the son of Antipater rebuilt and enlarged Therma, and named it after his wife Thessalonica, the
sister of Alexander the Great. The name ever since, under various slight modifications, has been
continuous, and the city itself has never ceased to be eminent. Saloniki is still the most important
town of European Turkey, next after Constantinople. Strabo in the first century speaks of
Thessalonica as the most populous city in Macedonia. Visit of Paul .—St. Paul visited Thessalonica
(with Silas and Timothy) during his second missionary journey, and introduced Christianity there.
The first scene of the apostle’s work at Thessalonica was the synagogue. (Acts 17:2,3) It is stated
that the ministrations among the Jews continued for three weeks. ver. 2. Not that we are obliged to
limit to this time the whole stay of the apostle at Thessalonica. A flourishing church was certainly
formed there; and the epistles show that its elements were more Gentile than Jewish. [For persecution
and further history see Paul] Circumstances which led Paul to Thessalonica .—Three circumstances
must here be mentioned which illustrate in an important manner this visit and this journey as well
as the two Epistles to the Thessalonians.
•This was the chief station on the great Roman road called the Via Egnatia, which connected Rome
with the whole region to the north of the AEgean Sea.
•Placed as if was on this great road, and in connection with other important Roman ways.
Thessalonica was an invaluable centre for the spread of the gospel. In fact it was nearly if not quite
on a level with Corinth and Ephesus in its share of the commerce of the Levant.
•The circumstance noted in (Acts 17:1) that here was the synagogue of the Jews in this part of
Macedonia, had evidently much to do with the apostle’s plans,and also doubtless with his success.
Trade would inevitably bring Jews to Thessalonica; and it is remarkable that they have ever since
had a prominent place in the annals of the city. Later ecclesiastical history .—During several
centuries this city was the bulwark not simply of the later Greek empire, but of Oriental
Christendom, and was largely instrumental in the conversion of the Slavonians and Bulgarians.
Thus it received the designation of “the orthodox city;” and its struggles are very prominent in
the writings of the Byzantine historians.
Theudas
(God-given), the name of an insurgent mentioned in Gamaliel’s speech before the Jewish
council, (Acts 6:35-39) at the time of the arraignment of the apostles. He appeared, according to
Luke’s account, at the head of about four hundred men. He was probably one of the insurrectionary
chiefs or fanatics by whom the land was overrun in the last year of Herod’s reign. Josephus speaks
of a Theudas who played a similar part in the time of Claudius, about A.D. 44; but the Theudas
mentioned by St. Luke must be a different person from the one spoken of by Josephus.
Thieves, The Two
The men who under this name appear in the history of the crucifixion were robbers rather than
thieves, belonging to the lawless bands by which Palestine was at that time and afterward infested.
Against these brigands every Roman procurator had to wage continual war. It was necessary to use
an armed police to encounter them. (Luke 22:62) Of the previous history of the two who suffered
on Golgotha we know nothing. They had been tried and condemned, and were waiting their execution
before our Lord was accused. It is probable enough, as the death of Barabbas was clearly expected
at the same time that they had taken part in his insurrection had expected to die with Jesus Barabbas.
They find themselves with one who bore the same name, but who was described in the superscription
on his cross as Jesus of Nazareth. They could hardly have failed to hear something of his fame as
a prophet, of his triumphal entry as a king; They catch at first the prevailing tone of scorn. But over
frankie
(Frankie)
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