Something About Berea

Acts 17:11 (New International Version)

11Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.


Explanation
Paul the Apostle is probably known as the greatest preacher of all time. His
missionary work took him all over the known world. But the emphasis in this passage isn't on Paul, but the people of Berea.

The people of Berea were a very noble-minded people. When Paul came to preach to them, they were willing to listen. After that, they searched the Scriptures to find out if Paul was telling the truth. When the evidence was gathered, they were obedient to the results.

Many Christians today aren't willing to listen to anyone from outside of their circle of churches. They think that truth only lies within. Others who are willing to listen automatically accept everything that is said without question. I heard a man say on the radio just the other day that he believed he had an elephant in his pocket. Is this Biblical?

Does God say that if I believe, He will put an elephant in my pocket? Am I willing to search the Scriptures to see if it is so?

Let's be noble-minded Christians. Lets not take everything that people say to be truth without searching the Scriptures first. People fail. The human mind is not equal with God. Sometimes we mess up. Sometimes we can be so excited about what we think the Bible says, that we ignore what the Bible really says. And then we go and teach this 'new' truth, and people either accept it or not, but no one seems to ever search it out to find out if what we say is true. A couple of weeks later, we find out that we were wrong. And now those people who believed us without searching out the truth, are tainted with a wrong thought. It may not be anything big, but it may be something horrible. You must search the Bible to see if what preachers and teachers say are true. The Mormons didn't do that, and now thousands are lost, because they didn't search the Scriptures.

But what if we find out that what the person is saying is true? That's when we decide to follow the word of God. When the Bereans found out what Paul said was true, they were willing to obey the results. Sometimes as Christians, we here someone preach something that just sounds funny. Is it true? Should I change my life to match what they say the Bible teaches? Search it out. If you find out that they are right, be willing to honor God and His word. Change, not because you like the preacher, but change because the word of God says to.

Prayer: Pray that God helps you to discern the truth and then to live by it


Source:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+17%3A11&version=NIV
http://mynewlifeinchrist.net/Documents/Acts%2017.11-12.pdf


Berea, KY (city, FIPS 5842)
Location: 37.57672 N, 84.29360 W
Population (1990): 9126 (3481 housing units)
Area: 20.1 sq km (land), 0.1 sq km (water)
Zip code(s): 40403

資料來源(1): U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]


1990 - I was a resident there !!