A city in Macedonia where Paul and Silas traveled to after being driven out of Thessalonica.
About Berea
An ancient city in Macedonia, a region now split between Greece, Yugoslavia [now North Macedonia], and Bulgaria. It was likely founded in the fifth century BC. The city was about 40 kilometers (25 miles) inland from the Aegean Sea, located on a scenic and fertile plain 183 meters (600 feet) high in the foothills north of the Olympian range. Rome conquered Berea in 168 BC, and it was one of the most populated Macedonian cities during the time of Christ. Today, the city is called Verria.
The apostle Paul visited Berea during his second missionary journey (Acts 17:10–15). It was also the hometown of Sopater, one of Paul's companions (Acts 20:4). Paul and Silas traveled to Berea, about 81 kilometers (50 miles) southwest, after facing violent religious and political opposition in Thessalonica. In Berea, both Jews and Greeks eagerly accepted the gospel, but Paul had to leave when hostile Jews from Thessalonica came to cause trouble.
Key References
As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue.
All Scripture References (6)
Acts (6)
As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue.
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.
But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that Paul was also proclaiming the word of God in Berea, they went there themselves to incite and agitate the crowds.
The brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea.
Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then returned with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.