinned the world got turned upside down. Before their sin they had perfect harmony with God, they spoke and communed with Him and they had all the food they wanted and they had only to pick and eat it. They had peace, they were friends with all the animals and enjoyed the serene, lovely, and perfect Garden of Eden. After they sinned the world turned upside down as they (and therefore us) did not have peace and fellowship with God, they had to work hard for their food, their relationships were no longer easy, they began to kill animals and had to beware lest animals kill them. We, under the curse brought on by the disobedience of Adam and Eve, live in an upside down world. A world that opposes God and His rightful control. So, when the Gospel entered the world, and changed the spirits of people, yes, they turned the current world upside down, which is in fact not right side up. So the Gospel does indeed turn the upside down world right side up. Isn’t God so wonderful!
Yes, Jason had welcomed his brothers into his house. They couldn’t find Paul and Silas so they had to feed someone to the mob and Jason would do. They dragged him off to be put on trial. Beware those who spread lies about others, they will spread lies about you if you refuse to believe their lies. In fact, they may be lying about others now, but soon they will lie about you if they can contrive a reason to do.
The ones who were jealous of Paul and Silas again mix lies with some truth, which means they have lied. The accusers say that the missionaries were speaking of having another king called Jesus. That is true. All those who love Jesus say that Jesus alone is the High King from heaven and that none other rival Him (Revelation 1:5, 17:14, 19:16). But Jesus made it clear that He was not here to overtake the governments of the world as they were no rival to Him (Matthew 26:52-53, John 19:8-11). In fact, Paul taught to obey civil authority that God had allowed to be in place (Romans 13:1-7) and Jesus Himself expressed the same (Mark 12:17). So yes, all Christians are to have Jesus as their King above and before all worldly authority, but still God allows governments to be in place. For the Jews, they rejected God as their King and wanted instead a man as their King, and so they have ever since been ruled by men, Jew or otherwise (1 Samuel 8:6-22). So we see that, like the father of lies, the accusers twisted truth with a lying implication.
“When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.” As we have previously seen, the accusation that could cause city officials to recoil is to say that someone was causing an uprising against Caesar. If only the officials had done their due diligence they would have uncovered that the only reason the accusers had made their claim is that they could not say “We are mad at these people because we don’t agree with what they say. And worse, the people are not believing them and turning from what we have taught them. They are more popular than us and we are jealous because the people now come to them to hear about God and not to us.” They did not tell the truth or they would have not been taken seriously, maybe ridiculed. So they lied.
The city officials should have done due diligence and these charges could have been dropped, but at least they were more judicious than other city officials. They did not beat Jason but made him post bond with the instructions to have Paul and Silas leave their city and not make trouble. It is thought that Jason agreed to this for the safety of Paul and Silas.
Family, if we are standing up and standing out for Jesus, we will be attacked. Some will hear the Word and respond favorably, and others will dislike what we share and disassociate themselves from us, or worse. This should not surprise us. I have lost the association of some family because of writing about Jesus. That grieves me, but does not deter me. If we have the approval of Jesus, but not the approval of the world, we have all the approval we need. What we are is not apparent to the world, but the day of our revealing is coming with Jesus (1 John 3:2). Then all the worries and problems this world will no longer be remembered as we live in His presence. How sure our victory through Jesus! Praise God! Oh that wonderful day! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”