Note 1 at Acts 17:1: The name "Amphipolis" means "a city pressed in on all sides." This name came from the fact that the city was located at a bend in the mouth of the river Strymon so that it was nearly "pressed in on all sides." Amphipolis was a city of Macedonia (see note 1 at Acts 16:9, p. 667) approximately thirty-three miles southwest of Philippi (see note 6 at Acts 16:12, p. 668). This is the only mention of Amphipolis in scripture.

Note 2 at Acts 17:1: The name "Apollonia" meant "pertaining to Apollo." This was a town of Macedonia (see note 1 at Acts 16:9, p. 667) located about twenty-eight miles southwest of Amphipolis (see note 1 at this verse) and thirty-five miles east of Thessalonica (see note 3 at this verse). This is the only mention of Apollonia in scripture.

Note 3 at Acts 17:1: Thessalonica was a major city in the western portion of Macedonia (see note 1 at Acts 16:9, p. 667). It was an ancient city originally named Therma meaning "hot spring." Cassander, a successor of Alexander the Great (see note 6 at Acts 16:12, p. 668) renamed the city after his wife, Thessalonike. It was both a major military and commercial center located on the coast of the Aegean Sea.

Paul and Silas were persecuted by the unbelieving Jews in Thessalonica and forced to flea the town after just three weeks (v. 2), but not before they had established a church which Paul later wrote two letters to (1 and 2 Thessalonians). Two of Paul's co-workers, Aristarchus and Secundus, came from Thessalonica (Acts 20:4; 27:2).

Thessalonica still exists today in Greece and is called Thessaloniki or Salonika. It has a present day population of approximately 100,000 people. Thessalonica is mentioned by name six times in scripture (see ref. c at this verse).