June 9 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Acts 17:1-15:

¹Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:
²And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
³Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
⁴And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
⁵But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
⁶And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
⁷Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
⁸And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
⁹And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
¹⁰And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
¹¹These were 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.
¹²Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
¹³But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.
¹⁴And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.
¹⁵And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.

Devotional

Paul was on his second missionary journey. He and Silas had preached in Philippi where the Lord opened Lydia's heart, and the jailor was converted with all his house, but where also they had been thrown into prison. On being released from prison they went to Thessalonica where they preached, and many believed. But the Jews, who believed not, made a big uproar, and the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night to Berea. Here they preached in the synagogue of the Jews. "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."

What did the Bereans do? They received the word with a ready mind. They searched the Scriptures every day. They wanted to know, whether what the apostles preached was in harmony with the Bible. In other words, they wanted to know whether the apostles preached the true gospel, that they might not be led astray in believing a false gospel and be eternally lost.

And what did the apostles preach? That Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead. And that this Jesus is the Christ. That is the true gospel revealed in the Old Testa­ment and in the New Testament. "It is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life."

It is even so today. We too should search the Scriptures daily, and teach them to our children, that it may be well with us in time and eternity.

Prayer

Our Father, we cannot sufficiently thank Thee for Thy Word. May it be more precious unto us than gold and much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honey comb. May we as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that we may grow thereby. May we increase in knowledge of the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. Sanctify us through Thy truth. Thy Word is truth. And may Thy Word be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Acts 17:3; Deut. 32:47.

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