Whom Jason has received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
Read Chapter 17
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Another king. These Jews suppress, with great artifice, their true cause of vexation against the apostles, and change a mere question of religion into one of temporal policy. The accusation of raising up a new power in opposition to Cæsar's, had been sufficiently refuted and disavowed before Pilate by the author of our religion, and was therefore too gross to be repeated now. My kingdom, says our blessed Saviour, is not of this world. There is no necessary connection between spiritual and temporal power. It is thus that the abettors of persecution are never at a loss for pretexts, when necessary. Mad zeal is not scrupulously nice in the choice of arguments. (Haydock)
for since they spoke nothing contrary to what had been decreed, nor made any commotion in the city, they bring them under a different charge: saying that there is another king, one Jesus. And they troubled the people, etc.
Oh! What an accusation! Again they get up a charge of treason against them, saying, there is another king (one) Jesus. And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go. (v. 8, 9.) A man worthy to be admired, that he put himself into danger, and sent them away from it. And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming there went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble, it says, than they of Thessalonica: more noble, i.e. more gentle (ἐ πιεικέστεροι) (in their behavior): in that they received the word with all readiness, and this not inconsiderately, but with a strictness wherein was no passion, searching the Scriptures whether these things were so.
