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Reading Acts 17:10-15 where Paul and Silas come to a town named Berean who are eager to search the Scriptures to test everything and know the truth of the gospel. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!
Paul and Silas came preaching the gospel to a city named Berea. And there were people who were examining what Paul and Silas said, testing it according to scripture. May we too be good Bereans when we understand the text.
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Here once again is Pastor Gabe.
Thank you, Becky. In our study of the book of Acts, we've been following Paul on his second missionary journey. And in the section we read today, he comes to the city of Berea. This is Acts chapter 17, verses 10 through 15.
Hear the word of the Lord. And the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. And when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
Therefore, many of them believed, along with not a few prominent Greek women and men. But when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, shaking up and disturbing the crowds.
Then immediately the brothers sent Paul out to go as far as the sea, and Silas and Timothy remained there. Now those who escorted 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 left.
So this is a very famous account that we have here in the middle of Acts 17 concerning this city called Berea and the Christians that were made there. We have no dialogue in the few verses that we read today.
Nobody's exchanging words that are captured for us. No narration is given in that sense. But we do read about these faithful scripture seekers who, when they hear the gospel, even go to the scriptures to test what Paul is saying to see if these things were so.
And because of their faithfulness to the word, we are still speaking about the Bereans to this very day. You've probably heard a pastor say to his congregation, be good Bereans. And when he tells them that, what he means for them to do is seek the scriptures and examine all things, just as the Bible tells us to do.
You may have even passed by a church that says, Berean Bible Church. I remember when I was a pastor in Kansas, there was a particular town when I would drive through that town, right on the edge of town, you would always be passing by Berean Baptist Church.
And so the name of that church, coming right from this passage, specifically this verse, verse 11, where the Bereans are said to examine the scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. And as we read about this today, may we also follow this example of the Bereans, that we too would test all things according to the scriptures, something that Paul told the Thessalonians to do.
In 1 Thessalonians 5, examine all things, hold fast to what is good, abhor what is evil. And we know how to test all things, knowing the word of God. So let's come back to the word, beginning in verse 10.
The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. Remember, they are leaving Thessalonica, and the next city that they come to is Berea. Now, this city has been built over, so there is very little remaining of Berea to this day.
When you're talking about the archaeology of that region, you can find a lot more of ancient Thessalonica than you can find of ancient Berea. I think there is still a portion of the city wall that remains to this day.
So if somebody does a trip around ancient Rome to see some of the sites and especially visit those places that you would read about in the Bible, where Paul may have gone and spread the gospel, you can't find much of Berea left.
There's not even a modern-day Berea in that spot. It's a different city that's there. But you can still find remnants of a city wall, I think an old bathhouse or something like that. Now, this city has been written about as far back as the 5th century BC, so it has existed for a long time.
You can find historical record of it being talked about going back centuries, even before Christ. This was also an influential landing point for the Romans when they came in conquering the Greek empire that had been established by Alexander the Great.
One of the first cities that surrendered to the Romans was actually Berea. So this also demonstrates the Greek influence of this city, as once again we read about Greek men and women that come to faith.
That's in verse 12. We had read about that in verses 1 through 9, reading about Thessalonica as well, some of the Greek influence that was there. Berea is another city that has mostly Greeks living among it.
Another reason why we find a synagogue there. So when Paul and Silas come to Berea, they go into the synagogue of the Jews. Philippi was more of a Roman-controlled city. There was not a synagogue there.
But when Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica, they went into the synagogue. And here, coming to Berea, they also go to that place where the scriptures would be, so that Paul and Silas could preach from the scriptures and convince the people, just as Paul taught in Thessalonica, that Jesus is the Christ, that he is the one who fulfills everything that was written about in the Old Testament concerning the coming Messiah.
Remember, going back up to chapter 17, verse 3, he explained to the Jews there in the synagogue that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, saying, this Jesus, whom I am proclaiming to you, is that Christ.
So even though we don't have any dialogue here in verses 10 through 15, we can understand that's what Paul was preaching in Berea also. He goes into the synagogue where the scriptures are kept. He preaches from them, pointing out that Jesus is the Christ.
And how do these Bereans react to what Paul is saying? Verse 11 says, these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica. Now, that is not a dig at the Christians that were there in Thessalonica.
Actually, it's a compliment to the Bereans. It's also a compliment to the Thessalonians. They, too, were faithful to examine the scriptures to see what it was that Paul was saying. We kind of got hints of that when we were reading in verses 1 through 9.
Paul says, this Jesus, whom I am proclaiming to you, is that Christ. Verse 4, and some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas along with a great multitude of the God-fearing Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
So there's nothing there in that passage that says that the Thessalonians were resistant to this, but these are being spoken about as being even more noble than the Thessalonians. If you were impressed by the Thessalonian believers, just wait till you hear about these Bereans, for they even went to the scriptures to examine everything that Paul said.
They received the word with great eagerness, just like those in Thessalonica, but also examining the scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. We're given here something in the narration that says to us that this was an ongoing day-by-day thing.
This wasn't just Paul coming and preaching on the Sabbath, but every day they're coming back to the scriptures. Okay, we've heard from this guy. This is a big deal. Like they're thinking this. This is a big deal.
If Paul's coming in here and he's saying that this Jesus is the Christ, we better be sure about this. Either he's preaching something heretical and we're going to have to send him out, or this changes everything that we've been reading from the scriptures and we're going to have to put our trust in Jesus for that Messiah has come and only by faith in him can we be forgiven our sins and have everlasting life with God.
That's what they're thinking. That's exactly what they're testing when they come to the scriptures to examine what Paul has preached. And verse 12, the result of that is many of them believed, along with not a few prominent Greek women and men.
So we're primarily reading about Jews in verses 10 and 11, but then also adding in there were many Greeks there who likewise heard these things and also believed. Many of them, many of the Jews who examined these things believed, along with not a few prominent Greek women and men.
So you're talking about people who were influential in the city of Berea, probably had positions of authority like the proconsul that Paul had convinced earlier while he was in Cyprus, who came to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ himself.
We have been seeing as we've been going through Acts, even prominent men and women who have come to believe in these things and have therefore been convinced by the gospel and would lead others to the truth of Christ as well.
This is happening here in Berea. We have both Jews and Greeks that are coming to faith in the preaching of the gospel and examining this preaching according to the scriptures. And this is why it's a good thing when you hear a pastor say, be good Bereans.
Test all things according to the scriptures. Examine the Bible to see if these things are so. All of us have a responsibility to examine the scriptures, to even use scripture to interpret scripture. If I go back to the Baptist catechism for you, in our church, we're actually going through the entire catechism.
Every week we have a different question and we do this question at the start of services. So it's included in the announcements. It's not exactly part of the main worship part of the service, but we have it in the announcements that we do before we enter into worship as a body of Christ together.
So as we've been going through the Baptist catechism questions, we've done these recently. So question number four, what is the word of God? Answer, the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the word of God and the only certain rule of faith and obedience.
So the way that we'll do this in our churches, whoever is doing the announcements, we'll read the question and then the congregation responds with the answer. The next question, may all men make use of the holy scriptures?
Answer, all men are not only permitted, but commanded and exhorted to read, hear, and understand the holy scriptures. And even in our statement of faith, if you attend a church that has a historic reformed Protestant statement of faith, you probably have a statement like this in your statement of faith.
This is from ours. We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the church of God to a high and reverent esteem of the holy scriptures and the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine and the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole, which is to give all glory to God.
The full discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation and many other incomparable excellencies and entire perfections thereof are arguments whereby it does abundantly evidence itself to be the word of God.
Yet, notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the word in our hearts.".
So what's the point of that there? What is it saying? Like any of us can make use of the scriptures, even unbelievers can pick up the Bible and read it. But to know for sure, with certainty, that this is indeed the word of God, it is, and we can be assured, that it is all of the infallible truth that would be given to us by God and the authority thereof that we can therefore live by these things and be saved because we believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ that is proclaimed to us in the scriptures.
The way that we know that is the inward work of the Holy Spirit, who bears witness by and with the word in our hearts. So anyone can read the Bible, but to be assured that it is truly the word of God, that is a work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.
To believe its truth and know its truth. So we must share the gospel with everybody, but it is ultimately the spirit that makes a person aware of the truthfulness of what is being, of what is being proclaimed and therefore put faith in it.
And we've been seeing that as we've been going through the book of Acts. Remember that at the start of Acts chapter 16 is where Paul and Silas, well Paul had received a vision of a man in Macedonia and so he therefore goes into Macedonia to share the gospel.
This is God guiding him into Macedonia where the gospel is supposed to go next. And we read in Acts 16 .6 they pass through the Phrygian and Galatian region having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.
So God has been orchestrating all of this from the very beginning where the gospel was going to go and who was going to believe it. And a little bit later on in chapter 16 we read of Paul and Silas in Philippi sharing the gospel and they encounter a woman named Lydia and it says that her heart was opened by the Lord to pay attention to the things spoken by Paul.
So all of these things have still been the work of God. We must be faithful and obedient to go and to share the message of the gospel with somebody else. But all of this is still by God's guiding hand.
We can try to convince somebody until we're blue in the face that the Bible is the word of God but ultimately it is going to be the Holy Spirit that opens their hearts to receive it. It is the work of God that we would believe the word of God.
And that's even being spoken to us here as we're going through this account in Acts chapter 17. This is the case even with these Bereans. They're spoken of as being more noble in testing all things according to the scriptures and we must test all things according to the scriptures.
But even their examining doesn't lead them to faith unless the Lord opens their hearts. They can do all the examining that they want but it is ultimately God who brings their heart to a state of contrition and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And when we read in verse 12, therefore many of them believed. Yeah, they used the scriptures to examine all things and the Holy Spirit working through those scriptures that they would believe. But it's not just their it's not just their noble academic prowess that brings them to that knowledge.
It is ultimately the Holy Spirit that opens their hearts to believe it just as the Spirit did with Lydia in the previous chapter. So many of them believe along with not a few prominent Greek men and women.
But and here we get to the opposition part happening with Paul and Silas and Berea just like it happened in Thessalonica, just like it happened in Philippi. Verse 13, but when the Jews of Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul and Berea also they came there as well, shaking up and disturbing the crowds.
They're just hopping from one city to the next making sure that Paul can't go about sharing the gospel turning people to Jesus Christ. They are in opposition to the gospel. And verse 14, that immediately the brothers sent Paul out to go as far as the sea and Silas and Timothy remained there.
So what it appears is happening here is that the people or these opponents think Paul is the problem. And if Paul goes away, then they have succeeded in stopping the advancement of the gospel in that city.
So Paul is sent out but Silas and Timothy remain there. They are able to continue with those Bereans and guiding them in the truth that Paul was proclaiming. So these people really haven't succeeded in stopping anything.
They just got Paul out of there, but Paul is able to go on and continue sharing the gospel and Silas and Timothy will join him later. Now verse 15 says, Now those who escorted 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 left.
Now Athens is not that far away from Berea. So what we don't know is if Paul went by land in which case he would have been following a coastal road. There's actually a historic coastal road that went from Berea down into Athens right there in that portion of the peninsula where Athens can be found, that part of Greece.
So it could be that Paul just walked the road and there were people that accompanied him on the road until he got to Athens. But the other possibility is he gets on a ship and then takes that ship along the coast down to Athens.
Either one could be the case. Though the text doesn't explicitly tell us. But as we think about Paul's time in Berea, the short narrative that we have here just goes from verses 10 through 15. We can likewise follow the Bereans example of testing all things according to Scripture.
And whatever we don't understand, we would seek the Scriptures for that understanding as well. We would seek God that he may illuminate to us the meaning of the text that may not make sense to us when we read it.
Consider what James says in James 1 .5. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith with no doubting for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind for that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.
He is a double-minded man unstable in all of his ways. These Bereans here, when they examined what Paul said according to the Scriptures, they didn't have doubts about what he said. They wanted it to be true.
They were seeking the truth. Exactly the reason why they came to the Scriptures. Not because they doubted, but because they loved the truth and wanted to see that what Paul was saying was even cemented in the Word of God that we know is the Word of God.
It's good for us when we get to those confusing places in Scripture to use Scripture to interpret Scripture. Use the Scriptures that make sense to you, that are the clearest to you to help you understand those passages that may not be as clear.
And that's exactly what the Bereans were doing here. Though Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ, they tested even that claim. How do we know that you're actually coming speaking the Word of God? Well, when they went to the Word that they knew was of God and they tested Paul's words against that Word, they were able to conclude, this Word that Paul is speaking is from God as well.
And it led them to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that they may be saved. This is the greatest weapon that we have in our arsenal when it comes to sharing the Gospel with others. The Bible, the Word of God, which is described in Ephesians 6 as being the sword of the Spirit.
Don't sheathe that weapon and put it away. Give people the Word. And may they also examine the Word with the Word that they would come to a knowledge of the truth by the working of the Holy Spirit through these words that we read and study together, brothers and sisters.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for what we have read today. Reading once again about these noble Bereans, and may we too be good Bereans in the way that we examine the Scriptures and test all things. Not believing everything that comes to us, for as John said, 1 John 4 ,1, Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
And Lord, may we be noble also to examine those things, not being led astray by every teacher who comes claiming to speak something from God, but we read it in the Word of God, that we may truly know God and grow in God.
Grow us all the more in Jesus Christ, for as he prayed in John 17 ,17, Father, sanctify them in your truth. Your Word is truth, that we may be more like Christ day by day until the day of the Lord draws near.
It's in the name of Jesus that.
We pray, Amen. Thank you for listening to When We Understand the Text with Pastor Gabe Hughes. If you'd like to support this ministry, visit our website, www .wutt .com, and click on the Give tab in the top right corner of the page.
Join us again tomorrow as we continue our Bible study, When We Understand the Text.