Βεροιαῖος (Beroiaios)
Beroiaios
Berean
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective Beroiaios identifies a person as a resident of Berea, an ancient city in Macedonia. In the New Testament, it appears only once, serving as a specific geographic label rather than a theological term.
This single occurrence is found in Acts 20:4, where Luke lists companions traveling with Paul to Jerusalem. The text mentions Sopater from Berea among those who accompanied the apostle, highlighting the personal connections within the early Christian network. The word simply denotes origin, linking the individual to that particular community without adding further descriptive nuance.
Its rarity underscores how place names function in Acts to map the spread of the gospel. While Berea itself is noted elsewhere for its receptive audience (Acts 17:10-12), this specific adjective appears only here, anchoring a historical figure to his hometown in the narrative of Paul’s journeys.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word Berean appears just once in the New Testament, attached to Sopater in Acts 20:4. It simply marks him as a resident of Beroea, an ancient city in Macedonia. This small geographic tag connects us to the wider network of early believers who supported Paul’s mission.
Though it is not a theological term, its presence reminds us that faith was lived out by real people from specific places. Sopater’s name joins others like Aristarchus and Timothy, showing how ordinary Christians contributed to the spread of the gospel. We are part of this same story today.
Your own community matters in God’s plan. Just as Sopater traveled with Paul, you walk alongside others who share your faith. This connection strengthens us all as we follow Christ together.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a Berean,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- Βεροιαῖος,1×
Key Verses
-
Acts 20:4
These accompanied him as far as Asia: Sopater of Beroea, Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, Gaius of Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.
This verse identifies Sopater specifically as being from Beroea, anchoring him to a real community in Macedonia within Paul's traveling companions.