THE BEREANS
Written by Kevin A. Hall (07.02.2016)
Acts 17: 10 -15
As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 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. As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.
Who were the Bereans?
The Apostle Paul and Silas preached to residents of a city called Berea in Macedonia, during the Apostle’s second Missionary Journey. It is here we find mention of this precious group of people. The admirable trait of the Bereans was that they committed DAILY to the examining/studying of the Scriptures for truths “to verify or disprove the message they heard” (LASB). They were eager to hear the Word and were very receptive to the missionaries. Marshall (280) puts it this way: “They were zealous to hear what Paul had to say, and so they met with him daily (and not merely on the Sabbath). Nor did they accept what he said thoughtlessly and uncritically, but they themselves examined the Scriptures to see whether the case which Paul developed from them was sound”. Can I say I have a dedicated approach to the study of God’s Word? Is His Word my daily bread?
This trait continues in many of our churches today, but sadly missing in many. Over the past few years I have developed an appreciation for verse by verse study of the Scripture. I have moved away from the hype of just “loud passionate preaching that appeals to emotions”. One Pastor from my youth jokes that every time he preaches, inevitably someone comes up to him and says “Pastor, that was a good message. Ask them what they learned and they cannot tell you.” He has adjusted his preaching style to become more practical. The practice of this Berean trait is mixed. More and more we appeal to emotions and discussions rather than a search for truth. I remember my younger years in youth ministry - if you did not master an emotional appeal to preaching, you were not used. Those who did I have watched them come and go. Makes me wonder about foundation.
I believe this type of appreciation for Bible studies prevails when leadership makes it their primary focus, no matter how small the group is. Jimmy Lathan sums up the characteristics of a Berean this way: (1) They received the Word of God with all readiness of mind (2) They searched the Scriptures (3) The Word of God was their daily bread (4) They were discerning (5) They were concerned about sin. We see this from their response to the missionaries’ message – “Therefore many of them believed…” (Acts 17:12). That involves repenting and a change. I am thinking the lack of or infrequency of the study of Scripture is connected to the results gained in our churches – fewer responses to messages, fewer converts, lessened church attendance. The study of right doctrine results in the practice of right behavior. Study to show thyself approved.
References:
Truth Continuum. Jimmy Lathan “The Berean Christian”. Retrieved from: http://truthcontinuum.tripod.com/The_Berean_Christian.html
The Life Application Study Bible Notes (2000). Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids MI
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