Political Principles and Ideas in the Epistle to Thessalonian Citizen Assembly and Acts 18-19
Part 7 of a Political Narrative of the New Testament
In the previous post we examined the main political principles and ideas in Paul’s letter to Galatian citizen assemblies and Acts chapter 16-18. In chapter 16 we noted Paul and Silas protesting tyranny in Philippi from prison. In chapter 17 they resisted tyranny by fleeing from Thessalonica and Berea after proclaiming “another king – Jesus”. And then in Athens we saw Paul go to the place where Greek judges met and proclaimed that God had “elected” Jesus to be supreme judge. Result: a judge named Dionysius became a believer. Then in Acts 18 Paul went to Corinth and was arrested.
[Note: This series of posts does not assert that politics is primary in the New Testament, however, there are often overlooked principles and ideas that are worthy of attention. For context we paraphrase certain Bible terms by how it was understood at the time. Modern readers of Scripture focus only on the religious activities. Christians were active in politics from the beginning. Failure to understand this and to believe Christianity only belongs in the religious sphere leads some people today to wrongly judge Christian social activism as seeking improper religious imposition of beliefs using state coercion, i.e. ‘Christian Nationalism’ or Theocracy or Dominionism.]
Before continuing the narrative in Acts, it may be fitting to examine another one of Paul’s first letters.
Paul’s letter to the Thessalonian Citizen Assembly in God
Apparently, it was while in Corinth that Paul writes a letter back to the Thessalonians. This epistle, co-authored by Silas and Timothy, specifically is addressed to “the citizen assembly in God.” In chapter one Paul continues his recent use of democratic language when speaking to Greeks by saying: “….knowing,... brethren, your election by God.” God had not only voted for Jesus but for them as well, so there is no need to fret - it’s settled. In chapter two he speaks of God’s government and commends them for how they imitated the citizen assemblies back in Israel in persevering amidst troubles with their “countrymen” (those in Israel even killing the social strategists). In chapter three he said they suffered tribulation.
In chapter four he told them that he gave them commandments which perhaps meant the laws of Moses but more likely the decrees regarding international law that were determined by the Jerusalem convention. And he urged them to not “…take advantage of and defraud” others and “…mind your own business, and to work with your own hands… This we say to you by the word of the Lord of Jesus…” The phrase “word of the Lord” in the Old Testament always was identified with the messages of the old Testament prophets or social strategists. Here it may mean the same – as the social strategy message of Jesus.
In chapter five He adds: “See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good….Do not despise Strategic insights for society (i.e. prophecies).” Again “prophecies” in the Old Testament sense of it usually were not predictive nor religious in content – mainly just social strategy messages.
Paul’s School of Government in Ephesus
Paul then returns to Antioch but soon launches his next social strategy journey around AD52. Acts 18 says that he and Timothy arrive in Ephesus (see pic above) and they prayed for some disciples who then “spoke in tongues and prophesied.” As we have noted previously in Acts 2 and 10, speaking in tongues was connected to the Old Testament Babel story and the phrase symbolized messages that oppose centralized government (see previous post here). And as already explained, to prophesy was understood as to receive social strategy insights (as old testament prophets would do).
They then “…went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the government of God.” But then the narrative says that Paul made a significant shift. Most translations say that for the next two years he was “reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus…”
It is important to realize the improper bias of translators in how they speak of the school “of Tyrannus.” There is no evidence of a person named Tyrannus so it is misleading to translate it with capitalization as if there was such a person. The word tyrannus was very commonly understood to mean “tyrant” “ruler” or “sovereign” (similar to Greek word “Lord”). And the term “school” may be a lecture hall or it may mean a curriculum or course of study that may occur in various locations. Archeology has not found such a lecture hall in Ephesus to date.
So if following the normal way to translate it, the idea is that Paul daily taught in the “school of governance” or “school of sovereign government” that he himself started. But because most modern translators have a narrow religious bias and cannot believe that the apostle would spend two years focusing on government, they say it was a lecture hall owned by a person who allowed Paul to use it for his religious meetings or religious courses. It is uncorroborated speculation by the translators. [One text source adds the word “certain” before tyrannus which leads some to think it is a person, but it does not require that interpretation.]
It you assume church means only religious gatherings for worship and preaching, then you assume Paul was simply using a building owned by Tyrannus for worship and evangelism. But no such person having a school building has any historical or archeological evidence. It is made up by the translator’s bias. If you understand church is ekklesia meaning a citizen assembly, then Paul’s time teaching about “tyrannus” meaning politics and government, was not abnormal. It doesn’t have to be twisted to mean something religious. In all likelihood Paul started this two-year academic program with focus on biblical worldview of government and “withdrew” his disciples from other work to offer them this training.
Impact of Paul’s government school
The narrative says that due to this school “…all who dwelt in Asia heard the social strategy message (i.e. Word of the Lord) of Jesus.” This does not mean they were evangelized, but rather they heard the worldview of Jesus for all of society, especially regarding government God’s way (see comment above on word of the Lord in letter to Thessalonians). Perhaps due to this focus, at that time a person named Erastus joined the team of Paul and Timothy. Erastus was either already a government official who was attracted by Paul’s focus on the topic, or else Paul’s school of governance is what led Erastus into government later (to be explained when we examine the Epistle to the Romans). Paul also made friends with other “officials of Asia” perhaps due to this school.
Later in Acts 19 it tells of a major political uproar in Ephesus and crowds gathered for a political ekklesia meeting in the public theater. Paul’s friends among the government officials “…sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater” but he did anyway. Finally, “…the city clerk [said for the crowd to use] ‘...courts [and]... proconsuls…in the lawful citizen assembly ….[not] this disorderly gathering." The clerk then dismissed the citizen council.
This narrative is noteworthy because it is where we see references to the well-known secular ekklesias all over the region that already existed. Here Christ’s ekklesia was influencing the existing ekklesia in Ephesus. The government of Jesus and the governments of the world were in conflict.
Paul’s second letter to Thessalonian Citizen Assembly
Paul writes a letter back to the Thessalonian citizen assembly at this time (c54AD), frequently addressing them as a “citizen assembly in the Sovereign Pre-chosen Ruler.” In the second chapter he urges the council to be “...worthy of the government of God….[and says] the Sovereign Jesus is [to be] revealed from the realm above all others… taking vengeance on [the disobedient]…”
It then says “…lawlessness is already at work” but “the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Sovereign will… destroy with the brightness of His coming…” This bright “coming” and “vengeance” is first understood as continuous in history through godly government leaders who faithfully punish evildoers (Rom 12,13), but also has a final application at the final return of Jesus.
While in Ephesus, Paul also wrote to the Corinthians. Our entire next post will devoted to analysis of the political ideas and principles in that letter.
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