St. Luke, with Timothy, who had not been taken before the magistrates, remained in the city to instruct the Philippian Church more fully.
Travelling onwards many miles, Paul and Silas reached Thessalonica, the city next in importance to Philippi, wherein many Jews were living. At first they were disposed to listen to the teaching of the Apostles, but hearing that the Gentiles were to be equally partakers with themselves in the privileges and graces offered, they began to murmur loudly and excite the anger of the people, who cried out that the strange men were proclaiming another to be king—Jesus the Nazarene—in the place of the great Cæsar!
The mob went to the house of Jason, where the Apostles were lodging, intending to seize them, but, as they were absent, Jason himself was seized and brought before the magistrates, upon a charge of having such persons at his house.
The magistrates made the Christians of the city and Jason also promise that no further excitement and disturbance should occur, so in the darkness and silence of night St. Paul and Silas had to escape from Thessalonica.
They were not discouraged or daunted by this opposition to the truths they preached, they sought only to obey the command of their Master, Who had bidden them carry His Gospel to every creature.
Another fifty miles of journeying, and they were at Berea. Here they found more sympathy than they had met with in Thessalonica, but their persecutors followed them into Berea, seeking to rouse the malice of the unbelieving against the Apostles, so that those who were Christians and loved St. Paul entreated him to escape, and even went with him down to the sea-shore and saw him safely embarked in a ship sailing for Athens.
Silas and Timothy had remained in Berea to instruct and confirm the faithful there, so the Apostle Paul was alone in the beautiful city of Athens, surrounded by glorious temples and costly statues, and all the marks of civilisation of which it was the centre. As he observed the gorgeous temples raised in honour of every known pagan god, St. Paul felt a burning desire to preach to the Athenians of the great Father in heaven, and Jesus Christ, His eternal Son.