Study #55: Many of the noble Jews of Berea believed in Christ (Acts 17:10

Study #55: Many of the noble Jews of Berea believed in Christ (Acts 17:10 - 15)

The Golden Ratio outline of Acts Chapter 2.2:

Acts, Chapter 2.2: The Gentiles and Jews of Greece violently opposed the efforts of Paul and Silas to plant churches (15:36 - 18:22)

§Unique Introduction: The missionary ministry of Paul is transformed with a new partner, Silas, and a new helper, Timothy (15:36 - 16:5)

¶Opposite Paul and Barnabas go their separate ways because of a disagreement over John Mark (15:36 - 41)

¶Opposite Paul, Silas, and Timothy delivered the decrees of the assembly at Jerusalem to the new Gentile assemblies (16:1 - 5)

§Complement Body: Paul and his missionary team were imprisoned in Philippi and barely escaped a riot in Thessalonica (16:6 - 17:34)

¶Unique The Holy Spirit opened a door to establish a new assembly in Philippi of Greece (16:6 - 15)

¶Complement Paul and Silas were imprisoned by the Roman authorities in Philippi over a false charge (16:16 - 40)

¶Complement The Jews of Thessalonica disrupted the church-planting efforts of Paul and Silas in Thessalonica with a riot (17:1 - 9)

¶Opposite Many of the noble Jews of Berea believed in Christ (17:10 - 15)

¶Opposite Few of the pagan Greeks of Athens believed in Christ (17:16 - 34)

§Complement Conclusion: The Lord opened a door for Paul in Corinth; and another in Ephesus, on his way home to Antioch (18:1 - 22)

¶Complement The Lord blessed Paul’s missionary efforts in the Greek city of Corinth for eighteen months (18:1 - 11)

¶Complement Paul returned to the assembly at Antioch after stopping at a synagogue in Ephesus (18:12 - 22)

We continue our study of Acts Chapter 2.2 with the fourth paragraph of the Body Section.

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We continue our study of Acts Chapter 2.2 with the fourth paragraph of the Body Section.

¶Opposite Many of the noble Jews of Berea believed in Christ (17:10 - 15)

Unique And the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea; who coming there went into the synagogue of the Jews.

Complement These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind; and they searched the Scriptures daily, to see whether those things were true.

Complement Therefore many of them believed in Christ; also of honorable women who were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

Opposite But when the Jews of Thessalonica discovered that the Word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also, and stirred up the people.

Opposite And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea; but Silas and Timotheus remained there still. And they that conducted Paul brought him to Athens; and receiving a command to Silas and Timotheus to come to him with all speed, they departed.

The Golden Ratio design of “UCC-OO” explained:

Unique Paul and Silas departed from Thessalonica and came into the synagogue in Berea

Complement They received the Word with all readiness of mind; and they searched the Scriptures daily

Complement Therefore many of them believed in Christ; also of honorable women who were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

Opposite The Jews of Thessalonica came to Berea, and stirred up the people.

Opposite And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go to Athens

Comments: These Jews in Berea were unusual, because “they received the Word with all readiness of mind; and they searched the Scriptures daily, to see whether those things were true.”

The Bible doesn’t say it, but I suspect that these Jews were already believers in Jehovah under the Old Covenant. In other words, they were already saved, because they had repented of their sins and offered an animal sacrifice for their sins through the Temple in Jerusalem at some time before the crucifixion of Christ.

It was still possible to find people like this in the world at that time, because many of the Jews in the Roman empire would make a yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem to attend the three main feasts of the Jews; and yet they lived in Greece, Italy, Asia Minor (like Paul) and elsewhere. During those feasts (especially the Day of Atonement), there was the opportunity to repent and put their faith in Jehovah God and offer an animal sacrifice for their sins.

But now that Christ had offered Himself as the Final, perfect, once for all time sacrifice for all sins, never to be repeated, God did not accept animal sacrifices anymore, so these Jews who had been saved under the old way were still living, but now were left without a Way to come to God.

So when Paul and Silas came preaching the Gospel of Christ, that He had died for their sins and rose again from the dead on the third day as the Final Sacrifice for all sins for all time, they (being believers in the same Jehovah God) recognized this message as the truth, and many of them believed in Christ.

The text highlights the fact that these Bereans were avid readers of the Bible! “They searched the Scriptures daily”! They knew where the truth was, and they were determined to find all of it! And because they were avid readers of the Bible, “Therefore many of them believed in Christ; also of honorable women who were Greeks, and of men, not a few.”

The Bible always leads us to Jesus Christ, if we read it with a heart that believes that what we are reading is the Word of God.

On the other hand, if we read the Bible with the eye of the skeptic (for example):“Well, I believe the words of Jesus, but I don’t like that part about the Creation or the Flood”; or, “I believe God loves everyone, so I don’t like that part about judgment and Hell”; then, you will NEVER understand the Bible, and you will never be saved!

God only reveals Himself and his secrets to those who believe HIM and accept his Word by faith and want to follow the truth, wherever it leads, even when it hurts and calls us to repent!

Hebrews 11:6: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for the one coming to God must believe that he exists; and that he is a rewarder of them that eagerly seek him.”

I recall a man that I knew well many years ago, who would sit in church with his arms crossed, as if to say to the pastor, “I don’t believe a word that you are saying!” Sadly, today, he is in Hell.

ALL of the Bible is the Word of God, from cover to cover. It must ALL be believed by faith and received as the Word of God, or you will never be saved!

Luke 24:25-27: “Then he said to them, “O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken. Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

Luke 24:44-47: “And he said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you, while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which have been written in the Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms, concerning me.” Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures; and he said to them, “Thus it has been written; and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day, so that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his Name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

As a born again believer in Jesus Christ, that doesn’t mean that you have to understand everything; it only means that you must give God the benefit of the doubt, and are willing to ask the Lord for help to understand what is written in the Bible; and as you regularly attend a Gospel preaching, Bible believing church, and search the Bible daily for nuggets of truth, and then try to obey what you find written in the Bible, God will open your heart and mind to understand his truth over time: line upon line, precept upon precept.

James 1:5-8: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all liberally, and does not reproach; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (for he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed): for let not that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

But first, you must be born again through faith in Christ, because without Christ in your heart, the Bible will never make any sense to you at all. Your unbelief in Christ will keep you out of Heaven when you die, but it will also put a lock on the Bible so that you cannot understand it.

I Corinthians 1:18 “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but to us who are saved it is the power of God”

How about you? Are you seeking the truth, no matter where it may lead? If so, then you have come to the right place!

Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.” John 14:6.

If you want to know God, then you must know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, because Jesus Christ is the true God, and Eternal Life.

1 John 5:20 “And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This [Jesus] is the true God, and Eternal Life.”

Jesus is the ONLY WAY, the ONLY TRUTH, and the ONLY LIFE: if you try to climb up to Heaven some other way, like Mohammad, Buddha or other false prophets, you will perish eternally without hope.

Do not trust in Mary, the saints, your church membership, or your good works, or your baptism as a baby to bring you to Heaven when you die! It will not work, necause their way is the way to Hell and eternal destruction.

Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been permanently saved through faith; and that faith is not out of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of our own works, lest any man should boast.”

Jesus Christ died for everyone: the rich and the poor, old and young; Jesus died for YOU on the cross 2,000 years ago, so that your sins might be forgiven, and so that you can go to Heaven when you die.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life” John 3:16.

If you know that you are a sinner; and if you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and if you believe that Jesus died on the cross for YOUR SINS, and that God raised Him from the dead on the third day, you can be saved, right now!

Use this prayer as a model for your own:

“Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned against YOU. I am no good, and you are righteous! I believe that you died on the cross for my sins, you were buried, and you rose again from the dead on the third day. I want you to come into my life and be my Lord and Savior. Please come into my heart right now. Forgive me for all my sins, and save my soul. In the mighty Name of Jesus, I pray, Amen!”

If you have turned from your sins and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and only Savior from sin, please message me through Facebook and let me know that you have done that, so that I can pray for you and rejoice with you in what God has done in your life. Amen.