June 26, 2020

Be Noble, Like the Bereans!

Acts 17:1–15

David Schneider
Friday's Devo

June 26, 2020

Friday's Devo

June 26, 2020

Central Truth

We must do more than just accept what we are taught about God. We must study the Scriptures for ourselves to know if it is true!

Key Verse | Acts 17:11

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.

 

Acts 17:1–15

Paul and Silas in Thessalonica

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. But the Jews 1 17:5 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verse 13 were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

Paul and Silas in Berea

10 The brothers 2 17:10 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 14 immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 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. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

Footnotes

[1] 17:5 Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time; also verse 13
[2] 17:10 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 14

Dive Deeper | Acts 17:1–15

Do you know how bankers tell if a bill is counterfeit? I'll give you a hint: it's not because they spend a lot of time studying fake money. It's actually the opposite. They have spent so much time around genuine money that when they find a fake bill, they are able to tell that something is wrong. In the same way, we must be diligent to study the truth so we are not fooled into believing something false.

The Bible warns us that there are false prophets in the world today who will teach a gospel that denies that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, lived a perfect life, died for our sins, and was raised to life again (1 John 4:1-3). The Bible also warns that the dangerous thing is that the doctrine taught by these teachers will appeal to us greatly (2 Timothy 4:3-4). 

When Paul arrived in Berea, he brought with him news that was so incredible that it must have sounded too good to be true. The Jewish people had been waiting for the Messiah for many hundreds of years, and, on top of that, God had been silent for the previous four hundred years. During that time, the nation of Israel suffered oppression after oppression. Their circumstances must have felt hopeless. To hear that the Messiah had come and, more than that, had died to offer salvation for His people must have defied belief!

But the news of the Messiah was true. The Jews in Berea accepted the news with eagerness, but were not content to stop there. Instead, they studied the Scriptures daily to see if it was true. Because of this, they were considered to be more noble than the Jews in Thessalonica. 

In the same way, we must guard against false teaching by knowing truth. It is vital that we study God's Word daily. This will allow us to know truth and, more importantly, know the Author of truth.

Discussion Questions

1. Have you considered the gospel that Paul presented to the Bereans (the same as that found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)? If you have doubts, Got Questions is a wonderful resource.

2. How are you doing with examining the Scriptures daily? Are you eager to spend time in the Word of God?

3. Studying God's Word with others is one of the huge benefits of surrounding yourself with other believers. Do you have a group of fellow believers that you meet with regularly? If not, what is holding you back from joining a local church today?

4. Psalm 119:11 says, "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." What are some other ways that you can store up God's Word in your heart?

5. CHALLENGE QUESTION: Would you consider committing to spend time in God's Word every day for the next 30 days?