When Silas and Timotheus were Come – Acts 18:5

I am sure that there are some books of the Bible that you know better than other books.

I would hope that you know the Book of John better than you do Hosea or Obadiah.

And I would expect that you understand the Book of Acts better than you do Job.

But it is still my prayer that you are learning things from our current study.

If you are NOT learning new material, it’s not because I am not learning things.

There is not a week that goes by that I am not struck with something that I’ve not considered before,

and in many cases with several consecutive messages, I am learning and growing.

When I learn something new, I try to pass that on to you.

Unfortunately, there are things that I think that I learn one week which I have to unlearn the next week or the next month.

For the most part, these things are very small and technical,

And we have one of these things tonight.

It’s not a major doctrine and it doesn’t throw my perspective of this book totally out of kilter,

but I may have taught you something which was only partially true, and which needs to be cleared up.

Tonight, I thought that it would be appropriate to look at I Thessalonians in the light of this verse in Acts.

We will probably not study everyone of Paul’s epistles in the course of this study.

We don’t know when some of those epistles were penned.

And some of them were written while Paul was in house arrest in Rome, so they come at the end or even after the conclusion of the Book of Acts.

And then some of them are nearly as big as Acts, and would therefore be a study into themselves.

But some of Paul’s letters connect directly with events in Acts, and our study really wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t at least refer to them.

One case in point was the Book of Galatians in the light of the Council in Jerusalem in Acts 15.

And another is right here.

Let’s begin this evening by thinking about the travels of Timothy (and perhaps Silas).

As we have said a couple of times, Paul left Macedonia – he left Berea in a hurry.

Acts 17:13 – “But 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.

And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.

And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.”

It’s not until our text in Acts 18:5 that we hear about Timothy and Silas again.

Based upon this information, I concluded that during his short stay in Athens, Paul was alone.

But it’s never a wise thing to totally CONCLUDE things in the sense of totally closing the door:

There may be more information to be added later.

It now appears to me that Timothy, and perhaps Silas as well, did briefly sail down to Athens.

But Paul was so concerned over the new converts, especially in Thessalonica, that he immediately sent them back to Macedonia.

We know that Timothy went to Thessalonica, but it may have been that Silas went somewhere else such as Philippi or back to Berea.

We have some information about these things, but there is still a lot left unsaid.

Please forgive me for whatever confusion I have caused in this.

Turn to I Thessalonians 2:17 – “But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.

Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.

For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy. Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;

And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith: That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.

For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know. For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain.

But now when Timotheus came from you unto us, and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity, and that ye have good remembrance of us always, desiring greatly to see us, as we also to see you:

Therefore, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith:

For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;

Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?”

Apparently Paul was so concerned about the brethren in Macedonia that he sent his co-workers back to investigate and to edify them.

Perhaps they were given a specific length of time to minister there and then to rejoin Paul.

Perhaps they had simply accomplished their task and returned.

Unfortunately, there is still a glitch in all of this traveling and history.

Notice I Thessalonians 5:29.

Oops, there isn’t a 5:29, but there is a post-script in most of our Bibles which reads:

“The first epistle unto the Thessalonians was written from Athens.”

Question: is this post-script a part of the inspired text?

Some boldly declare that it is, while others say that it is only human commentary.

It certainly is hard to make fit with the information that we have in the epistle itself and in Book of Acts.

We see that Timothy returned to Paul and made his report about the church in Thessalonica.

Some say that it was while Paul was at Athens, but most say that it took place in Corinth.

That report prompted Paul’s First Epistle to Thessalonica.

Let’s make a quick survey of First Thessalonians.

After the salutation, chapter 1 is filled with COMMENDATION.

Paul was delighted with the report that he received from Timothy and others.

The church was characterized by faith, love, service and evangelism.

I Thessalonians 1:1-10.

Chapter 2 is filled with joyful RECOLLECTION. – I Thessalonians 2:1-16

We have already taken notice of chapter 3.

Chapter 4 begins with some general INSTRUCTION – I Thessalonians 4:1-12.

That bring us to the important section on the Lord’s MANIFESTATION – I Thessalonians 4:13-5:10.

I Thessalonians 5:11 takes us back to basic EXHORTATION – I Thessalonians 5:11-27.

And it ends in SALUTATION – I Thessalonians 5:28.