“…they received the word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:11)

When the Apostle Paul came to town, no one knew what kind of reception he would get. Which is why he must have been pleased when the Bereans gave him a good one.

It happened on Paul’s second missionary journey, when he and Silas stopped in the Macedonian city of Berea. Unlike the Thessalonians, who started a riot not long after Paul showed up, the Bereans were “of more noble character” (Acts 17:11) because they not only received Paul’s teaching eagerly, but also examined it biblically.

An Example to Imitate

In this way, the Bereans serve as an example for anyone, anywhere, at any time who listens to the teaching or preaching of God’s word. Whether at church or at home, whether on TV or online, whether on a printed page or radio station, whether on CD or cassette (does anyone still have those?), whether on a hard pew or a La-Z-Boy recliner, we ought to receive the word with eagerness and discernment, like the Bereans.

Approaches to Avoid

On the one hand, it’s possible to be eager but not discerning, like someone who gobbles his food without even knowing what’s being served. On the other hand, it’s possible to be discerning but not eager, like someone who is too picky to eat anything. We should be neither of those. Instead, like the Bereans, we should eagerly receive the teaching of God’s word, but be careful to make sure that it is in fact the teaching of God’s word.

Questions to Ask

This means having not only an eager heart, but an alert mind and an open Bible. It means asking questions like:

• Is the speaker taking the passage in context, or twisting it out of context?

• Is the speaker bringing out the true meaning of the text, or reading another meaning into the text?

• Is the speaker drawing my attention to the biblical text, or mainly just to him or herself?

• Is this teaching consistent or inconsistent with the rest of Scripture?

• Is the speaker preaching the true gospel, or adding to or subtracting from the gospel?

In this time when we can’t meet together as a church, what a blessing it is to have endless options for hearing the teaching and preaching of God’s word. But, as we do so, let’s be both eager and discerning, like the Bereans, because our own spiritual wellbeing, the health of our church, and our witness to the world depend on it.

Pastor Jonathan Kroeker