The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 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. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 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. Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 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.
Berea - "An ancient city about fifty miles south-west of Thessalonica, on the eastern slope of the Olympian range of mountains which stretch onwards towards Illyricum. Situated near the edge of a well-watered plain, it had advantages which made it a town of some importance. It was not on the Egnatian Road." (Walker)
more noble - "in their character, shown by their open-minded examination of the Scriptures." (Ryrie)
"The Bereans were open-minded. This is the first lesson we must learn from them. To appreciate this quality in them we must remember that they were Jews who met in a synagogue each Sabbath day. Some of the things Paul preached to them must have seemed strange, if not almost unbelievable and impossible. Yet, if they listened with open mouths, they listened with open minds too. They did not shake their heads in refusal or deem Paul's message unworthy of investigation just because it was so different from that which they had heard all their lives. They were spiritually great enough to give him a sincere and interested hearing. In this the Jews of Thessalonica compared unfavorably with them. 'These were more noble than those in Thessalonica,' where Paul had reasoned out of the Scriptures for three Sabbath days with men who were unwilling to listen, until they stirred up persecution against him and he was driven away. We must not suppose that the Berean Jews were gullible, or mistake their broad-mindedness for credulity. If they were broad they were narrow too. They were not willing to accept what Paul said just because he said it. They would listen and consider, but would not concede, without real evidence from the Scriptures, that the truth had been preached. Paul's Word must be subjected to God's Word. This was another sign of their true spiritual greatness." (Stam)
Those who conducted Paul - "That is, some of the Beroean Christians. They may have deemed an escort wise after the violence shown against him in Macedonia; or possibly they went with him to introduce him to friends in Athens. At. Paul was accustomed to having companions in all his travels. The party would land at the Piraeus, the port of Athens." (Walker)
Athens - "The capital of Attica and the most celebrated city of ancient Greece. It was the home of classical literature and art, and gloried in a long past of political and intellectual fame. Under the Romans, it was included in the province of Achai, of which Corinth was the capitol. Athens, was still the intellectual centre, and was the university city of the Roman world. It was also the metropolis of Greek mythology. Its importance as a religious and philosophical centre can hardly be overestimated. St. Paul had come sufficiently, at Tarsus, under the influence of Greek culture and learning to realize the dominating grandeur of the great city in which he now found himself as a missionary of Jesus Christ." (Walker)
Berea - "An ancient city about fifty miles south-west of Thessalonica, on the eastern slope of the Olympian range of mountains which stretch onwards towards Illyricum. Situated near the edge of a well-watered plain, it had advantages which made it a town of some importance. It was not on the Egnatian Road." (Walker)
more noble - "in their character, shown by their open-minded examination of the Scriptures." (Ryrie)
"The Bereans were open-minded. This is the first lesson we must learn from them. To appreciate this quality in them we must remember that they were Jews who met in a synagogue each Sabbath day. Some of the things Paul preached to them must have seemed strange, if not almost unbelievable and impossible. Yet, if they listened with open mouths, they listened with open minds too. They did not shake their heads in refusal or deem Paul's message unworthy of investigation just because it was so different from that which they had heard all their lives. They were spiritually great enough to give him a sincere and interested hearing. In this the Jews of Thessalonica compared unfavorably with them. 'These were more noble than those in Thessalonica,' where Paul had reasoned out of the Scriptures for three Sabbath days with men who were unwilling to listen, until they stirred up persecution against him and he was driven away. We must not suppose that the Berean Jews were gullible, or mistake their broad-mindedness for credulity. If they were broad they were narrow too. They were not willing to accept what Paul said just because he said it. They would listen and consider, but would not concede, without real evidence from the Scriptures, that the truth had been preached. Paul's Word must be subjected to God's Word. This was another sign of their true spiritual greatness." (Stam)
Those who conducted Paul - "That is, some of the Beroean Christians. They may have deemed an escort wise after the violence shown against him in Macedonia; or possibly they went with him to introduce him to friends in Athens. At. Paul was accustomed to having companions in all his travels. The party would land at the Piraeus, the port of Athens." (Walker)
Athens - "The capital of Attica and the most celebrated city of ancient Greece. It was the home of classical literature and art, and gloried in a long past of political and intellectual fame. Under the Romans, it was included in the province of Achai, of which Corinth was the capitol. Athens, was still the intellectual centre, and was the university city of the Roman world. It was also the metropolis of Greek mythology. Its importance as a religious and philosophical centre can hardly be overestimated. St. Paul had come sufficiently, at Tarsus, under the influence of Greek culture and learning to realize the dominating grandeur of the great city in which he now found himself as a missionary of Jesus Christ." (Walker)
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