Be a Berean

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. – Acts 17:11

During Holy Week I was blessed by God with the gift of remembering how amazing it is to dig deep into His Word. It was a week of being intentional about reading every word that applied to the story of His Passion for us. At the end of the week His message to me was, “Be a Berean.”

The Bereans were residents of the city of Berea in Macedonia. Paul and Silas preached to them during Paul’s second missionary journey. The Bereans were “more noble” because of their willing reception of the Word of God. Unlike the unbelieving Thessalonian Jews, the Bereans were eager to hear the teaching of Paul and Silas. They also examined what they heard by comparing it to the Old Testament Scriptures. They committing themselves to searching the scriptures daily.

Knowing God’s Word is what directs our path. It’s the map that leads us through the challenges of life and reassures us of His presence and love.

I admire the Bereans for examining the words they heard from Paul and Silas against the Word of God. The bible tells us over and over that the enemy will mislead us by twisting the Word of God and if we don’t know it for ourselves, we may hear a familiar word and follow just as Eve did in the Garden of Eden. To recognize a counterfeit, we must first know the real thing. Then, when compared, the truth will be revealed.

I was speaking with a friend the other day and we were talking about the story of the Road to Emmaus. My friend quoted a part that was not in the bible. Because this is one of my favorite stories, I knew that words had been added that were not correct in my friend’s translation. It was a Godly reminder that I need to know His word and Be a Berean.

Whether we hear God’s Word from a friend, pastor or teacher, we are to do as the Bereans did and compare the message with the Word of God. That’s what the Bereans did and they heard the message from the apostle Paul who was a very reliable source, but their ultimate authority was God’s Word which they had committed to searching daily.