The Noble Bereans

 

One of the major differences between Roman Catholicism and other religious groups pertains to their views of scripture.  The Roman Catholic Church has believed and taught for centuries that only the Pope and other scripture specialists can reliably interpret the Bible.  Such an attitude led the Catholic church to restrict the Bible's access to common people--including the so-called "lay members" of their own fellowship.  For example, Martin Luther was trained as a Catholic priest, but had never seen a complete copy of the Bible until he had earned a doctorate and was teaching at the University of Wittenberg.  When he discovered a copy of the whole Bible in the university library, he was enthralled and declared: "If I could have a Bible for my own, I would desire no other earthly treasure."

 

The Roman Catholic Church kept the Bible from the common man by forbidding any translations into the language of the people.  The Bibles in early Catholicism were in Latin--a language the common man could not read.  Luther brought down on his head the wrath of the powerful and politically motivated Catholic Church by translating the Bible into German.  Some men, such as, John Wycliffe, who wanted the Bible in the language of their own people--whether German, English, Dutch or French--had to pay with their lives for translating or attempting to translate God's word.  This is not a pretty picture of Roman Catholicism, but there is no doubt of its correctness.  The Catholic Church would still prefer their people to allow the Pope and his official representatives to interpret the Bible.  Roman Catholicism cannot survive the test of scripture.

 

As much as I disagree with Martin Luther's theological views on faith only, grace only, the Lord's supper, infant baptism and other doctrines, I am grateful to God that Luther had the courage and the training to make the Bible the property of the man on the street.  Gutenberg's movable printing press had made it technically possible to print Bibles; Martin Luther's enormous courage and linguistic skills had made printing Bibles morally and spiritually obligatory.

 

There is a very important question I need to ask each one of us today: Now that Bibles are readily available and very inexpensive, what are we doing with our Bibles?  Thousands--perhaps even hundreds of thousands of people--have given their lives to have Bibles and to be able to study them.  What are we doing with the great freedom we have to read and to study the Bible?  Are we teaching the Bible to others?  Of what value is a Bible to us unless we search it regularly to find God's will for our lives?  Please think with me today on the topic: "The Noble Bereans." Acts 17:1-9 tells of Paul's visit to the city of Thessalonica--the modern city of Salonika.  His preaching in that Greek city had not been particularly successful, at least, from a human viewpoint.  In fact, he was virtually railroaded out of the city.  The members of the church at Thessalonica took Paul and Silas by night to Berea.  When they arrived in Berea, they went immediately into the Jewish synagogue (Acts 17:10).  As you know from reading the book of Acts, that was almost always Paul's method of operation.  He was a Jew and went to the Jewish synagogue hoping to find an audience which wanted to hear the gospel of Christ.

 

Paul's reception in Berea was much better than it had been at Thessalonica.  "Many of them believed; also of honorable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few" (Acts 17:12).  The word "believed" is unquestionably used in this context of men and women who obeyed the gospel and became New Testament Christians.  Paul specifically mentions "honorable women."  These women were apparently leading ladies in Berea, but we are not told any more about them.  The women who were converted to Christ were Greeks, but Luke does not say who the men were.  They probably were Greeks also.

 

When the Jews became aware of what was transpiring, they came to where Paul and Silas were preaching and "stirred up the city" (Acts 17:13) The Greek word translated "stirred up" means to shake, to agitate.  The word was used of the action of stormy winds and waves.  Incidentally, some manuscripts add to the words "stirred up" the words "troubling the multitude." The picture Luke is painting is not hard for us to imagine.  The Jewish agitators did not want the people hearing the gospel of Christ.  They caused an uproar in the city of Berea.  Modern agitators have no monopoly on that kind of behavior.  It has been going on from the beginning of time and will likely continue unto Christ returns.

 

The church members at Berea immediately perceived the great danger of Paul's situation and led Paul to go "as it were to the sea" (Acts 17: 14).  There are times when Christians cannot run--regardless of the danger.  But this was not one of those times.  The Christians at Berea knew and Paul knew that nothing would be gained by his remaining in the city.  He would live to preach more sermons.  But Silas and Timothy remained in Berea (Acts 17:14).

 

What was the difference between the Thessalonians and the Bereans?  Why was there such fertile ground for the sowing the seed of the kingdom at Berea and not at Thessalonica?  Luke says the Bereans were "more noble than those at Thessalonica" (Acts 17:11).  Paul's preaching at Thessalonica involved the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ.  Paul identified the risen Christ with the Jewish Messiah.  "This Jesus...is Christ" (Acts 17:3).  Paul's preaching a suffering and dying Messiah may have been the chief reason the Jews of Thessalonica "moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, gathered a company, and set the city in an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring" Paul and Silas out to the people (Acts 17:5).  After all, the Jews must have reasoned, as did the Greeks at Corinth, Who wants a dead Messiah?  Paul's preaching a crucified Savior was a stumblingblock to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks (1 Cor. 1:23).  But Paul decided not to know -anything save Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2).

 

Luke says concerning the Bereans: "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica." The word "noble" comes from the Greek eugeneis from which we get our English word "eugenics." The Greek word means well born or high born.  In one text the word is translated "nobleman" (Lk. 19:12).  Paul wrote to the Corinthians as follows: "For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called" (1 Cor. 1:26).  Paul used the Greek agene--the opposite of eugeneis--in this passage: "And the base things (agene) of the world, and the things which are despised, has God chosen, yea, and things which are not to bring to nought the things which are; that no flesh should glory in his presence" (1 Cor. 1:28-29).

 

Let me ask you a very vital question: Of what did the Bereans' nobility consist?  Were they noble because they were rich?  Were they noble because they were born into royalty?  Were the Bereans noble because they were highly educated?  Were they noble because they were physically attractive?  The Bereans were more noble than the Thessalonians because "they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily, whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11).  The Greek word translated "received" means to receive by deliberate and ready acceptance of what is offered.  W. E. Vine says the word in this context connotes "favorable reception of testimony and teaching" (p. 927).  They thought about the word, meditated on it and openly embraced the truth of God's word.

 

Receiving the word then and now means a willingness and an eagerness to hear what God says on any topic.  Paul said to the Ephesian elders: "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them who are sanctified" (Acts 20:32).  James has a powerful discussion of a Christian's need to know and to do God's will.  He begins by exhorting: "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls" (Jas. 1:21).  Incidentally, the word "receive" in James 1:21 is the same word we are examining in Acts 17:11.

 

The Bereans, Luke writes, received the word "with all readiness of mind."  The expression, "readiness of mind" comes from a Greek word meaning eagerness or willingness.  Paul used that Greek word several times in his second letter to the Corinthians.  He encouraged the Corinthians to give generously to help the poor saints in Jerusalem.  Please notice Paul's use of the word "readiness" in the following passages.  "Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which you have" (2 Cor. 8:11).  "For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what a man has, not according to what he has not" (2 Cor. 8:12).  "And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind" (2 Cor. 8: 19).  "For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago, and your zeal has provoked many" (2 Cor. 9:2).

 

The eagerness of the Corinthians and of the Macedonians to help the needy is a model for other churches.  The same eagerness to know God's will was found among the Bereans and should exist in every generation among God's people.  The Bereans were hungry to know what God had revealed to them; and so should we be.  The apostle Peter said to the readers of his first epistle, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby" (1 Pet. 2:2).  Jesus emphasized the same truth in the Sermon on the Mount.  "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Mt. 5:6).  The Psalmist had the same longing to know God and his will.  "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul after thee, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God" (Psa. 42:1-2)?

 

Two chapters in Psalms speak at length of man's need to know and to love God's word--Psalm 19 and Psalm 119.  "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.  The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.  The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.  More to be desired are they than gold, yea, more than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb" (Psa. 19:7-10).  "O how love I thy law!  It is my meditation all the day" (Psa. 119:97).

 

The Bereans did not want to be wrong in their religious convictions; too much was at stake for them to believe and obey error.  So they "searched the scriptures daily, whether these things were so."  The word "searched" comes from the Greek anakrino and means to examine, to investigate.  The word is used in the New Testament of judicial investigations.  One example will have to suffice.  "And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers of the people, said unto them, You have brought this man unto me, as one who perverts the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof you accuse him" (Lk. 23:14-15).

 

The word "searched" shows the diligence with which every person should examine the word of God.  My friends, do you listen to your preacher or preachers on radio and on television and then swallow hook, line and sinker every word you hear?  Some preachers are badly deceived and deceiving others.  If you think I may be exaggerating, please listen to the apostle Paul.  "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition" (2 Thess. 2:1-3).

 

I want to give you one modern example of how men and women are being deceived and manipulated by television preachers and by others.  Michael G. Moriarty's book, The New Charismatics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), records these words from Robert Tilton: "God showed me in a vision that almost took my breath away.  I was sucked into the Spirit; caught away.  And I found myself standing in the very presence of almighty God.  It just echoed into my being and he said these words to me.  Exactly these words, "Many of my ministers pray for my people, but I want you to pray the prayer of agreement with them.  I have never see the presence of God so powerful.  The same anointing flooded my spirit man.  It's inside me now and I have supernatural faith to agree with you.  From that day forth as I had been faithful to that heavenly vision, I've seen every kind of miracle imaginable happen when I pray the prayer of agreement with God's people" (p. 260).

 

My friends, if you search the scriptures carefully--like the Bereans did--you are going to discover that this so-called "vision" which Robert Tilton described came from his own imagination.  There is not a man on earth who can take his Bible and substantiate the kind of vision Tilton affirms he received.  Which are you going to take--the word of a teacher like Robert Tilton or the inspired word of almighty God?  You cannot take both.  They are contradictory.  I urge you to search the scriptures wherever any doctrine is taught.  If we do not rely wholly on God's word, we are going to be led astray.  I urge you to search the scriptures--not some man-made creed or confession of faith.

 

The scriptures which the Bereans were investigating so diligently were the Old Testament scriptures.  It is doubtful that any of the New Testament books had been written by the time Paul preached in Berea.  But his preaching about Jesus had to harmonize with the predictions of the Old Testament prophets.  The Bereans wanted to make sure that what Paul was preaching was indeed the truth of God's word.  So they searched the scriptures "daily;" May I challenge each of you to follow the example of the noble Bereans and search the scriptures daily?

 

My friends, there are certain scientific and philosophical theories being promoted in this country which have little or no bearing on your life--either in this world or in the world to come.  That cannot be said regarding the teaching of scripture.  The welfare of our eternal souls depends on our attitude toward and our acceptance of the word of God.  We may be rich, highly educated, handsome or beautiful and of royal lineage, but none of that matters unless we know God and obey his will.  Will you please think seriously about what the Bible teaches and obey its precepts?

 

 

Winford Claiborne

The International Gospel Hour

P.O. Box 118

Fayetteville, TN 37334

 

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