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Jews in Berea receive and believe the Gospel
What do Christians mean when they call themselves Bereans?

Berean Bible Believer

Are YOU one?

No doubt you have your own imagery.

(Let’s set our pictures of the past aside for a moment and go straight to the source – THE BIBLE – for some context of Paul’s visit to Berea.)
Acts of the Apostles 17:
A Brief Stay in Berea
Βέροια – Berea or beroia
The Clash of Titans and Cultures
What is Luke’s point in Acts 17:11?
Nobility
Why are they more noble-minded?
Paul’s briefer stay in Berea
Timothy and Silas in Berea
NEXT: Paul in Athens, ACHIA
Acts of the Apostles 17:
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So IF you are a Berean sort of believer you will first want to examine the Scriptures of our Source. Here they are!
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10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.

Three Weeks in Thessalonica- Acts 17

This, of course, was where we left Thessalonica with Paul, Silas and Timothy last time in v. 10a

Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
Acts of the Apostles 17:11 – English Standard Version

12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.

13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds.

14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there.

A Brief Stay in Berea

Luke, as you can see, covers this apostolic visit to Berea in just four and a half verses. And from their arrival [v. 10b] until Paul’s hurried departure [14a] even less time and scripture.

Yet hardly a Protestant Church lacks a “Berean” Bible Study or group of some sort (even those churches lacking a Berean store front to bring in believers of the Bible).

Βέροια – Berea or beroia

Pronunciation
ber‘-oy-ah

Modern Veria in Central Macedonian Greece

Mount Olympus and Berea near base of Olympus Mountains

Although the drama of Paul in this place was most brief, the mythical influence of the ancient Greek gods of Mount Olympus impacted nearby Berea. Olympus is a familiar stage of the Hellenist culture of all Greece.

The Clash of Titans and Cultures

ALEXANDER – the Great Macedonian

The former classical glory of Alexander’s empire had faded into a Hellenist culture for nearly four centuries and was then absorbed into a modern Roman culture of the A.D. 1st century.

As Rome’s Caesars sought to conquer the vast lands ruled by Alexander they discovered that the same ancient Babylonians, Medes and Persians to the East had all been influenced by the Hellenist culture of Alexander.

A Pax Romana created a culture of peace with Rome’s captive peoples and incorporated their gods and traditions into local practice.

41 foot tall statue of the god of gods Zeus

The cultural clashes between Jews, Greeks and other Hellenist-influenced peoples of the Roman Empire are inevitable, undeniable and central to Paul’s proclamation of the Gospel to Greeks.

No better place than Berea near Mount Olympus to set the stage for the world into which these apostles have been sent to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

What is Luke’s point in Acts 17:11?

FIRST, what it is NOT:

The Scriptures here are NOT the New Testament (which will later include two letters of Paul to to the Thessalonians).

And although like in OTHER Jewish synagogues Paul undoubtedly had proclaimed the Gospel to these Jews AND probably shared the letter from the Council of Jerusalem with believers, the SCRIPTURES referenced here were EXCLUSIVELY ‘Old Testament’ similar to earlier preaching of Peter, Paul, Stephen and others connecting it all to Jesus the risen Messiah of Israel.

Nobility

Why does Luke refer to these Jews as ‘more noble than those in Thessalonica?’
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(After all, Paul will later write two encouraging letters to those in Thessalonica and the Epistles do NOT include a single correspondence to Berea.)

Let's take a 'Berean' examination of the Scriptures illustrating Luke's meaning.
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“noble” occurs 18 times in 16 verses in the ESV, yet only 7 times in 7 verses in the KJV.
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Hear, for I will speak noble things,
and from my lips will come what is right,
for my mouth will utter truth;
wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

Proverbs 8:6-7 ESV

Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?


Jeremiah 2:21 KJV (after the LORD asking Judah in v.11: 
Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? 
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Luke, using Greek also common to Macedonia’s Roman rulers uses the word εὐγενής, meaning, ‘more noble-minded.’

Nobility refers associatively to a higher class; kings, princes, the well-born of certain families.

(Remember that Roman, Hellenist or Greek and Eastern cultures included many slaves as well; although Christ taught that more slaves than rich would follow the righteousness attached to nobility and ‘leading Jews.’)

Paul later addresses two Roman Governors as ‘most noble’ when addressing them.

It is this same meaning attached to the Greek women of high standing [v.12] as well.

Why are they more noble-minded?

Rather than being dissuaded by cultural arguments of leading Jews who rejected Jesus the Messiah of Scripture these Berean Jews examined what Paul had taught from the Scriptures.

δέχομαι – they received the word [logos]

Luke also records an attitude perhaps equally important to new Christians receiving the Word, who was and IS and will be, the LORD God of the heavens and earth.

“they received the word with all eagerness.”

Your Savior from sin and death, the Messiah of Israel will be the judge of ALL men. JESUS saved you!

SO DO YOU RECEIVE OUR LORD WITH ALL EAGERNESS?

μετά [meta] πᾶς [pas] προθυμία [prothymia]

‘with great (or all) eagerness‘

zeal, spirit, inclination, readiness of mind

The Macedonians of these towns and cities who examined the true witness of the Hebrew Scriptures and obeyed the guidance of the Council of Jerusalem formed a strong, vibrant, and spirited church who witnessed the Good News of Jesus Christ to all the Hellenists, Romans and anyone else who believed.

Paul’s briefer stay in Berea

14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea,
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Christians generally note the moving on of the apostle Paul to Athens and what will become one of his most important speeches. However here we will continue our focus on the work of two remaining apostles sent out to Macedonia, Silas and Timothy.
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Timothy and Silas in Berea

.. but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens,

and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

While the Berean brothers helped Paul to flee the Thessalonian Jewish posse, Silas and Timothy stayed on (as Paul and other apostles had done in the past) to organize this church who studied the Scriptures daily.

Once arriving in distant Athens, Paul then commands them to return home and send Silas and Timothy to continue their journey later when they too will finally arrive from Macedonia NOT in Athens, but in the larger nearby city of Corinth.

When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.
Acts of the Apostles 18:5 ESV

NEXT: Paul in Athens, ACHIA

To be continued…

ACTS of the Apostles 17:16-
March 31, 2023
Three Weeks in Thessalonica- Acts 17
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
Acts of the Apostles 17:1 ESV
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Luke summarizes an 80-90 mile [~130 km] journey from Philippi by these apostles of Christ in a single verse.
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~ A.D. 50 – Philippi to Thessalonica (by land)
ACTS 17 of the apostles Paul and Silas
This Christ whom I Preach
Thessalonica
Time to move on from Thessalonica
~ A.D. 50 – Philippi to Thessalonica (by land)
- Silas and Paulos, who are Roman citizens, as these apostles of the Messiah have just reminded Roman magistrates in Philippi;
- with Timotheus, a Greek Jew and fellow follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Once again in the city of their second stop in Europe the context of culture comes into play.

Whereas Philippi (which they have just left after unjust imprisonment and a freeing sign from God) was a ROMAN city on Macedonian soil, Thessalonica is more Greek (in a sense) and has a Jewish place of worship.

ACTS 17 of the apostles Paul and Silas
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So as in Cypress on Paul's first missionary journey and in most of the large cities of both missions to Asia, Thessalonica has a synagogue where Jews may gather, exchange thoughts and worship God. 
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²And Paul went in, as was his custom..
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Again Paul, Silas and Timothy would have listened to the prescribed Scriptures of the day and then would have discussed their relevance to the Gospel of the Messiah Yeshua.

AND once again on the next Sabbath Saulos, Silas and Timotheus would have repeated this customary worship routine of the Sabbath at the synagogue in Thessalonica.
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No doubt many of the Thessalonians became convinced by these three apostles during these three weeks that Jesus IS risen from the grave and that many Jews have witnessed this Good News of His resurrection.

(And then, they might confidently add, we have witnessed the many such signs including those last month in Philippi.)

Signs of Release from the Bondage of Culture

And the men and women we baptized were Romans, including our jailer!

.. and on three Sabbath days he [Paul] reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead,

“This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”
ACTS 17:3b

– Did Saulos of Tarsus PREACH IT IN HEBREW to the JEWS?

Did Paulos PROCLAIM IT from the Greek Septuagint?
- For that would be how Jewish Thessalonians knew their Scripture of the Old Testament better than you and I
- Faithful Jews took the Old Covenant of God’s written word to heart.
Were these Jews converted to their own Messiah by Paul’s reasoning with them perhaps daily for three weeks?

This Christ whom I Preach

.. he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”
Acts 17:2b-3 ESV

⁴And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
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When the gentile Physician Luke records in his second account that, 'many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women' joined Paul and Silas, he refers not to Jews but to local Hellenist gentiles of Thessalonica - local Greeks. 
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Saul of Tarsus, first a Jew, also a Roman, goes to the Jews first AND when they refuse to listen to reason from their own Scripture about the Messiah of Israel, Savior of sinners in all the world, these Apostles and disciples of Yeshua PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED in their own HOME Churches, the public squares and to any of the places a humble created people of any origin gather to seek our Lord and only Savior.

5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.
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Why would they attack 'the house of Jason' (who is first mentioned here)? 

Jason is a Jew who certainly also worshipped in the Thessalonian synagogue and who apparently hosted these three travelers as had Lydia hosted them in Philippi. Some commentators suggest that Jason may be related to Paul.

Like back in Philippi, or contemporarily like those crashing the doors of the US Capitol, this lynch mob (so to speak) wants to rule over the city and throw their opponents out of town.
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6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting,

“These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”

Another King, Jesus

“KING Jesus in v. 7 is just an accusation

Worldly god claimants would use the same title for JESUS as Pontius Pilate when the GOVERNOR asks his accused prisonor:

Are you a king?

Paul, Silas, Timothy and Christian disciples of the Lord Jesus addressed the Risen Messiah as Christ or Lord!

In fact, “Caesar is lord” and “Jesus, king of the Jews“ (like Herod was) were ROMAN labels. Except here, as false accusations these are not in any way legitimate Jewish labels OR acknowledgement of a Roman emperor.

Caesar is Lord evoked emotional reaction to SOME Jews, but others compromised their faith to acknowledge that any MAN other than the LORD God Almighty could be THEIR Lord.

Thessalonica

Θεσσαλονίκη

Thessalonica founded in 315 BC by Cassander of Macedon, who named it after his wife Thessalonike, daughter of Philip II of Macedon and sister of Alexander the Great.

An important metropolis by the Roman period

source Wikipedia

The same claim that offends the Jews, JESUS IS LORD, also offends those who worship MANY gods out of our own selfish motives to worship only our SELF by choosing which gods to which we will bow down. INCLUDING:

ROMANS, who worship Caesar as a god and Greeks, who in addition to celebrating many gods worship their own philosophies of self-deduced knowledge.

SOON we will travel to Corinth where Paul will later write to the church:

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
~ A.D. 55 – from the first letter of Paul to the Church at Corinth – Corinthians 1:22-24 ESV

Time to move on from Thessalonica
- “These men have turned the world upside down
- Jason has received them
- they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar
- saying that there is another king, Jesus.”
8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things.

9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea..

ACTS of the apostles Paul, Silas and Timothy — To Be Continued…
March 24, 2023
Circumcision < Saul's Extreme Cultural Cut of Timothy
Acts 16:
Cultural clashes between Greeks and Jews
Circumcision
Paul’s later letter begins by addressing circumcision.
Epistle of Paul to the Romans
Festivals of Pagan Idolatry
Acts 16 continued (with Timothy)..
Why does circumcision of Timothy now seem to be a necessity if he is to continue with Paul and Silas on this second missionary journey?

After parting ways with Barnabas, Paul has chosen Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Acts of the Apostles 15:41 ESV

view of the Taurus mountains looking Southeast back toward roads from Syria

Paul, on this second missionary journey began via a land route from the church in Antioch, rather than by sea and then proceeding north from Perga as he and Barnabas had traveled before after walking across Cypress to its coastal towns.

Acts 16:

Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra.

A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.

2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium.

3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

But wait! I thought that we had settled those issues of circumcision at the Council in Jerusalem?

Truth for Gentiles who turn to God

Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Acts 15:24-25 ESV

Cultural clashes between Greeks and Jews

In fact, Saul of Tarsus continues to preach Christ to the Jews at great cost as the apostle returns once more to their local synagogues along with others.

Do you recall the issue which had led Paul and Barnabas to return to Jerusalem?

Circumcision.

Many gentiles had come to follow Christ and worshiped as brothers alongside converted Jews of The Way. Young Timothy is the son of one such believer.

Saul of Tarsus had been equally zealous for the Mosaic traditions before his encounter with Christ some years ago.

Joseph of Cypress (Barnabas) had sought out Saul in Tarsus where Paul had mostly stayed out of sight of zealous Judaizers for ten years. This is not dissimilar to Joseph bringing Mary and the child Jesus out of Egypt more than forty years before after the death of Herod’s grandfather.

Yet Zealots for the Law and traditions had recently caused trouble on Saul’s first missionary journey with Barnabas.

Apostles sent out into ever-changing political landscapes of Rome, Judea and a Hellenist world in between journeyed on frequently-shifting tectonic plates of clashing cultures.

Some men had come down to Antioch from Judea saying,

“Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Acts 15:1b ESV

This incident in Iconium, one of many, had threatened the apostles sent out by the Church.

On his second missionary journey Paul seeks out these new believers once more, including a young man named Timothy who had been raised by his Jewish grandmother and mother.

16:2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium.

Luke mentions [16:1] that Paul and Silas travel to Lystra and Derbe even before now mentioning ‘brothers‘ in Iconium. What had happened in Iconium last time?

Iconium – A Pattern of Persecution

Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.- Acts of the Apostles 14:1 ESV

At Iconium as in Antioch Pisidia the apostles received a divided (and sometimes violent) reception to the Gospel.

The Jews of Cilicia held to their Jewishness in opposition to rampant cultural sin in the customs and ceremonies of an idolatrous Hellenistic majority of their own towns. Saul of Tarsus returns to these Christian brothers trying to convince other Jewish brothers that Jesus is the Christ.

How could these apostles of the risen Jesus reach even more Jews in theirs journeys?

In order to do this the Apostle Paul and his company of men must seem most Jewish in order to proclaim Christ in their synagogues.

BUT the issue of bringing Timothy to other towns is that his father is Greek and of course had not circumcised his son eight days after his birth — in the manner and custom of Hebrew fathers.

חֲתַן דָּמִים לַמּוּלֹֽת׃

Circumcision

At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood” with reference to the circumcision.
Exodus 4:26b – Proclamation of Zipporah after she completed this sign of the covenant of the LORD on Moses’ son.

We read and the Hellenists read of the signs that the Lord God had confirmed His solemn promises to Abraham.

And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.
ACTS of the Apostles 7:8 – from the preaching of Stephen to the Sanhedrin (most likely with Saul of Tarsus nearby)

Let’s be clear that in the διαθήκη covenant of περιτομή circumcision that our solemn agreement cut with the LORD is paramount to any sign or evidence of the flesh.

And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying,

“This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
Gospel of Luke 22:20 – the words of the Lord Jesus to the Twelve at the meal of the last Passover

WE are not Jews or Christians — true followers of the LORD (as was Moses) — true disciples of Jesus the Christ of the New Covenant — by signs of baptism, communion, ceremony or any other claim of grace separate from God’s covenant in Scripture.

The Apostle Peter had also been confronted with this same issue after reporting back to the Church in Jerusalem of the signs of the Holy Spirit also given to the gentiles.

Peter, John, Phillip, Paul, Barnabas and all the evangelists of the Gospel must continue to convince Jews as well as gentiles concerning God’s mercy and new covenant of the heart.

Paul’s later letter begins by addressing circumcision.

Epistle of Paul to the Romans

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16 ESV

To the Jew FIRST — Apostolic approach of taking the Gospel into all of the 1st century world.

Paul mentions the culture of so many idolaters among whom the Jews and Christians live. This idolatry is a legitimate concern, more so than a sign of circumcision.

Romans 1:22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!

Amen.

These Hellenists to whom the LORD made the Jews a light living among them are citizens of many towns to which Paul now will bring this Greek disciple named Timothy.

BUT the Jews have been rightly cautious about now allowing the leaven of their idol worship come near the worship of the Living God — most especially at their own Passover feasts.

Note: Konya (Iconium near Derbe & Lystra) in foreground – source: Google Earth AD2023

For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.
So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?
Paul’s letter to the Romans 2:25-26 ESV

Festivals of Pagan Idolatry

I have only to mention recent, current and highly anticipated pagan festivals of the 21st century to paint a glace of the idolatry of first century — idol worship including parades, drinking, ritual sex, raucous celebrations and porneia in the public places — which Jews and Christians recognize as abhorrent to Almighty God.

The Hellenes to which Paul, Silas and Timothy would soon travel lived NOT in a unified Greece under Roman occupation similar to the religiously-united Judea of the Jews throughout the Empire, but in numerous culturally divergent city-states conquered separately by Roman centurions advancing from ports of the Mediterranean and Aegean seas.

Idolatries of the Hellenes worshipping gods of each city, similar to god idols of Roman myths allowed for a tolerant Roman peace. Romans simply viewed idol worship as harmless and practical public parties of a cultural nature, even a religious duty.

These frequent festivals sometimes celebrated each year may have been out of obligation, but culturally they generally were celebrations influential men of the city used to maintain their hold on the women, boys, slaves and money they controlled.

Remember, in most of the Roman Empire and most Hellenist cities MOST men served other men of means in charge of various aspects of their everyday lives. Many captive slaves worked for local land owners and the Roman army as well, including young boys who served their masters in ways NOT acceptable to any faithful Jew.

On the further mission beyond Derbe, Lystra and Iconium (modern-day Kona, Turkiye) Silas and Saul of Tarsus would certainly NOT want any fellow Jew to mistake this faithful young man and disciple, Timothy, as a Greek (because of his uncircumcision by his non-Jewish Greek father) as some Jews who traveled like Saul already knew.

Acts 16 continued (with Timothy)..

4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem.
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Acts 15 Decisions of the Council in Jerusalem (last year)
.. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:
 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. 
If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. 

Farewell.”
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So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.
Acts of the Apostles 16:5 ESV

ACTS of the apostles Silas, Paul and Timothy .. To Be Continued…
February 14, 2023