Acts 17:11
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Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica--The comparison is between the Jews of the two places; for the triumphs of the Gospel at Thessalonica were mostly among the Gentiles. See on Act 17:2-4. in that they received the word with all readiness of mind--heard it not only without prejudice, but with eager interest, "in an honest and good heart" (Luk 8:17), with sincere desire to be taught aright (see Joh 7:17). Mark the "nobility" ascribed to this state of mind. searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so--whether the Christian interpretation which the apostle put upon the Old Testament Scriptures was the true one.
Open source ↗We have here a further account of the travels of Paul, and his services and sufferings for Christ. He was not like a candle upon a table, that gives light only to one room, but like the sun that goes its circuit to give light to many. He was called into Macedonia, a large kingdom, Act 16:9. He began with Philippi, because it was the first city he came to; but he must not confine himself to this. We have him here, I. Preaching and persecuted at Thessalonica, another city of Macedonia (Act 17:1-9). II. Preaching at Berea, where he met with an encouraging auditory, but was driven thence also by persecution (Act 17:10-15). III. Disputing at Athens, the famous university of Greece (Act 17:16-21), and the account he gave of natural religion, for the conviction of those that were addicted to polytheism and idolatry, and to lead them to the Christian religion (Act 17:22-31), together with the success of this sermon (Act 17:32-34).
Open source ↗Cross-references
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Search and read the scroll of the LORD: Not one of these will go missing, not one will lack her mate, because He has ordered it by His mouth, and He will gather them by His Spirit.
You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me,
And we continually thank God because, when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as the true word of God—the word which is now at work in you who believe.
But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”
Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning.
let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel
But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God.”
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord when you welcomed the message with the joy of the Holy Spirit, in spite of your great suffering.
and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them.
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,