How did the people in the synagogue in Berea receive Pauls teachings?
Berea was a small city compared to Thessalonica, and the little synagogue there apparently more humble and more teachable. Paul probably approached the synagogue in his usual way, teaching from the scriptures about Christ crucified and risen from the dead. His reception at Berea differed significantly from his reception in Thessalonica. “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). The Greek term prothymia translated here as “readiness of mind” is translated elsewhere as “a willing mind” (2 Cor. 8:12). In other words, the Berean Jews were different in that they were “ready and willing” to receive the mind and will of the Lord. They tested Paul’s teachings against the scriptures and found that he spoke truth; “therefore many of them believed.” But the Adversary was not far behind, and some of the Thessalonian Jews showed up in Berea to persecute
