Study Desk

Paul saw something in the young man too and invited Timothy to saddle up and ride with them. Paul took Timothy aside and told him they would be around a lot of Jews, and it would probably be better if Timothy had his pickle clipped. This wasn't for salvation, but to be able to reach more people who might be narrow-minded at first because of his daddy being Greek.

All of the churches, or outfits, they went to became larger in size and stronger in faith.

Then Paul and his little crew worked through all the countryside of Phrygia and Galatia. They would have kept going, but the Holy Spirit kept them from heading into Asia.

When the reined up at the border of Mysia, they wanted to continue north and go into Bithynia, but once again the Holy Spirit kept them from going.

She followed along behind us and shouted, "These men are cowboys who gather for the Most High God. They are here to tell you how to be saved!"

When her masters realized what Paul had done, they were furious. They grabbed Paul and Silas and drug 'em to the courthouse.

They put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and said, "Believe in Jesus who died in your place. Then you and your whole family will be saved."

Then they told him, and all of his family who had gathered there also, the story of Jesus.

The jailer told Paul, "They said you and Silas are free to go. Go in peace, cowboys!"

But Paul wasn't having any of it. He said, "We were beaten and imprisoned without a trial. We are Roman citizens and what happened here is against the law. And now they want us to just go away like nothing happened? I don't think so! Let them come here and release us themselves."

When this message was taken to the city officials, they got scared. They had no idea Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

So the city officials all went to the jailhouse and apologized for what had happened. They led Paul and Silas outside and begged them to saddle up and leave the city.

The two cowboys didn't say anything but headed straight for Lady Lydia's house. They met with everyone who had believed in Jesus and encouraged them to never give up the faith. Then they saddled up and rode away.

Paul and his crew passed through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia before arriving in Thessalonica. There was a Jewish church there, so they stopped to say hello.

But there were those hard-hearted Jews who wouldn't believe. They became so jealous of Paul that they rounded up some shady characters and convinced them to run through town and shoot out the lights and windows. These fellows tore up the town and then headed toward the home of Jason. They kicked the door down looking for Paul and Silas in order to lynch them.

Since they weren't there, they settled on Jason. The angry mob dragged him, and some other believers to the city council and said, "Paul and Silas have stirred up trouble all over the world, and now they've got their sights on our little town.

This cowboy here, Jason, has welcomed them into his home and wants to help them destroy us. They are all guilty of treason against Rome. They tell everyone not to listen to Caesar, but worship a cowboy named Jesus."

The city council made Jason and the others post a heavy bail, and they let them go.

That night, under cover of darkness, Paul and Silas slipped out of town and headed southwest to Berea. Once again, they went to the local Jewish church.

But the folks in this town were different than those in Thessalonica. They listened to what Paul had to say. But the best part was that they themselves looked at the passages in the Good Book to see if what Paul and Silas said was the truth.