Berea - Acts 16:5-15

While some of the Jews and gentiles in Thessalonica believed in Paul’s teaching of the gospel, many others did not which caused a problem for not only the missionaries, but also for the man who they apparently were staying with, a man named Jason. Those who rejected the gospel, “set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.” This is reminiscent of when the citizenry called outside of Lot’s house for the angels staying with him to be send down to be raped by the people. When this group was unable to get the missionaries, they took Jason himself “and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.”

I feel like this is the card that people can play and immediately get the attention of the city’s leadership. It’s like going in to the ER saying you have chest pain, automatically there is a hundred different things to do to figure out the problem, and this is because the stakes are so high. Similarly, when these men come saying, “this man says that Caesar is not the king,” all hell breaks loose because the stakes are so high. If there in fact is a man who is trying to convince the people to turn their loyalty away from Caesar, Rome would have their army at their gates immediately and won’t stop at just killing the instigators; they will kill all the men and enslave the women and children.
The stakes are very high when these men accuse Jason and the missionaries of sedition, and I think that they knew that and used those words to purposefully present the bearers of the gospel as traitors and threats to Thessalonica itself. Clearly, when presented with accusations of such significance, “they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.” The record says that the “brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea,” but it is probably the case that as the leadership, they all worked together to decide what was best for the church, and that was to leave when they weren’t wanted there.
Once at Berea, Paul does what he always does and “went into the synagogue of the Jews.” This time he found his audience “more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” It’s interesting that as a community, Thessalonian Jews were not prepared to receive the gospel, yet those at Berea were. It seems that this is an example of “birds of a feather flock together.” Surely there were some who were ready, but as a whole, they weren’t able to receive the gospel and it seems because there were some among them who brought the whole community down.
Another interesting point is that when the missionaries came and started to teach the gospel, the people felt that the message was true, but instead of simply taking their word for it, they had to learn for themselves. This is what we are taught to do when presented with new information, but usually we talk about praying for personal revelation, but this group of people demonstrated how the scriptures play an important part in spiritual growth and understanding. We know that the Old Testament, which is what these Jews had at this point, preached of the Messiah and we know that Paul used the scriptures to show the people just how specifically Christ was the Messiah. So instead of reasoning with themselves about how much money or power they were going to lose, and really instead of even just thinking about Paul’s words, the people also turned to the scriptures to find the truth.
The IM quotes President Howard W. Hunter as describing, “how daily scripture study can lead to greater spiritual understanding: ‘It is certain that one who studies the scriptures every day accomplishes far more than one who devotes considerable time one day and then lets days go by before continuing. Not only should we study each day, but there should be a regular time set aside when we can concentrate without interference… It would be ideal if an hour could be spent each day; but if that much cannot be had, a half hour on a regular basis would result in substantial accomplishment. A quarter of an hour is little time, but it is surprising how much enlightenment and knowledge can be acquired in a subject so meaningful.”
I’ve said before that in depth scripture study that I do here for myself has changed my life, and the amount of time isn’t as important as the consistency. I don’t always do great with this, but when I am constant in my study I am happier, things make more sense and I find more meaning in my study. Whenever we put forth even a small amount of effort to come to Christ, we are rewarded a hundred time above our effort.
Because the people were so prepared, partly because they were able to uplift each other beforehand, “many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.” But the angry mob from Thessalonica just couldn’t let it go, and followed the missionaries to Berea “and stirred up the people.” Paul is clearly the leader of the missionary group and surely is outspoken about his passion for the gospel and probably the most irritating, so the “brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.”
Paul was probably loud and zealous, but Silas was an old man and Timothy was a young man, and they were probably more subtle in their teachings so they probably didn’t ruffle people’s feathers the way that Paul did, so they were probably ok to stay there. It’s just interesting to point out that even though each of the missionaries had their own personalities and strengths and teaching methods, each different way was important at different times. Paul’s loudness and firmness was needed in large groups and while other tried to confront him, whereas Silas and Timothy’s probably soft spokeness was clearly needed when Paul’s brashness got him run out of town. We are all needed in the kingdom, regardless of our different personalities and traits.
After leaving Berea in apparent haste, “they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens.” Once there, he sent “a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, (and) they departed.” Silas and Timothy probably stuck around strengthening and establishing the church while Paul traveled because the whole leaving and then sending word for them to join him was probably not an overnight process. In the ancient world people and communication traveled slowly, so this gave the missionaries a chance to set up the church for success among those who had been prepared to receive it.