Jason

Biblical Record

Jason appears in Acts 17:1–9. During Paul's second missionary journey, Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica and for three Sabbaths proclaimed in the synagogue that Jesus was the Christ. Some of the Jews, moved with envy, gathered troublemakers from the marketplace, stirred up a riot, and rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul's party. When they could not find Paul and Silas, the mob dragged Jason and certain brethren before the rulers of the city (the civic magistrates). They accused Jason of having received "these that have turned the world upside down," who "do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus" (Acts 17:6–7). The rulers took security (a bond) from Jason and the others and released them. Afterward the brethren sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea (Acts 17:10).

The same name also appears in Romans 16:21, where Paul, sending greetings, mentions "Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen."

Significance Within Scripture

In Acts, Jason is portrayed as one who received Paul's company and bore the cost on their behalf. His case also illustrates how, when the church in Thessalonica was first founded, a believer's home served as a base for gathering and mission. Commentators frequently note that the charge was framed not as a religious matter but as a political accusation of treason against the emperor.

Interpretations and Issues

• Are the two Jasons the same person? Many scholars hold that Paul wrote Romans from Corinth, so the Jason of Thessalonica may have been with Paul at that time. For this reason some interpreters identify the two as the same individual. However, it is also widely held that the matter cannot be settled, since the text does not say so.
• The meaning of "kinsmen": The word "kinsmen" in Romans 16 is generally understood to refer not to blood relatives but to fellow members of the Jewish people, that is, fellow countrymen. The Greek name Jason is known to have been used at the time by Hellenized Jews in place of Yeshua (Joshua).
• The meaning of the security: The security is understood as a guarantee that no further disturbance would occur. Some commentators believe this bond made it difficult for Paul to return to Thessalonica and connect it with 1 Thessalonians 2:18, "but Satan hindered us." This is conjecture.
• Extrabiblical tradition: Eastern Orthodox tradition counts Jason among the Seventy Disciples. It also holds that he and Sosipater preached the gospel on the Greek island of Kerkyra (Corfu). This is a later tradition not found in Scripture.

In the Korean Church

In Korean church preaching, Jason is mentioned chiefly in sermons on Acts 17. He is often presented as an example of service and hospitality, one who risked danger to receive those who preached the gospel. He is also discussed in expositions of 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians when explaining the background of the founding of the Thessalonian church.