10The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11Now 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. 12Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.
From Thessalonica, the mission team traveled inland, coming to Berea. Such quick exits were becoming the norm (see Acts 9:25, 30; 17:14; 20:3). They were not abandoning the new churches, for the new believers were often the impetus behind their leaving, knowing that the leaders of a movement are usually the ones subject to the severest opposition. Paul and Silas evidently felt the fledgling church in Thessalonica would be able to handle the residual persecution and had sufficient teaching to continue growing in the faith.
As was their custom (see Acts 17:2), the preaching tandem went first to the Jews. Here we find the example espoused by many Bible schools and discipleship programs, the challenge to be like the Bereans. What makes them so special that Luke would describe them as “more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica?” First of all, we must note the comparison. Those in Thessalonica were themselves noble-minded. According to Acts 17:4, the response there was very positive and fruitful, with some of the Jews coming to faith, along with a large number of Gentiles and a number of the leading women of the city. The word Luke used to describe them conveys “having the type of attitude ordinarily associated with well-bred persons” (BDAG). They were, as we would say today, open-minded and capable of discerning and accepting the truth.
If the Thessalonians were noble-minded, then the Bereans were more so. Why? Like the former, they eagerly received the preached word of Paul and Silas, but the Bereans went further. They adamantly went back to their primary source for all truth, the Jewish Scriptures. They “examined” the Scriptures, evaluating everything they were being told. The implication is that they discovered that what Paul and Silas taught was fully confirmed in Scripture.
What this means for us today is that the gospel message is fully laid out in the OT Scripture. Jesus affirmed this after His resurrection with the disciples on the road to Emmaus: “Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:27). Paul’s admonition to Timothy carries the application for us today: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15).
Lord, I commit myself to study Your Word; it is my primary source of truth.
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