# Bereans

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{{Short description|Religious group at the time of Paul}}
In ancient times, the '''Bereans''' were the inhabitants of the city of [Berea](/source/Berea_(Bible)), also referred to as Beroea in the [Bible](/source/Bible). Today, the city is known as [Veria](/source/Veria) in what is today [northern Greece](/source/Early_centers_of_Christianity). The name has been taken up by certain groups within [Protestantism](/source/Protestantism) based on the Bereans' emphasis on [apologetics](/source/apologetics) and studying Scripture.

==Biblical context==
According to the [Book of Acts](/source/Book_of_Acts), [Paul of Tarsus](/source/Paul_the_Apostle) and [Silas](/source/Silas) preached at the synagogue in Berea, and many of the people there believed. <ref>{{bibleverse||Acts|17:11|NIV}}: [New International Version](/source/New_International_Version)</ref>

==Modern use==
{{More citations needed|section|date=August 2021}}

Historically, the Bereans (also called Beroeans, Barclayans or Barclayites) were a Protestant sect following former Scottish [Presbyterian](/source/Presbyterianism) minister [John Barclay](/source/John_Barclay_(Berean)) (1734&ndash;1798). Founded in [Edinburgh](/source/Edinburgh) in 1773, the Berean Church followed a modified form of [Calvinism](/source/Calvinism). It had congregations in [Scotland](/source/Scotland), [London](/source/London), and [Bristol](/source/Bristol), but mainly merged with the [Congregationalists](/source/Congregationalists) after Barclay's death in 1798.

A new Protestant Christian group began in the 1850s in the United States under the tutelage of Dr. John Thomas. The name "[Christadelphian](/source/Christadelphians)" was chosen as it is believed that those who believe and obey the [Commandments of Christ](/source/Law_of_Christ) and the Bible as the inspired word of God, are "Brethren in Christ". The original group split, with one group continuing with the name "The Christadelphians" and the second group adding the word "Berean" to become the "[Berean Christadelphians](/source/Berean_Christadelphians)". The word "Berean" was chosen to reflect the words in Acts 17, "These (Berea) were more noble than those in [Thessalonica](/source/Thessaloniki) in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so."{{Citation needed|date=May 2022|reason=Direct quote}} 

Christadelphians, and Berean Christadelphians believe in the promises given to [Abraham](/source/Abraham), [Isaac](/source/Isaac), and [Jacob](/source/Jacob) concerning the Kingdom of God. They deny the [Doctrine of the Trinity](/source/Trinity), a central tenet of orthodox [Christianity](/source/Christianity), and this refusal to recognize the triune nature of God has resulted in a major impasse between the Christadelphians and the Protestant, [Catholic](/source/Catholic_Church), and [Eastern Orthodox](/source/Eastern_Orthodoxy) churches.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022|reason=Potential discrepancy: are the Bereans Protestant or not?}}

Some groups among the [Bible Student movement](/source/Bible_Student_movement) also adopted the name, such as the ''Berean Bible Students'' and the ''Berean Bible Institute''. Churches and institutions who adopt the Berean name, usually do so in order to express their desire to reflect the attitude of the Bereans in Acts 17, committing themselves to "searching the scriptures daily".

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Attribution==
{{Eastons|wstitle=Bereans}}

==Further reading==
*"Bereans" and "John Barclay" in {{cite book | editor-last = Livingstone | editor-first = E. A. | title = The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church | publisher = [Oxford University Press](/source/Oxford_University_Press) | location = [London](/source/London) | year = 2006 | isbn = 978-0-19-861442-5 }}

==External links==
*[http://www.ccel.org/e/easton/ebd/ebd/T0000500.html#T0000530 Berea], [http://www.ccel.org/e/easton/ebd/ebd.html Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050422120441/http://bartleby.com/65/be/Bereans.html Bereans], [The Columbia Encyclopedia](/source/The_Columbia_Encyclopedia), Sixth Edition. 2001.
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050205045220/http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1997/9703fea3.asp Catholic Answers article]: "Why the Bereans rejected ''[sola scriptura](/source/sola_scriptura)''"
*[https://berean.bible The Berean Bible Project]
*[https://www.thebereantest.com The Berean Test]

{{Scottish religion}}

Category:Protestant denominations established in the 18th century
Category:Presbyterianism in Scotland
Category:Protestant denominations established in the 19th century
Category:Protestantism in the United States
Category:Christian terminology

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bereans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bereans) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bereans?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.