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The title "Politarch", and the names,
Sosipator (1) Secundus (2) and Gaius (3) were
inscribed on a triumphal arch in the
town of Thessalonica. The original
is now in the British Museum.
---Illustration---
(BE-XXIX.185).
There are seven names in this inscription, and three of them are the same as those
borne by friends of the Apostle from this very district: Sopater of Berea (Acts 20: 4),
Gaius the Macedonian (Acts 19: 29), and Secundus of Thessalonica (Acts 20: 4).
The whole atmosphere is changed when we step out of Acts 16: into Acts 17: We
leave a Roman colony, with its "praetor" (Acts 16: 20) and "lictors" (Acts 16: 35), and
its appeal to Roman exclusivism (Acts 16: 21); and we enter a Greek city with its demos
(Acts 17: 5), and its politarchs.
The Jews' attempt to move the city proves abortive, the magistrates finding nothing
against Jason, except that he entertained some new religious ideas. Apart from having to
give some guarantee that he would not imperil the peace of the city, he is allowed to go
free.
As the Apostle had no desire to foment strife, and realized that he would not further
the truth by another period of imprisonment, he permitted the brethren to send Silas and
himself away by night to Berea. The structure emphasizes the close parallel that is
intended with the visit to Thessalonica, but whereas Acts 17: 2, 3 represents the
Apostle as "opening and alleging" from the Scriptures, in the corresponding passage in
connection with Berea, this feature is kept in the background, and the attitude of the
Bereans brought to the fore:
"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word
with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things
were so" (Acts 17: 11).
This reference has stood on the title page of The Berean Expositor ever since it was
published in 1909, and together with II Timothy 2: 15, has been our watchword and
inspiration ever since. Berea is now called Verria, and is a city of some 20,000