And you became mimickers of us and the Lord, welcoming the word in much tribulation with joy from the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:6)
When the Jews, rejecting Paul’s message out of jealousy, went into the marketplace and hired malignantly evil men to stir up the Gentiles against Paul, they were unable to find him. Therefore, they dragged Jason and some of the other believers before the city leaders, claiming that the Christians were acting contrary to Caesar’s decrees. To preserve the peace, the magistrates required security from Jason and the other saints, ensuring that they would not stir up any more trouble. Notwithstanding this Jewish harassment, the believers persisted in following Paul’s teaching and continued to advance in faith.