CJD

First, it's not "open minded"; it's "noble character." Luke is unabashedly making a judgment on their character. Call it a power play, as we postmoderns are wont to do, but let's also call it what it is: a simple, judgmental, and entirely politically incorrect value statement. The Thessalonican Jews were jerks. The Bereans were not.

Second, no, we do not go the TNK to find the resurrection of the messiah predicted in a neat, summary propostition. A physical resurrection that would accompany YHWH's enthronement on earth was a common-held belief by most Jews of the first century. That Jesus was the first fruits of this general resurrection would not be all that surprising. The real hang up was that the promised Messiah would come to suffer and die at the hands of pagan dogs. And this, of course, is indeed neatly couched within the neve'im.

CJD