But the seed sown on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."
And these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all readiness, each day examining the Scriptures to see whether these things might be so.
Now Saul was agreeing with them in his murder. And in that day there arose a great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they all were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace which was given to me, they gave me and Barnabas their right hands of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised;
Because of this we also give thanks to God unceasingly, so that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you received not the word of men, but just as it truly is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe.
and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, in order to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith,