Epistle Reading: Acts 17:1-15
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they
came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three
Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
explaining 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."
And 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.
But 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.
But 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.
"Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to
the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king; Jesus."
And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when
they heard these things.
So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they
let them go.
Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by
night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
These 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.
Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the
Greeks, prominent women as well as men.
But 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.
Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea;
but both Silas and Timothy remained there.
So 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.
Gospel Reading: John 11:47-57
Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council
and said, "What shall we do? For this Man works many signs.
"If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him,
and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation."
And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said
to them, "You know nothing at all,
"nor 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."
Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high
priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,
and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather
together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.
Then from that day on they plotted to put Him to death.
Therefore 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.
And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the
country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.
Then 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?"
Now 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.
Saints and Feasts
John the Apostle, Evangelist, & Theologian; Arsenios the Great; Emelia, mother of St. Basil the Great
