THESSALONICA

When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said.
Acts 17:1-3

WATCH THE SERMON

WATCH THE PODCAST

Paul as a Tentmaker

In 1 Thessalonians 2:9, Paul reminds the Thessalonians that he and Silas worked hard to support themselves while preaching the gospel. It is likely that upon arriving in Thessalonica, Paul and Silas would have set up shop as tentmakers in the marketplace. Paul would also practice his trade of tentmaking in Corinth (Acts 18:3).

Politarch Inscription

In Acts 17:6-8, Paul and Silas were dragged before the city officials. The Greek word for "officials" refers to a type of government unique to the Macedonian region through elected Politarchs. An inscription found inside the gates of the ancient city verifies the accuracy of Luke's account in the book of Acts.

360 Video

Take advantage of the 360 videos below by clicking and dragging inside the video to look around the locations.

VIDEO CONTENT

THESSALONICA

Approx. 65,000-80,000 People in Paul's Day
Thessaloniki, the modern name of ancient Thessalonica, is located on the eastern coast of Greece in the northern province of Macedonia. Thessalonica has functioned as a key city in the Mediterranean from the Macedonian era to the present. The Macedonian king Cassander founded Thessalonica around 315 BC, naming the city after his wife, Thessalonike (“victory of Thessaly”). Under Roman rule (167 BC–AD 395), Thessalonica functioned as one of the most important cities in the empire, having both a vast harbor and a prevalent location along a major trade route - the Via Egnatia.

Click the map to explore when Paul visited the city of Thessalonica and the other key locations in the book of Acts.