The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. (Acts 17:10-12, ESV)
The account of the Bereans is a very popular portion of scripture; it’s commonly covered in sermons and Bible studies. However, people often seem to lack a desire to truly study scripture and test doctrines and beliefs the way the Bereans did. If we will commit ourselves to reason and test like the Bereans did, our study and knowledge of scripture will greatly benefit.
In Acts 17, we get a glimpse into the spiritual practice of the people at the Berean synagogue. The Bereans’ characteristics were as follows:
1. The Bereans were open to listening. This made them teachable; one could actually talk to them and reason with them.
2. The Bereans faithfully studied the scriptures. This devotion to daily study made the Bereans spiritually knowledgeable and mature.
3. The Bereans thoroughly tested all doctrines against the scriptures to prove them true or false. This guarded the Bereans against false doctrines and philosophies. They did not blindly follow any teacher or preacher.
Following are studies intended to help students develop skills for testing doctrines, theologies, and philosophies against the scriptures. This is a key component to studying scripture, that we can confidently test what we hear and practice against what God actually said.
1. Attributes of YHWH
2. Attributes of Jesus (Coming Soon)
3. Comparing Scripture to Scripture (Coming Soon)
4. Apparent Discrepancies in the Bible