Bible Strands
Acts 17:12
As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul addresses the Berean listeners immediately after his sermon in Berea, following his earlier preaching in Thessalonica. The narrative records their response to his message before hostile Jews from Thessalonica arrive to agitate the crowd.
The words — The text highlights πολλοὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν (polloi ex autōn), literally "many of them," alongside ἐπίστευσαν (episteusan), meaning "believed." These terms quantify the positive response to the preached message.
The thread — The conversion of prominent Gentiles parallels the Gentile response in Acts 14:1, while the social status of the converts contrasts with the incited religious women and leading men in Acts 13:50.
Why it lands — The text records that many Bereans and prominent Greeks believed before hostile opposition arrived. It requires the reader to acknowledge that genuine response to the message precedes external conflict.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.
Cross-references
- Ephesians 5:14 So it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
- Acts 13:50 The Jews, however, incited the religious women of prominence and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district.
- Acts 14:1 At Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue, where they spoke so well that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed.
- Acts 17:2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
- 1 Corinthians 1:26 Brothers, consider the time of your calling: Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were powerful; not many were of noble birth.
- Psalms 25:8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He shows sinners the way.
- John 1:45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
- John 7:17 If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own.
- Acts 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.
- James 1:10 But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field.