Jason
Jason was Paul's host in Thessalonica and a relative of Paul mentioned in his letter to the Romans.
Biography
Jason of Thessalonica was a Jewish believer who opened his home to the apostle Paul and Silas during their missionary visit to the city, probably around AD 50 (Acts 17:5–9). When a mob incited by jealous Jewish opponents could not find Paul, they dragged Jason before the city authorities (politarchs), charging him with harboring men who proclaimed a rival king to Caesar. Jason was released after posting bond, effectively pledging that Paul would leave the city peaceably. He is likely the same Jason whom Paul later identifies as a kinsman and fellow worker in Romans 16:21, suggesting he remained an active figure in the Pauline mission network.
Significance
Jason's willingness to harbor Paul and Silas at personal legal and financial risk exemplifies the costly hospitality that undergirded the spread of the early church. His arrest and the charge that the missionaries had "turned the world upside down" (Acts 17:6) captures the socially disruptive power of the gospel proclamation. Jason models the kind of courageous lay support without which apostolic mission would have been impossible. His mention in Romans 16:21 alongside Paul's kinsmen suggests ongoing partnership in the gospel, reminding readers that the advance of Christianity depended not only on apostles but on faithful, risk-taking communities of believers.
Verse Appearances (5)
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]