Confronting the Empire

Paul’s missionary journeys were generally marked by conflict. Sometimes, his message clashed with the Jews, who were often skeptical about Jesus or jealous of Paul’s success. Even more often, Paul’s teaching angered the governing rulers of a city, who recognized that the gospel he was preaching directly undermined the authority of Caesar. When they were released from prison in Philippi, Paul and Silas made their way to Thessaloniki, the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia and a leading city in championing the worship of the Roman emperor. How will the Thessalonians react to Paul’s message that King of kings and the Savior of the world is not Caesar, but Jesus? Scripture References: 1 Thessalonians 5:8, Acts 17:1-99, Ephesians 6:14-18, Matthew 5:14-16 Locations: Philippi, Greece, Thessaloniki