[The Bereans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so (Acts 17:11).
I admire these folks called the Bereans. In my mind I always ask: How dare these people? They got guts to go find out “..whether those things were so“. They scrutinized Paul and Silas‘ messages. They checked if Paul and Silas were speaking the truth. I mean how, how dare them? This is Apostle "extraordinary". He never walked with Jesus in person, but did much more than the first eleven: “...by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (1 Corinthians 15:10).
Today you were in church I hope. What did the servant of God speak about today? Was what he said right? Was what she said the truth? Was what he said biblical? Was what she said her own opinion or personal interpretation? We don't have to take anything at face value regardless of who said it. The standard is the word. The final authority in our lives is the Word of God.
What A or B said is not necessarily the truth until crossed checked with the word. Accepting it just as it is will be gullibility: you don't scrutinize the message, you don't scrutinize the interpretation. You don't scrutinize the analogy---you take it as the truth, just as it is. Now, no one grows in the faith that way. To grow, we search the word: “Search the scriptures...they are they which testify of me. “ (John 5:39). We weigh what we hear, we check the scriptural references... Precerpt upon precerpt...word upon word...text upon text...chapter by chapter...verse by verse; The Berean Attitude: that is how we mature and grow in the faith.
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