First was Paul's missionary strategy. In each place Paul had started with engaging with Jewish believers and only then moved onto Gentiles. This is significant not least because it showed that while Paul had a particular calling to preach to the Gentiles, he still believed that Jewish believers had a unique role in the mission of God and should be given the chance to turn to Christ as Messiah.
The second consistency was the diversity of the people who responded to Paul's preaching. They stretched across the traditional boundaries in ancient society; Luke tells us the new believers were male and female, Jew and Gentile, rich and (we must also assume) poor.
Third, in all three cities Paul experienced opposition. In Philippi it was for economic reasons because he took income away from the slave-girl's owners when he drove the divining spirit from her. In Thessalonica and Berea the opposition came from those at the synagogue who were offended that Paul was preaching Jesus as Messiah.
Finally, it was Paul's common experience that he had to leave the cities at a time not of his own choosing. In Philippi he was asked to leave, even after he came out as a Roman citizen. At Thessalonica he had to leave by cover of night after the riot. And at Berea he was taken to the coast by the believers because they clearly thought his presence was making the city unstable. It must have been hard for Paul to leave under these circumstances; he must have wondered what sort of legacy he was leaving behind.
It is at this point that we parted company from Paul's journey for a few days. Paul made he journey to Athens by boat but we continue inland for the next few days before we meet him again - so to speak - in the Greek capital. But even at this point in the journey, before visiting the two most significant places Paul visited - Athens and Corinth - , we can take three lessons about the gospel Paul has been preaching.
First, Paul's gospel is for everybody. The message of Jesus as Messiah and Lord is breaking down boundaries in an unprecedented way. Jew and Greek, male and female, rich and poor are responding to the gospel in a way that had never happened before. It is a great reminder that the good news of Jesus is not for some but for all.
Second, Paul's gospel exposed the human heart; it showed how tender people were to the new thing God had done in Christ. Some, like Lydia in Philippi and many in Berea, were open to the message in Christ; Luke says that the Bereans received the message 'with great eagerness'. Others were more concerned with their status quo and were not open to what God had done.
I can't help wondering if Paul thought of Jesus' parable at the sower at this point. He was preaching the gospel - sowing the seed - but the varied responses showed how the hearts of those who heard the word were in very different places. Some were stony; others were fertile.
Third, Paul's gospel produced fruit. While Paul might have been anxious about the legacy he was leaving behind, he needn't have been, for the gospel took root everywhere he went. Particularly striking is the example of the Thessalonians where the response was certainly mixed but who grew to such an extent that a few months later Paul was able to say in 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8 'you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia...your faith in God has become known everywhere'.
Paul knows the reason for this; it is God's work not his. Reflecting on his experience in Thessalonica he writes 'our gospel came to you not simply in words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction' (1 Thess 1:5). Paul knew that it was God who was the building the church, not him.
As we part company from Paul's journey for a few days, these are great lessons to remember about the impact of the gospel then - and now as well.
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