Acts 17:10 – That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. 12 As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.

13 But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble. 14 The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind. 15 Those escorting Paul went with him all the way to Athens; then they returned to Berea with instructions for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him. (NLT)

In this passage of Scripture we encounter Paul experiencing some evangelistic success.  However, if we were to read from the beginning of Acts 17, we would know that Paul had just come from a very difficult and dangerous situation.  Paul came to Berea from Thessalonica, and while some there did come to believe, many rejected Paul and were even violent towards his message.  Indeed, in Acts 17: 5 we are told that a riot took place!  

This passage teaches us something of Paul’s persistence.  He did not let rejection discourage him in his efforts to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He did not even let danger to himself deter his efforts!  This makes me wonder – what do we let discourage us in our efforts to share the message of Jesus?

Also, in this passage we can learn something from the Bereans.  When they heard Paul & Silas preach they neither rejected or accepted their message.  What they did do, however, was to search the Scriptures daily to see if they were telling the truth.  There is a lesson here for us, especially when we listen to a preacher or Bible teacher with whom we are not familiar.  We must be familiar enough with the Scriptures that we, too, can search the Bible to see if what a preacher or teacher is telling us is the truth.  If we study the Scriptures daily, we can come to new insights, as well.  We thank God we already know and trust Jesus, but there is much insight in the Bible for us to yet glean!

Today, let us search the Scriptures, ready to receive what God would reveal to us! 

Posted by Ramón Torres