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Where Are The Noble Bereans Today?

Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles

In Acts 17:11 KJV, we read Luke’s account of the noble Berean Jews who were more noble than those Jews in Thessalonica, because they willingly received God’s word with all readiness of mind, motivating them to search the Scriptures daily to see if the teaching they were receiving was true.

It’s obvious that the Berean Jews were truth seekers (cf. John 17:17). They were willing to take the time to investigate the teaching they were being taught by Paul and Silas, to see if it was contrary to the revealed and inspired Word of God (Acts 17:10; 2 Timothy 3:16). As a result of their investigation, many of them believed, including some honorable Greek women (Acts 17:12).

But we ask, “Where are the noble Bereans today?” It may be the case that folks are still studying the Scriptures, but they may be studying them with a preconceived idea of seeing what “they want” the Scriptures to say, rather than what the Scriptures are actually saying. This is the same attitude that causes folks to want the negative “touched up” before the photograph is made. They want to “look,“ but they don’t want to truly “see” (cf. Isaiah 6:9-10; Matthew 13:10-15).

The story is told of a man who purchased a mirror at a garage sale. He thought it was a reflection of “dear old dad.” He took it home and hid it, intending to surprise his wife. However, she found it, and when she looked at the mirror, she exclaimed, “So, that’s the old hag he’s been runnin’ around with!”

How truly difficult it is to see ourselves as we really are when we look into the mirror of God’s word (James 1:23-25). Perhaps this is one of the reasons for a lack of Bible study on our part — we don’t want to “see” ourselves as God “sees” us (cf. Hebrews 4:12-13).

Brethren, there’s no time in history that has seen a greater need for having the noble Berean attitude than in our day and time. Just as Paul predicted, there are false teachers today who are doing great damage to the Lord’s church (cf. Acts 20:28-31; 1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Peter 2:1-3). Their influence can only be checked by faithful members who genuinely love and abide in the doctrine [teaching] of Christ (2 John 1:9; cf. John 15:7-8).

So again we ask, “Where are the noble Bereans today?” Can we be counted among them? May God help us to answer in the affirmative.

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