Berea

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=Berea in the book of Acts (Acts 17:10-15) =

Berea is one of the cities Paul visits along with Silas in Macedonia on his second missionary journey. Just prior to arriving to Berea, Paul and Silas were visiting the city of Thessalonica but due to the jealousy of the Jews there were “sent off” at night to Berea, probably for their safety against the Jews in Thessalonica. Upon arriving to Berea, Paul and Silas did as they always did in arriving in a new city, and began preaching in the Jewish synagogue. Luke then describes the Bereans as “more noble than those in Thessalonica,” referring to their expression of attitude to Paul’s preaching, and unlike the Jews in Thessalonica they “received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (17:11). Because of their intent search within the Word to judge for themselves the validity of Paul’s message, many of them believed. Though Paul and Silas seemed to have been out of the limelight, word spread back to Thessalonica that Paul was proclaiming the Word also in Berea, so some Jews from Thessalonica came to Berea to oppose Paul, “agitating and stirring up the crowds” (17:14). Because of this, the brothers send off Paul alone, where he goes to Athens, while Silas and Timothy remain in Berea.

=Background of Berea =

Geographical and Historical Background
Berea is a Macedonian town on the Egnatian Way, the main land route to Rome.[|[1]] It is also known as Bereoa, which means “a place of many waters.” This name probably derives from the fact that it was located near many natural springs. Berea lay at the eastern slopes of Mount Bermius, and as a part of Macedonia, Berea would have been located in northern Greece and had been a part of the Greco-Roman empire. It was a neighboring Macedonian town of the much larger town Thessalonica, being about forty-five miles southwest. It had been founded in the fifth century B.C. and in 168 B.C. it became the capital of one of the republics into which Macedonia was divided, making it one of the most significant cities of the area. It was smaller, though, than the cities surrounding, especially it’s neighbor Thessalonica, but it would have been home to many artisans, traders, farmers, and stonecutters. Berea is described as “a town of difficult access,” which might have been one of the reasons why Paul and Silas escape to Berea. Acts 17 describes the Bereans as “more noble than the Thessalonians,” which many not have only applied to their response to Paul’s message but also served to describe their high social standing.[|[2]]

Religious Background
As a part of the Greco-Roman empire, many prominent Greeks may have been involved with “the Ruler Cult” in worshiping at temples dedicated to such rulers as Ceasar. Luke does not mention any incidents of temples built to their rulers in Berea, as it was a out of reach city set on a hill in southeast Macedonia, nonetheless, Luke does mention that Paul and Silas went into the Jewish synagogue upon arriving in Berea, displaying that there was a prominent Jewish population in Berea. This is consistent with the Jewish population of the eastern Mediterranean that had grown considerably. This allowed for Paul and Silas to be under the protection of Roman law as a branch of Judaism to present Jesus as the Messiah. The fact that they had a Jewish audience also meant that Paul and his partners could preach first to the Jews, as they had been in previous cities. It is in the city of Berea that the message of the Gospel is widely accepted by a Jewish audience, but the fact that it was a part of the Greco-Roman empire makes it possible for Greeks to have accepted the message as well. Sopater, who is mentioned in Acts 20:4, was most likely a Greek from Berea who had received the message at this time[|[3]] and part of the Greek men of high standing that believed (Acts 17:12). Also the fact that Luke reveals that “a number of prominent women” believed Paul and Silas’ message may indicate that women were more prominent within the church in Berea.[|[4]] = Importance of Berea =

= = Berea is noted in Acts to have “received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (17:11). Berea is used by Luke to display the validity of Paul’s Gospel message and to encourage Paul in the continuing mission that would continue unto the Gentiles. Upon beginning the voyage through Macedonia to continue unto Europe, Paul had received a way into the Gentile nation by breaking through Philippi (Acts 16:11-40), yet it was clear that Paul was going to face opposition, even from a Gentile audience. This was further exemplified in the city of Thessalonica, which Paul and his companions had visited and preached at prior to coming to Berea. The message was so opposed there by the Jewish audience that they formed a mob and attacked the believers in Thessalonica when they could not find Paul and Silas, so that once the “house of Jason” was released, the brethren sent Paul and Silas to Berea. This great opposition clearly displays the perseverance that Paul would have to endure in spreading the Gospel message to the Gentiles, though they would continue to encounter great opposition by not only Jews, but by the Gentiles as well. It was in Berea, however, that Paul was given scriptural confirmation of the mission of the Gospel to the Gentiles. His message was not something that was imagined or read into, but his message is confirmed by the Bereans to be true, so that “many of them therefore believed” (Acts 17:12).[|[5]] So, it is at Berea that Paul is shown that the Gentile mission is right, though it requires perseverance. Work Cited ______________________________________________________ <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Alexander, Neil M.. //The New Interpreter's Bible: Volume X//. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Easton, M. G. //Illustrated Bible Dictionary//. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1978.

<span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Freedman, David Noel. "Beroea." In //The Anchor Bible Dictionary: Volume 1//. New York: Doubleday, 1992. 678-679. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Harrison, Everett Falconer. //The Apostolic Church//. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1985.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Negenman, Jan H., and H. H. Rowley. //New Atlas of the Bible//. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1969.

<span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Phillips, Thomas E. //Paul, His Letters, and Acts//. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 2009.

<span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Polhill, John B.. //Acts//. Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman Press, 1992.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Spencer, F. Scott. //Journeying Through Acts: a Literary-Cultural Reading//. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 2004.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Vos, Howard Frederic. //Nelson's New illustrated Bible Manners & Customs: How the People of the Bible Really Lived//. Nashville, Tenn.: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Williams, David John. //Acts//. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1990.

<span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[1]] <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Polhill, John B.. //Acts//. (Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman Press, 1992), 363. <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[2]] <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">David Noel Freedman. "Bereoa." In //The Anchor Bible Dictionary: Volume I//. (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 675. <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[3]] <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">M. G. Easton. “Beroea.” In //Illustrated Bible Dictionary//. (Rev. ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1978), 186.

<span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[4]] <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">David John Williams. //Acts//. (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1990), 299. <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif'; font-size: 15px;">[|[5]] <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif'; font-size: 15px;">Neil M. Alexander. //The New Interpreter's Bible: Volume X//. (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002) 239.

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