¹Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. ²And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” ⁴And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women.

The same Paul who stressed the importance of submitting to governmental authorities (Rom. 13:1–7) also did not hesitate to confront governmental authorities for their illegal actions. He used his full rights as a Roman citizen to rebuke and inherently threaten them for having him and Silas beaten and incarcerated without a trial. They had committed no crime at all; it was the authorities who were guilty of criminal behavior. Nonetheless, Paul and company moved on.

Since there is no record of divine healing, we may assume the duo traveled with somewhat fresh wounds (see Acts 16:23–24). The roughly one hundred-mile journey to Thessalonica would normally take three days for someone who walked fast. We know the Philippian believers were financially generous to Paul, so they might even have rented mules or horses to help make the trip a bit easier in their physical condition. Note what the apostle wrote to them later:

You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:15–19)

The intervening cities possibly lacked synagogues (after all, Philippi did not seem to have one), but Luke notes there was one in Thessalonica. This was a major city, located on the largest seaport in Macedonia and the Via Egnatia, the major east-west highway in that area. Luke tells us of “Paul’s custom” of first preaching to the Jews; the results were encouraging. “Some” Jews and a “large number of God-fearing Greeks” (a.k.a Gentile worshippers of the God of the Jews) believed. This was to become a predominantly Gentile congregation. Luke also notes that some of the “leading women” of the city believed also.

Lord, I commit to helping support those You send out to preach the gospel.