Acts 18:5

When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. Acts 18:5

The words of this verse should read, “And when both Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the Spirit, fully testifying to the Jews: Jesus is the Christ” (CG). The previous verse noted Paul having reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, persuading both Jews and Greeks. With that stated, Luke now records, “And when both Silas and Timothy came down.”

Paul was in Corinth, living with Aquila and Priscilla. He had gone to the synagogue and reasoned with those who attended each Sabbath. However, with the coming of Silas and Timothy, there is a notable change in the dynamics of what takes place. These two had come down “from Macedonia.”

The actual movement of Silas and Timothy is a bit hard to follow. Although unlikely, they may have met Paul and returned to Macedonia or they may have remained in Macedonia the entire time. The last time the two of them were mentioned was in Acts 17:14, 15 while they were in Berea. It is probable that both remained in that area until this point. Once they found that Paul had gone to Corinth, they went there to meet him.

It is believed that 1 Thessalonians was probably written around this time and was then carried back to Thessalonica with whoever accompanied Silas and Timothy. The letter would have been spurred on by the report received by Paul from these two. It is of note that there are some similar thoughts presented in 1 Corinthians 15 and in 1 Thessalonians 4 concerning the return of the Lord and the glorification of the saints. Similarities concerning spiritual gifts are also notable between the two epistles.

With the arrival of these two, it next says that “Paul was pressed in the Spirit.” This seems to indicate that the arrival of Silas and Timothy is what urged Paul to a more direct approach concerning his words about Jesus. He had been in the synagogues reasoning from Scripture, but now with his two companions at hand, he became more emboldened than ever to simply proclaim Christ.

It seems that up to this point, he had tried to reason with his audience, but now he felt that they simply needed to hear the proclamation. Enough reasoning from Scripture had taken place and it may have devolved into an academic study rather than a gospel presentation. Their arrival seems to have changed this. This is probably because of the words of Silas and Timothy about the state of the believers in Macedonia.

In other words, those in Macedonia had readily accepted the words of Paul and they had also remained strong in their faith after his departure. Paul was pressed in his spirit to have the same zeal grow within this congregation as well. The word used to describe this is sunechó. It signifies to press together, confine, compel, afflict, etc. The actual meaning will depend on the context. However, it conveys a very strong emotion or feeling.

In this state, it next says he was “fully testifying to the Jews.” The word diamarturomai means more than to testify, but to testify all the way through. Paul bore witness and fully defended his stand on the matter that “Jesus is the Christ.”

Some translations, such as the KJV and others, unfortunately read “Jesus was Christ.” Jesus was, is, and ever will be. Saying “was” completely eradicates the idea of the eternal nature of what is presented. The verb is present tense in the Greek and should be rendered as such. And more, various translations, the KJV included, leave off the article by saying, “Jesus was Christ.”

The definite nature of the proclamation by Paul indicates that Jesus wasn’t just a Christ, but the Christ. He is the fulfillment of the messianic expectations and the One who had fulfilled them all. He continued in that position at the time of Paul’s words, and He continues in that position to this day.

Life application: The subtleties of the word require careful study. Although most translations get the point across about what is being conveyed, they can easily be twisted if someone really wanted to press a matter. Saying “was” in this verse can lead someone to make a faulty statement about the nature of Christ. This is especially so when it is claimed that the translation is perfect and exactly as God intended (as claimed by KJV adherents).

The thought can be rectified by reading other statements in the Bible, but not everyone is going to be so diligent to study the word. This is why there are so many aberrant cults and sects out there. People trust without verifying. When this happens, anything can be injected into their minds concerning what the word is conveying. Read the word! Study the word! Be willing to spend your time researching things from the word that catch your eye.

Don’t implicitly trust. Instead, verify! Show yourself approved. With this, the Lord will be pleased.

Great and awesome God, Your word is so very precious. Help us to seek it out and contemplate it day and night. Even when we are working or on a vacation, we can still think about what Your word told us during our morning study. There is always time to think about what You are telling us. Thank You, O God, for Your precious word. Amen.