Yearly Archives: 2023
Una vida y una muerte importan – Romanos 8:6
En 1983, la cantante Karen Carpenter murió de complicaciones ocasionadas por la anorexia. Para muchos de nosotros, esta sorprendente noticia fue nuestra primera exposición a este trastorno alimenticio. Al igual que otras personas que luchan con este problema, Karen se vio a sí misma con sobrepeso y sin amor. En consecuencia, tuvo una gran pérdida de peso. En 1975, con 90 libras, colapsó en el escenario. Mas tarde, los miembros de la familia se dieron cuenta de que su dieta inadecuada era un asunto de vida o muerte e intentaron intervenir. Desafortunadamente, Karen no cooperó del todo. Finalmente, murió.
El apóstol Pablo habla de un asunto espiritual de vida o muerte cuando escribió: “Porque la intención de la carne es muerte, pero la intención del Espíritu es vida y paz”. (Romanos 8: 6). Afortunadamente, nadie que confía solo en Cristo para la vida eterna perderá su salvación. Una vez salvados, estamos sellados hasta el día de la redención, y nada puede separarnos del amor de Dios o de nuestra herencia celestial. Sin embargo, si elegimos persistir en un caminar caprichoso hacia Cristo, podemos llegar a estar en efecto, muertos espiritualmente, aunque todavía tengamos vida eterna. Pablo advierte a los creyentes de la posibilidad de volverse tan duros en su corazón que desarrollen una conciencia insensible (I Timoteo 4: 2), transformando los “sentimientos del pasado” y alejados de la diaria “vida de Dios” (Efesios 4: 17-19). Esta es la razón por la cual, en Romanos 8: 6, Pablo instó a los creyentes a tener una mentalidad espiritual y no tener una mente carnal. A lo que Pablo se refería específicamente, en este contexto, era el peligro de continuar bajo la esclavitud de la Ley mosaica. Era un sistema carnal de sacrificios de animales, circuncisión y obras humanas. En capítulos anteriores, Pablo enseñó a estos santos que no estaban bajo la ley, sino bajo la gracia. Estaban muertos a las demandas de la ley. Ahora no hay condena a aquellos que dejaron atrás todas las prácticas de la Ley. Desafortunadamente, algunos todavía estaban tan preocupados, por la Ley, que insistieron en seguirla. El mensaje de Pablo para ellos fue que la sumisión al legalismo no solo trajo esclavitud; también produjo la muerte espiritual. En cambio, Pablo los instó a tener una mentalidad espiritual al abrazar la gracia como instrucción para el día de hoy y seguir estos principios de corazón.
No solo someternos al legalismo puede ahogar nuestra vida espiritual. Persistir en pecar, descuidar la Palabra de Dios y no buscar la transformación espiritual diaria también lo hace. Elije tener una mentalidad espiritual haciendo que caminar con Cristo sea tu máxima prioridad hoy. “La vida y la paz” seguirán.
A Life and Death Matter – Romans 8:6
In 1983, singer Karen Carpenter died of complications due to anorexia. For many of us, this startling news was our first exposure to this eating disorder. Like others who struggle with this problem, Karen saw herself as overweight and unlovable. Consequently, she starved herself into massive weight loss. In 1975, at 90 lbs., she collapsed on stage. Family members then realized her improper diet was a life-and- death matter, and they tried to intervene. Unfortunately, Karen did not fully cooperate. Eventually, she died.
The Apostle Paul refers to a spiritual life-and-death matter when he wrote, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually-minded is life and peace” (Roman 8:6). Thankfully, no one who trusts in Christ alone for eternal life will ever lose his or her salvation. Once saved, we are sealed until the day of redemption, and nothing can separate us from the love of God or from our heavenly inheritance. However, if we choose to persist in a wayward walk from Christ, we can become effectively, spiritually dead while still having eternal life. Paul warns believers about the possibility of becoming so hardened in sin that we develop a seared conscience (I Timothy 4:2), becoming “past feeling”, and alienated from the daily “life of God” (Ephesians 4:17-19). This is why, in Romans 8:6, Paul urged believers to be spiritually-minded and not carnally minded. What Paul was specifically referring to, in this context, was the danger of continuing under the bondage of the Mosaic Law. It was a fleshly system of animal sacrifices, circumcision, and human works. In preceding chapters, Paul taught these saints that they were not under the law, but under grace. They were dead to the demands of the law. There was now no condemnation to those who left all the practices of the Law behind. Unfortunately, some were still so preoccupied, or “minded,” with the Law, they insisted on following it. Paul’s message to them was that submission to legalism not only brought bondage; it also produced spiritual death. Paul urged them to be spiritually-minded instead by embracing grace as their instruction for today and following these principles whole-heartedly.
Placing ourselves under legalism isn’t the only thing that can choke out our spiritual life. Persisting in sin, neglecting the Word of God, and not seeking daily spiritual transformation does too. Choose to be spiritually-minded by making your walk with Christ your highest priority today. “Life and peace” will follow.
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El himno desconocido
“Y cuando hubieron cantado un himno, salieron…” (Mateo 26:30).
A menudo nos hemos preguntado cuáles podrían haber sido las palabras de ese himno sagrado, pero Dios ha creído conveniente ocultarnos esto por el momento.
Tenemos en nuestras Biblias muchas grandes expresiones poéticas: el Cantar de Moisés, el hermoso Magníficat, todos los Salmos y muchos otros poemas, pero el himno que nuestro Señor y Sus once apóstoles cantaron aquella noche antes de salir del Cenáculo era evidentemente un bien conocida canción, en la que todos podían participar. Casi podemos imaginar a nuestro Señor diciendo: “Antes de irnos, cantemos…”.
No sabremos las palabras de ese himno sagrado hasta que lleguemos al cielo, pero sí sabemos esto: Nuestro Señor y Sus apóstoles no abandonaron el Aposento Alto llorando y lamentándose. Aunque Su alma había estado profundamente turbada al acercarse la terrible hora de Su sufrimiento y muerte, Él podía decir: “¿Qué diré? Padre sálvame de esta hora? Mas para esto he venido a esta hora” (Juan 12:27). Aunque profundamente entristecido por la vil traición de Judas, “habiendo amado a los suyos…los amó hasta el extremo” (Juan 13:1), y sus palabras de consuelo y alegría durante estas últimas horas ahora están coronadas con el canto de un himno: un himno, una canción de alabanza.
Aunque las palabras de ese himno todavía nos son desconocidas, la lección de su canto no debe perderse. Si la escena del Aposento Alto se cerró con el canto de un himno, seguramente se nos puede dar la gracia de cantar las alabanzas de Dios en medio de nuestras pruebas menores. Y si nuestro Señor, “por el gozo puesto delante de Él, soportó la cruz, menospreciando la vergüenza” (Hebreos 12:2), seguramente nuestras cargas pueden —y deben— ser aligeradas a través del conocimiento de que por Su gracia, “ nuestra leve tribulación, que es momentánea, obra en nosotros un cada vez más excelente y eterno peso de gloria” (II Corintios 4:17).
La guerra continua – Romanos 7:15-22
Después de finalizar la Segunda Guerra Mundial, hubo una guerra en parte silenciosa, pero en curso, entre los Estados Unidos y la Unión Soviética. A veces se hizo más visible, como durante la crisis de los misiles cubanos que amenazaban con un holocausto nuclear. La mayoría de las veces se trataba de una guerra más sutil de espionaje, compitiendo por una posición, influyendo en la opinión pública y reclutando a otros países a su lado en este conflicto. No siempre pudimos verlo, no obstante, siempre estuvo ahí.
Cada creyente está en medio de una guerra espiritual continua que tiene lugar en su interior. Efesios 4: 22-24 identifica a los combatientes como el “viejo hombre” o la vieja naturaleza, y el “hombre nuevo” o la nueva naturaleza. Estos dos están constantemente en desacuerdo, buscando atraernos como creyentes hacia alguna forma de pecado o llevarnos hacia una conducta que honre a Cristo. El apóstol Pablo reconoció que él también luchó cuando esta guerra se desató dentro de él. Él declaró: ” Porque lo que hago, no lo entiendo; pues no hago lo que quiero, sino lo que aborrezco, eso hago” (Romanos 7:15). Cada creyente puede identificarse por sus experiencias con este conflicto interno. Queremos vivir separados del pecado, como lo hizo Pablo, pero el “… pecado [la naturaleza] que mora en mí” (7:17, 20b) nos aleja constantemente del camino correcto. Cuando los creyentes están espiritualmente en un buen lugar, pueden decir con Pablo: “… según el hombre interior, me deleito en la ley de Dios” (7:22). ¿Por qué, entonces, si anhelamos vivir para Cristo y hacer lo que le agrada a Él, a menudo fracasamos pecando? Romanos 7:23 lo describe de esta manera, “Pero veo otra ley (o principio) en mis miembros, que se rebela contra la ley de mi mente, y que me lleva cautivo a la ley del pecado que está en mis miembros”. La mala noticia es que el conflicto espiritual invisible continuará dentro de nosotros hasta el día en que regresemos a casa para estar con Cristo o hasta que venga por nosotros y nos lleve. Pero la buena noticia es doble. Algún día estaremos libres de este conflicto. La vieja naturaleza será erradicada cuando nos lleven a nuestro hogar celestial. Entonces viviremos en continua victoria. Pero hasta entonces, tenemos la Palabra escrita de Dios y el Espíritu Santo que mora en nosotros para fortalecer nuestra nueva naturaleza. En la medida en que nos beneficiemos de ambos, encontraremos la victoria.
No estás solo en esta batalla o en los fracasos. Permanece añorando el cielo, permanece en la Palabra y busca entregarte al Espíritu Santo.
Ongoing Warfare – Romans 7:15-22
After the end of World War II, there was an often silent, but ongoing, warfare between the United States and the Soviet Union. At times it became more visible, as during the Cuban missile crisis that threatened nuclear holocaust. Most of the time it was a more subtle warfare of espionage, jockeying for position, influencing public opinion, and recruiting others to one’s side in this conflict. We couldn’t always see it, but it was always there nonetheless.
Every believer is engaged in an ongoing spiritual warfare that takes place within us. Ephesians 4:22-24 identifies the combatants as the “old man” or old nature, and the “new man” or new nature. These two are constantly at odds, seeking to either pull us as believers into some form of sinful activity or pull us toward Christ-honoring conduct. The Apostle Paul acknowledged that he too struggled as this warfare waged within him. He stated, “For what I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I” (Romans 7:15). Every believer can experientially identify with this inner conflict. We want to live apart from sin, as did Paul, but the “… sin [nature] that dwelleth in me” (vs. 17, 20b) is constantly luring us away from the proper path. When believers are in a good place spiritually, they can say with Paul, “…I delight in the law of God after the inward man” (vs. 22). Why, then, if we yearn to live for Christ and do what is pleasing to Him, do we so often fail in sin? Romans 7:23 describes it this way, “But I see another law (or fixed principle) in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” The bad news is that this unseen spiritual conflict will continue within us until the day we go home to be with Christ or until He comes for us in the Rapture. The good news is twofold. One day we will be free of this conflict. The old nature will be eradicated when we are taken to our heavenly home. Then we will live in continual victory. But until then, we have God’s written Word and indwelling Holy Spirit to strengthen our new nature. To the extent we avail ourselves of both, we’ll find victory.
You are not alone in this battle or in failures. Stay homesick for heaven, stay in the Word, and seek to yield yourself to the Holy Spirit.
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Romans 12:9
Andar en vida nueva – Romanos 6:4-18
Cuando fui a la reunión de mi preparatoria número 30, le pedí a seis personas que hicieran la misma pregunta básica: “¿Qué sucedió en tu último año para hacerte muy diferente a lo que eras antes?” Para ser absolutamente claro, me doy cuenta que aún lucho con la rutina cada día. No soy tan consistente como quiero ser y me faltan muchos kilómetros para llegar a ser el hombre que Dios quiere que sea. Pero por la gloria de Dios, cuando fui salvo en el último año de la escuela secundaria, Cristo cambió radicalmente mi vida y me dio el deseo de vivir para Él.
Cuando el apóstol Pablo describió cómo un creyente debería vivir después de la salvación, dijo: “… así también nosotros andemos en vida nueva” (Romanos 6: 4). No tenemos que preguntarnos a qué se refiere con esta afirmación, porque él nos lo dice en el resto del capítulo. La novedad de la vida significa que “… no sirvamos más al pecado” (6:6). Cada alma perdida está inherentemente bajo la esclavitud del pecado. A menudo servimos al pecado al practicar cosas que sabemos que son incorrectas y necias, porque de otra manera no tenemos el poder interior de vivir. La vida nueva significa un propósito para vivir “para Dios” (6:10). Eso no significa vivir en perfección sin pecado, significa honestamente proponerse vivir para Cristo y buscar elevarse por encima de las constantes prácticas pecaminosas. La novedad de la vida significa que uno debe “… considerarse muertos al pecado…” (6:11). Conscientemente, debemos considerarnos muertos a la vida con las viejas formas de pecado y muertos al poder controlador del pecado. La vida nueva significa considerarnos “vivos para Dios en Cristo Jesús, Señor nuestro”. (6:11). Debemos vernos a nosotros mismos como una nueva creación en Cristo con vida, receptividad y deseo de vivir para Cristo en lugar de ser iguales. La vida nueva significa buscar no “… presentar vuestros miembros al pecado como instrumentos de iniquidad; sino presentaos vosotros mismos a Dios como vivos de entre los muertos [espiritualmente]” (6:13). Los creyentes deben darse cuenta de que todos somos siervos del pecado o del Señor (6:16-18). Los creyentes transforman el propósito de la vida al ceder sus cuerpos a Cristo y a la obra del Espíritu Santo desde el interior mientras Él nos guía a vivir en la piedad.
¿Estás viviendo la vida nueva? Si los que te rodean no pueden ver una vida transformada, conviértelo en un tema diario de oración.
Walk in the Newness of Life – Romans 6:4-18
When I returned to my 30th high school reunion, I had six people ask the same basic question, “What happened in your senior year to make you so different from what you were before?” To be absolutely clear, I fully realize I still struggle with the old man every day. I am not as consistent as I want to be and have miles to go to become the man God wants me to be. But by the glory of God, when I was saved as a senior in high school, Christ radically changed my life and gave me a desire to live for Him.
When the Apostle Paul described how a believer should live after salvation, he said, “…we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). We don’t have to wonder what he means by this statement, because he tells us in the remainder of the chapter. Newness of life means that “…henceforth we should not serve sin” (vs. 6). Every lost soul inherently is under the bond- age of sin. We often serve sin by practicing things we know are wrong and foolish, because we lack the power from within to live otherwise. Newness of life means one purposes to live “unto God” (vs. 10). That doesn’t mean living in sinless perfection, but it does mean honestly purposing to live for Christ and seeking to rise above constant sinful practices. Newness of life means one must “…reckon [or count] ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin…” (vs. 11). Consciously, we must consider ourselves dead to living in old sinful ways and dead to the power of sin to control us. Newness of life means considering ourselves “alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (vs. 11). We are to view ourselves as a new creation in Christ with life, responsiveness, and desire to live unto Christ rather than self. Newness of life means seeking not to “…yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the [spiritually] dead” (vs. 13). Believers should realize we are all servants either to sin or to the Lord (vss. 16-18). Believers living transformed lives purpose to yield their bodies to Christ and to the working of the Holy Spirit within as He leads us to live in godliness.
Are you living in newness of life? If others around you can’t see a trans- formed life, make it a daily matter of prayer.
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What Is a Berean?
At Berean Bible Society, we often hear the question, “What is a Berean?” We get this question from many people in different situations, such as those who call in to sign up for our magazine, or when we place an order and give the name of our organization, or even when a driver stops in to drop off a delivery. But this gives us the opportunity to talk about the Scriptures and explain what our ministry is all about. Acts 17:10-12 explains what a Berean is.
People from Berea in Macedonia
“And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews” (Acts 17:10).
In Acts 9, the Apostle Paul had to flee persecution in Damascus under the cover of night (Acts 9:23-25). In Acts 17, for the second time in his ministry, Paul had to flee a city, this time the city of Thessalonica, under the cover of darkness. Following a riot in Thessalonica, “the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea” (v. 10).
Berea is a city of Macedonia located about 50 miles southwest of Thessalonica and 190 miles north of Athens. Berea was “off the beaten path” and not on a main route. The city lies in a remote region on the western foot of the Vermio mountain range.
The first answer to the question, “What is a Berean?” is that they were people from a city called Berea in Macedonia in northern Greece. Like those who live in Wisconsin are called Wisconsinites, the people who lived in Berea were called Bereans. And the city of Berea still exists today, but under the name of Veria. The reason some ministries, such as ours, are named “Berean” is due to the ancient Bereans’ attitude toward the Scriptures: they had respect and love for God’s Word, and out of that love and respect, they searched and studied it.
When Paul came to Berea, he followed his usual habit of going “into the synagogue of the Jews” (v. 10). He would do so because there he would find Jews and devout Gentiles (Acts 14:1) who had an interest in spiritual things and some knowledge of God’s Word. The synagogue was a good jumping-off point for Paul in a new location to reach both Jews and Gentiles.
One Who Receives the Word
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind…” (Acts 17:11a).
Regarding our question, “What is a Berean?” here is the first of three answers, all beginning with the letter “R” to help you remember. First, a Berean is one who RECEIVES the Word with all READINESS of mind.
A Berean is one who is openminded to the truth. The Bereans had an openness to the Word preached to them. They had an anticipation, an expectancy to learn and grow. The Greek word translated as “received” means to receive favorably, to give ear to, to grant access to a visitor, and, in this context, to take up the thing offered in speaking, teaching, and instructing. This was the attitude the Bereans had toward the Word as it was proclaimed to them.
“The Word of God” (Acts 18:11), “the Word of His grace” (20:32), “the Word of the Lord Jesus” (19:10), “the Word of the gospel” (15:7), “the Word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15), “the Word of life” (Phil. 2:16) was taken up and received favorably. The Bereans did not lose their ears to the Word; they gave their ears to it, giving it an honest, interested hearing.
The Bereans had a readiness and willingness to receive the Word. “Readiness of mind”
speaks of eagerness, zeal, inclination—having a ready, willing mind. Out of their respect for the Word and their desire to receive it, they leaned in, as it were, listening with rapt attention to what was taught from it.
The Bereans did not immediately close their minds to further light. On the contrary, they granted access to the Word and gave Paul an enthusiastic hearing, listening with open minds to what he had to say.
Their eager acceptance was like the psalmist in Psalm 119:33: “Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.” There was an eager interest in the Word and readiness of mind to receive more truth. And the Holy Spirit ascribes nobility to this state of mind.
A Berean attitude is a humble understanding that there is always room for refinement and growth in one’s knowledge of the Word of God. Having a ready mind means allowing our minds to be open to understand what we didn’t understand before.
Founder of Berean Bible Society, Cornelius R. Stam, wrote this of the important quality of receiving the Word with all readiness of mind: “How sorely this Berean lesson is needed in the professing Church today! So many among God’s people, yes, and even among their leaders, lack this quality of true spiritual greatness. Their first thought is to conform to accepted beliefs rather than to conform to the written Word of God. Their desire to stand well with the popular leaders is greater than their desire to know the truth and to make it known. They would rather be orthodox than Scriptural.”
Many refuse to open their minds to the necessity of rightly dividing the Word of truth, of a dispensational approach to properly interpreting and understanding God’s Word. They will not consider the truth of Paul’s unique apostleship to the Gentiles, and God’s message of grace for us, the Body of Christ, found in his letters. Most would rather hold tight to the long-held traditions of their denomination.
God has a twofold purpose in His Word: (1) an eternal plan and purpose for the earth through God’s program of prophecy with Israel; (2) an eternal plan and purpose for the heavens through God’s program of the mystery with the Body of Christ. This is the key that unlocks understanding and proper application of the Scriptures.
The attitude of a Berean is one of readiness of mind, eager to receive the truth but then always to go back to the Scriptures to see if it is so. We want people to look at Scripture as the Bereans did—in light of the dispensations, Paul’s apostleship and message, and God’s overall, twofold purpose—to be open-minded toward it and then go to the Word to see if it is so.
One Who Researches the Word
“…and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11b).
As we continue to answer the question, “What is a Berean?” first, a Berean is one who RECEIVES the Word with all READINESS of mind. Second, a Berean is one who RESEARCHES the Word.
The Bereans were eager to receive, but not gullible. They had an open mind but also a cautious heart, and they were not willing to accept what Paul said just because he said it. The reason that they researched the Word is that, for a Berean, the Scriptures are our first and final authority in all matters of the faith and practice.
The Bereans would not accept Paul’s teaching without checking for themselves. The Bereans’ attitude was, “That’s interesting! But are these things really so? Is this the truth? We need to search the Scriptures to find out.”
Christian editor Dave Branon wrote, “‘A deadly jungle spider has migrated to the US and is killing people.’ This was the story sent to me and to others on my friend’s email list. The story sounded plausible—lots of scientific names and real-life situations. But when I checked it out on reliable websites, I found it was not true—it was an Internet hoax. Its truth could only be verified by consulting a trusted source.
“A group of first-century believers living in Macedonia understood the importance of confirming what they were hearing.”
As the Bereans listened to Paul, their reaction was to confirm that what he was saying was the truth, and so they consulted the most trusted source, the Word of God.
When Paul went to this synagogue in Berea, we can be sure that he taught them the same things from Scripture that he had taught shortly before in the synagogue in Thessalonica. Verses 2-3 of Acts 17 state,
“And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.”
As Paul reasoned with the Bereans out of the Scriptures, and he opened the Word to them and alleged that Christ needed to suffer, die, and rise again, the Bereans realized that they needed to verify that for themselves. They listened intently to Paul and considered what he said, but they would not concede until they checked the Scriptures themselves that the truth had been preached. They exhibited the spirit of Isaiah 34:16: “Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord, and read….”
The strength of the Bereans was that they kept close to the Word. When confronted with some doctrine they had not heard before, they gave it an interested hearing but then “searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
If the Scriptures agreed with what Paul taught, then it was accepted. But had they found anything in Paul’s message which contradicted the Scriptures, they would have immediately and wisely rejected it. This was how they operated, because the Bible was their only authority and guide; it is a book of truth and the arbiter by which it can be determined what is true and what is false.
The Bereans encourage individual, personal Bible study. The Bereans were open-minded to truth, yet—and stop and think about this—they would not accept the word of even an apostle of God, the Apostle Paul, without subjecting what he said to personal examination of the Scriptures. And for this, the Holy Spirit commended them and called them “noble”! If the Bereans didn’t accept the word of even an apostle of God, that tells us we should not accept everything we hear from pastors and teachers today, even from ones we trust.
The Bereans further teach us that it doesn’t take a theologian, pastor, or teacher to interpret the Word of God for us. The Bereans believed they could open the Scriptures and read, study, understand, and discover the truth from the Bible for themselves. And God has given each of us the Holy Spirit to help us understand His Word and to apply it (1 Cor. 2:7-13).
For these noble Bereans, it was not man’s word which they were to act upon, but God’s revealed, written Word. Thus, when Paul came to them, speaking to them from the Scriptures, they eagerly listened, but they did not let Paul do their thinking for them. The Bereans saw themselves as individually and personally responsible before God to search out Paul’s teaching from the Scriptures and to see if it was consistent with the revelation of the Bible.
Likewise, every preacher should expect and want his teaching to be so examined, and he should thank God for those who do it. It is a troubling sign when a preacher resents the examination of his teaching by his hearers. Every preacher and teacher is fallible. Man is not the authority. God’s Word is our authority, and the Bereans show us not to blindly follow spiritual leaders who are very capable of making mistakes.
Richard DeHaan wrote this, “My wife and I were driving to church one Sunday when we came to a red traffic light, so we stopped. There was only one car in front of us. While I waited, my mind began to wander. When the car ahead started to move, I was far away in thought and absentmindedly followed right along without even glancing up at the light. Only after I had driven through the intersection did I realize that I had blindly followed the leader. If the other driver had moved ahead before the light had turned green, my following along might have caused a serious accident.
“As I reflected on my carelessness, I thought about people who blindly follow their religious leaders. Many are attracted to speakers who have dynamic personalities, the ability to communicate effectively, and an air of authority. They accept and do everything these preachers say without ever thinking for themselves. In sharp contrast, the Christians in Berea ‘received the Word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so’ (Acts 17:11).
“Blindly following the leader can be dangerous. That’s why we must test everything by what the Bible says.”
The Greek word translated “searched” in verse 11 is a legal term. It means to interrogate, investigate, examine, question, scrutinize. The term gives you the sense of a witness on the stand in a court of law being cross-examined and put through a rigorous line of questioning. The same term was used of Pilate in his examination and questioning of the Lord. Luke 23:13-14 reads,
“And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, HAVING EXAMINED Him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse Him.”
“Having examined” is translated from the same Greek word as “searched” in Acts 17:11. Like the great detail and care that is given to judicial examinations, that is how thoroughly and carefully the Bereans pored over the Scriptures. Before the Bereans would render a final verdict on Paul’s preaching, they carefully sifted through the Scriptures, and examined, cross-checked, and compared what Paul had said against the teaching of the Word of God. All of us are encouraged to imitate these Bereans by being people of the Word who faithfully test the messages we hear against the truth of the Scriptures.
Not only did the Bereans search and examine the Scriptures, they did so “daily.” They were not only earnest in their desire to receive the Word, but they were diligent in their pursuit of verifying the truth. It was worth it to these people to work hard at it and investigate what the Word of God said, and how Paul’s teaching matched up with it. They did so because, again, they believed in the authority and sufficiency of Scripture. And like the Bereans and the Reformers, we are to be Sola Scriptura!
One Who Responds to the Word
“Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few” (Acts 17:12).
Back to our question of what a Berean is: First, a Berean is one who RECEIVES the Word with all READINESS of mind. Second, a Berean is one who RESEARCHES the Word. And third, a Berean is one who RESPONDS to the Word.
In response to receiving the Word and then researching the Word, the Bereans responded to the Word. And they responded by faith: “Therefore many of them believed,” verse 12 says. The “many” here are many Jews. In verse 4, we see that only “some” Jews believed in Thessalonica. In contrast, among the noble Bereans, many Jews believed. Similar to those in Thessalonica, however, “not a few” (vv. 4,12) honorable, prominent Gentile women believed, and quite a few Greek men believed as well. We see the impact of Paul’s gospel in Berea on both Jews and Gentiles.
In the account of Paul’s third missionary journey, we learn the name of one of the Greek men from Berea who believed and who assisted Paul on that journey:
“And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea…” (Acts 20:4).
When Paul went to Berea and preached the Word, Sopater was one of the Bereans who would have been leaning forward in the synagogue, open-minded and eager to hear the Word as it was taught. Sopater then researched and checked the Scriptures daily to see if the things Paul taught him were so. And then, Sopater responded by believing Paul’s message. Sopater’s Berean response also involved him giving his life to further the gospel, which he found to be true, and being available in the cause of Christ.
Another response characteristic of a Berean is what Paul challenges the church to do in 1 Thessalonians 5:21: “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” The church today is filled with error and confusion. This is all the more reason that, like the Bereans, we must “prove all things,” or examine and evaluate everything we hear, carefully measuring all things by the standard and truth of God’s Word.
Once we’ve proved, tested, verified, and made sure things are in harmony with the teaching of Scripture, then it’s imperative that we carry out the next part of that verse: “hold fast that which is good.”
“Hold fast” means to keep firm possession of, to keep secure, to hold back from going away. When you find something that is true, you hold onto it and keep firm possession of it, and you don’t let go. It is the believer’s responsibility to test or examine everything in the light of the Word of God, and to hold to that good, stand for it, and live it out.
My wife and I had the privilege to visit Berea in Greece. And there was a small plaque near a statue of Paul and a mosaic depicting his visit to Macedonia. It contains Acts 17:11 and a poem, very powerful and true:
“The Word of God is a power
Neither hell nor sin gainsay;
Fruit and blessing abound
In that life where it holds sway.”
This is a good Berean response to the Word, to allow the Scriptures to hold sway in our lives and to live out the Word in the strength of the Holy Spirit. Fruit and blessing abound when we do!
