极速建立教会
使徒行传十七章1至9节
1保罗和西拉经过暗妃坡里、亚波罗尼亚，来到帖撒罗尼迦，在那里有犹太人的会堂。
2保罗照他素常的规矩进去，一连三个安息日，本着圣经与他们辩论，
3讲解陈明基督必须受害，从死里复活；又说：“我所传与你们的这位耶稣，就是基督。”
4他们中间有些人听了劝，就附从保罗和西拉，并有许多虔敬的希腊人，尊贵的妇女也不少。
5但那不信的犹太人心里嫉妒，招聚了些市井匪类，搭伙成群，耸动合城的人闯进耶孙的家，要将保罗、西拉带到百姓那里。
6找不着他们，就把耶孙和几个弟兄拉到地方官那里，喊叫说：“那搅乱天下的也到这里来了！
7耶孙收留他们。这些人都违背凯撒的命令，说另有一个王耶稣。”
8众人和地方官听见这话，就惊慌了，
9于是取了耶孙和其余之人的保状，就释放了他们。
信息分享
保罗在他第二次宣教旅程中，首次到访帖撒罗尼迦，并在那里逗留了短短三个星期。后来，因为那里发生骚动，保罗不得不连夜离开。但幸好那里已有相当多的犹太人和希腊人，有男有女都相信了基督，于是，教会便成立了。
不久之后，保罗得闻他们的教会遭到犹太人的逼迫，并要面对其他许多的反对；而且，还有人冒名保罗写信给他们。
保罗知道他们极需要鼓励，同时，他们对基督再来及复活的真理，也抱有不少错误的观念，极需作出纠正。于是，保罗便在哥林多写了两封书信给他们；而这两封书信可能是保罗众多书信中最早写成的。
我们今天为何要研读这两封书信呢？因为他们的需要也是我们的需要──我们同样需要鼓励，也同样需要正确认识基督的再来和与之相关的事件。我们同样需要防备假教师。这两封书信不单适合第一世纪信徒的需要，也同样切合我们的需要。
当你研读这两封书信的时候，请尝试将它的信息融入你的世界、你的教会和你的生命中。你要将真理应用到自己身上。要紧记雅各的话说：「只是你们要行道，不要单单听道。」（雅一22）
CHURCH PLANTING - IN A HURRY!
Acts 17: 1-9
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
2 Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
3 explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.”
4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.
5 But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious,[a] took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.
7 Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.”
8 And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things.
9 So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
Message
Paul visited Thessalonica for the first time on his second missionary journey and stayed only 3 weeks. Because a riot started, he had to leave under cover of darkness. But already quite a large number found Christ, including Jews, Greeks, both men and women and the church was formed.
Some time later Paul heard the church was being persecuted by Jews as well as facing other oppositions. Several letters also seem to have been written to the church, which were forgeries, and not from Paul himself.
Paul sensed their need of encouragement and the need to correct several wrong views concerning Christ's second coming and the resurrection. These two letters (written from Corinth) are probably the earliest epistles we have from Paul's huge correspondence.
Why should we study these letters today? Because our needs are the same as theirs. We all need encouragement. We all need a right view of Christ's return and associated events. We need to be warned of false teachers. These letters are as relevant for us as they were for that first century church.
As you read these two letters, try to bring them into your world, your church, and your own life. Try to apply whatever truth comes home to you as you read. Remember what James said: “Do not merely listen to (read) the Word. Do what it says.” (James 1:22 NIV)