Monday, June 7

1Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

2Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

3explaining 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.'

4And 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.

5But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, 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.

6But 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.

7Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.'

8And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things.

9So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

10Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

11These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

12Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.

13But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds.

14Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and Timothy remained there.

15So those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.

47Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, 'What shall we do? For this Man works many signs.

48If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.'

49And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, 'You know nothing at all,

50nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.'

51Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,

52and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.

53Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.

54Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.

55And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.

56Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, 'What do you think—that He will not come to the feast?'

57Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.