Now after the uproar had ceased, Paul having summoned and exhorted the disciples, said farewell and left to go to Macedonia.
Acts of the Apostles 20:1 Legacy Standard Bible
Paul’s mission returns to Macedonia
When we last left Paul in Ephesus the Apostle had been acquitted of causing a riot and was preparing to sail back to familiar destination of his second mission. Today we’ll briefly return to Macedonia and remind ourselves of the role of exhortation of Christ’s faithful.
2 And when he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece. And there he spent three months, and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.
μέρος – 1st. c. districts
In order to think like these apostles to the gentiles we must not picture countries from a 21st century Common Era map.
..Jesus withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon.
..Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi..
..He entered the boat with His disciples and came to the district of Dalmanutha.
Matthew 15:21, 16:13: Mark 8:10 – Strong’s G3313 – meros
Now it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the upper regions G3313 and came to Ephesus and found some disciples.
Acts of the Apostles 19:1 – when Paul first came to Ephesus – [‘through the upper country,’ – KJV ]
Paul has just left Ephesus (a major Roman city). But think BIGGER: the mission of these apostles leaves Asia.
The apostle Paul goes out again on mission to Roman Achaia (Greece in some translations) with rebuilt ancient Greek city-states [districts] of a former empire.
Ancient districts and kingdoms including those of the Jews had all fallen in time to EMPIRES of
Egyptians, Babylonians and Persians.
More recently Greece had been conquered by a Macedonian King Philip (as in Philippi) and his son.
Alexander the Great conquered most of the world to the west only to have his fourth century B.C. Greek-speaking Empire later fall to Rome in the East.
An even more ancient Kingdom of David and far-reaching Empire of Solomon had fallen into a distant memory of a thousand years before. The Jews, however, had been dispersed into all the nations.
In the first century A.D. time of a Galilean Jewish Messiah Jesus and a Cilician Jewish Roman citizen Paul, Jews sailed and traded from district to district with cultures within Empires from east to west.
much exhortation
THE EVANGELISM OF PAUL’S MISSIONARY JOURNEYS ALL INCLUDE EXHORTATION.
If any thread of witness of the Lord Jesus Christ continues throughout Paul’s three missions none is more evident than his exhortation or ongoing encouragement of these new churches by letter and in person.
Exhortation defined:
παρακαλέω – parakaleō – beseech (43x), comfort (23x), exhort (21x), desire (8x), pray (6x), intreat (3x), miscellaneous (4x), variations of ‘besought’ (1x).
Encouragement practically jumps off the page of Luke’s account outlining Paul’s travel from Ephesus to Achaia and Macedonia
+ to call to one’s side, + to address, speak to, (call to, call upon), which may be done in the way of exhortation, entreaty, comfort, instruction, etc.
ALL saints and members of the churches baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and changed forever by the Holy Spirit need exhortation.
Paul is a humble teacher who loves and mentors his disciples or students. The Apostle encourages the Ephesians as he departs to Macedonia and later will exhort the Ephesians, Philippians as well as others by letter.
Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them – KJV
Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them and saying farewell – NET
and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia. – NASB95
He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece,
Acts of the Apostles 20:2 NIV
Do you recall a few years earlier when Paul had first been called to GO TO MACEDONIA?
The Apostle’s heart longs to build up the living stones of Christ’s Church in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
an 18th c. A.D. view of Macedonia
Cultural commentary expressed here by a notable 18th c. A.D. American should not be read as a 21st c. C.E. commentary of TalkofJESUS.com and is provided as another historical perspective. You may see his name on source links or at the bottom of this section. - R.H.
Source: “The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution”.
1-..advocate for erecting three new independent republics on the European territory of the Ottoman Empire: Greece, Macedonia and Illyricum.
2- Macedonia is mentioned separately from Greece, and with that, Macedonia is not part from Greece.
Source: “The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution”.
At first, within the Roman province of Macedonia were ancient territories of Boeotia, Southern Epirus, Thessaly, Lower Macedonia, Attica, Peloponnese (present-day Greece), Upper Macedonia and Paeonia (present-day northern Greece and southern FYROM), Northern Epirus and Southern Illyria (present-day Albania).
After the defeat of Andriscus of Macedon (last Ancient King of Macedon) from Roman general Quintus Caecilius Metellus in 148 BC, region of Macedonia was divided into four client republics.
After that in 27 BC, with establishment of the principate territories of Attica and Peloponnese were split off from Macedonia, and was founded new senatorial propaetrorial province named as Achaea.
Province of Achaea included all Greece south of Thessaly, Macedonia and Epirus. It proves that separation, isn’t made by ethnic dimension (because if Greek inhabitants of Macedonia and Epirus, are questionable for Slavomacedonians and Albanians, then the case with Thessaly isn’t such).
Also at 67 AD, whole Epirus (Epirus vetus and Epirus nova) has become imperial procuratorial province separated from Macedonia. Thessaly remained as part of Macedonia.
Source: “The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution”.
“Conclusion: Alexander and Ptolemy are mentioned as examples for understanding between Jews and Greeks.
John Adams for Boston Gazette
– series of papers signed as Novanglus [Newenglander], written in 1774.
Timeline
- 332 Before Christ – Alexander the Great captures Judea and Egypt, Hellenization begins
- 330 Before Christ – Alexander captures Persia
- 323 B.C. his Empire divided after Alexander dies in Susa
- 42 B.C. – Battle of Philippi involving 200,000+ Romans in a civil war
- 37 B.C. – Herod the Great becomes client King of Judea
- 27 B.C. – Augustus [Octavian, victor at Battle of Philippi] becomes Caesar of the Roman Empire
- Philippi named a Roman colony Colonia Victrix Philippensium built for veterans of the Roman civil war not returning to Italy.
- Anno Domini 30 – Crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ
- ~A.D. 55 – Paul DEPARTS EPHESUS for MACEDONIA
- ~A.D. 67 – Paul will write a second letter to Timothy (who accompanies the Apostle on this mission and will become the Pastor of the church at Ephesus) just prior to Paul’s martyrdom by Nero in Rome.
~ in the year of our Lord 55
The Jews plotted against him when he was about to set sail for Syria, and so he decided to go back through Macedonia.
Acts of the Apostles 20:3 – Christian Standard Bible
To be continued.. God-willing..
In ACTS of the Apostles 20
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