That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 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. As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men. But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble. The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind. 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. (Acts of the Apostles 17:10-15 NLT)
After leaving Thessalonica, Paul and Silas went to Berea. They went strait into the synagogue of the Jews and preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bereans accepted the message readily and searched the scriptures diligently to verify the things Paul and Silas were proclaiming. We need more Bereans in the church. We should never accept anything we are told unless it is solidly rooted in the Word of God. God's Word is the blueprint of life and the foundation of church doctrine. It is our creed. It supersedes all human philosophy. It is eternal. It is immutable. Luke 21:33 tells us that heaven and earth will pass away, but God's Word never will! Many people came to know Jesus as Lord and Savior, including prominent Jews and Gentiles, both male and female. No matter where Paul went, certain Jews tried to stop his ministry and even kill him. As word reached Berea that Jews from Thessalonica were coming to cause him trouble, the believers sent Paul to Athens to avoid the attack. In fact, Paul was personally escorted by his fellow believers to safety. As the Berean believers returned home from Athens, Paul sent a message by them for Silas and Timothy to join him in Athens as soon as possible. It is possible that Paul was concerned for their safety as they stayed behind. Maybe he felt alone there in Athens. Perhaps he just wanted to continue their efforts as soon as possible. Nevertheless, the gospel was still being proclaimed. These men were completely surrendered to Christ and the furtherance of the gospel to the world! Not even fear of death could stop the move of the Holy Spirit! God, please give us men like this in our time. Raise them up, I Pray. May I be one of them! In Jesus name! Amen!!!
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March 2020
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