The Bereans Nobility in the Eyes of God Terry Mabery

Transcription

1 The Bereans Nobility in e Eyes of God [All Scriptures are quoted from e American Standard Version unless oerwise stated. - tlm] A young lady from Illinois had moved to San Diego, California. Soon after settling in, she went on a retreat wi some members of e church she attended. One day as ey were walking along a trail, e young lady became fascinated wi e different kinds of vegetation. She kept stopping and asking about e different plants. Having lived in e middle of e United States where ere was a much different climate, she had never seen ese plants before. Those wi her could not answer many of her questions. They knew names of some of e plants, but ey had never really taken e time to examine em closely and learn more about em. If a botanist had been along, he would have probably been able to answer every question e young lady had about ose plants. W hy? The botanist has an interest in e study of plant life. The botanist will study and investigate every little detail about different plants and learn all ey can about em. The ordinary person might look at a plant and see beauty. He might have questions or he might look in amazement at e design and delicacy of e plant. The ordinary person might enjoy e aesetic value, functional value, or some oer value of e plant. Yet, at is as far as it goes. He is not like e botanist. He does not have e mind at opens up wi curiosity to all of e wonders of e plant. He does not have e mind to investigate, study, and learn all he can about e plant. W hen it comes to e W ord of God, ere are many who have only an ordinary interest. They are like ose who see plants along e paway and pay little attention. Yet ere are oers who, like e botanist regarding plant life, have a mind to investigate, to study, and to learn all ey can about and from God s W ord. Consider ose who assembled at e synagogue in Berea, a city visited by Paul on his second missionary journey. They were considered more noble an ose who had assembled at e synagogue at Thessalonica (Acts 17:11). Noble is from e Greek word eugenees, meaning of high or noble bir; of high social status; open minded (Newman). It came to signify, however, a nobleminded person, i.e., one who had high intellectual and eical traits. It suggests one who is open to e evidence (Jackson 215). Just how were ose of Berea described at enabled e Holy Spirit, rough Luke e writer, to call em noble? They received e word wi all readiness of mind and ey examined e scriptures daily (Acts 17:11). These two phrases will now be carefully observed and application will be made. They Received e Word wi All Readiness of Mind The manner in which one hears is extremely important. Jesus often said, He at ha ears to hear, let him hear (Luke 8:8). He continually warned oers to take heed how ey heard and what ey heard (e.g., Luke 8:18; Mark 4:24). The Bereans are an example of how one should hear. They received e word wi all readiness of mind. Note first at e Bereans were noble because ey received someing (Acts 17:11). Received is from e Greek word, dechomai. Thayer defines it as to receive favorably, give ear to, embrace, make one's own, approve, not to reject. Vine writes of it, to receive by deliberate and ready reception of what is offered, is used of...e favorable reception of testimony and teaching... ye accepted,...adding Mark Them Which Walk So (Philippians 3:17) 24 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 1 not to be sold. For information contact e 39 Street church of Christ, East 39 Street, Independence, MO

2 The Bereans - Nobility in e Eyes of God e idea of appropriation, to e heart. James uses it in his epistle, W herefore putting away all filiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive [emphasis - TLM] wi meekness e implanted word, which is able to save your souls (James 1:21). W hat was it at e Bereans received? They received e word preached by Paul. That word was e same word he preached wherever he went. Earlier, Paul preached to ose at Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-9). Many did not receive at word. However, Paul later wrote to ose at Thessalonica who did receive his word,\ And for is cause we also ank God wiout ceasing, at, when Ye received from us e word of e message, (even e word) of God, Ye accepted (it) not (as) e word of men, but, as it is in tru, e word of God, which also worke in you at believe (1 Thessalonians 2:13). They had accepted, or had received (it is from e same Greek word as used by Luke in Acts 17:11), at which Paul had preached unto em as e very W ord of God. Therefore, e Bereans, also, received e W ord of God. How did e Bereans receive at which Paul delivered unto em? They received it will all readiness of mind. That phrase is from proumia, meaning readiness, willingness, eagerness, zeal (Liddell). Jackson wrote, wi all readiness of mind (proumia - pro, forward and umos, mind almost like stretching e mind forward, i.e., anxious to learn) (216). The wisdom of receiving teaching wi a ready mind is seen from e Proverbs (Proverbs 15:14; Proverbs 18:15; Proverbs 24:5). There are, however, ose who are not like e Bereans. They do not have e heart and mind to willingly and eagerly receive instruction. There are ose who are dull of hearing. For instance, consider e Jewish Christians, e Hebrews to which e epistle was written. Being dull of hearing, e matter of Jesus being High Priest according to e order of Melchizedek was hard of interpretation (Hebrews 5:11cf.), or hard to explain (NKJV), to e Hebrews. To be dull of hearing implies a deterioration on e hearer s part (Vincent), or slow and sluggish in mind as well as in e ears (Robertson). Therefore, to be dull of hearing means to be slow, sluggish in hearing. It wasn t at e auor had difficulty expressing himself. It was at ey had difficulty understanding what he expressed because of eir sluggishness of hearing. There are many reasons for one becoming dull of hearing. Some become dull of hearing due to prejudice, preconceived ideas, such as e Jews who sought to kill Jesus after He healed e man at e Pool of Beesda (John 5:38-40cf.). Oers are dull of hearing due to a lack of study and knowledge, such as e Sadducees who asked Jesus about e resurrection (Matew 22:29). As a result of eir dull hearing, ey rejected e idea of e resurrection, of angels, and of e heavenly existence. Undoubtedly, ere are oer reasons, as well, for being dull of hearing. Anoer group different from e Bereans are ose who do not hear at all. The Jews to whom Jesus spoke in e temple did not allow His word to have free course in em (John 8:37, 43). That His word did not have free course indicates ey had no room, or made no room, for His word. They did not hear Jesus words. It was not a physical problem. They heard e words physically. However, ey were unable to hear by reason of eir state of mind. It was a spiritual problem. They refused to hear. They Mark Them Which Walk So (Philippians 3:17) 24 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 2 not to be sold. For information contact e 39 Street church of Christ, East 39 Street, Independence, MO

3 The Bereans - Nobility in e Eyes of God had closed eir eyes to e tru. Such a problem was also demonstrated when Stephen spoke to e Jewish council (Acts 7:51cf.). There are many today who have e same problem. They close eir eyes to e tru of God s W ord. All of ese are described by e parable of e soils. The seeds at fell upon e paway would not take root but were scooped up by e birds. That hardened ground describes e hardened heart at will not receive God s word. (Luke 8:4-15). Those who are not like e Bereans, i.e., ey do not willingly accept e instruction of e preaching of God s W ord, fit e description of God s people of e Old Testament as described by Hosea. They are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Men today must develop hearts at are receptive to God s W ord. They must be willing, ready, to receive instruction. For man must be obedient to God if he is to receive salvation (Hebrews 5:9). Those who refuse to obey will be lost (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). There must be an adherence to e words of James, W herefore putting away all filiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive wi meekness e implanted word, which is able to save your souls (James 1:21). One must also realize, however, at once he has received e W ord of God and been baptized into Christ (Acts 2:41), he has merely begun e process. He has been forgiven of his sins (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16), but he is a babe in Christ. The process of salvation continues. Consider e words of Peter,...as newborn babes, long for e spiritual milk which is wiout guile, at ye may grow ereby unto salvation (1 Peter 2:2). They Examined e Scriptures Daily In e second place, e Bereans were noble because ey examined e Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11). The word translated examined is from e Greek anakrino. Thayer says of is word, (anakrino) properly, by looking rough a series (ana) of objects or particulars to distinguish (krinoo) or search after; a. to investigate, examine, inquire into, scrutinize, sift, question. Vine describes e noun form, anakrisis as follows: from ana, up or rough, and krino, to distinguish, was a legal term among e Greeks, denoting e preliminary investigation for gaering evidence for e information of e judges. Thus, e Bereans were investigating and scrutinizing e Scriptures. Scriptures refers to ose Sacred W ritings of e Old Testament Scriptures at Timoy was taught (2 Timoy 3:15). These were e Scriptures at were read and taught in e synagogues of e Jews. Recall Jesus, when he returned to Nazare during His ministry, stood in e synagogue on e Sabba day and read from e book of e prophet Isaiah (Luke 4:16ff). The Bereans would have been familiar wi ese as ey were read weekly on e Sabba. The Bereans were diligent in eir investigation. They searched e Scriptures daily, literally, during e day. The Greek phrase is translated daily or every day. It is used in English translations as an adverb meaning occurring, made, or acted upon every day (W ebster). It can be seen from is at e examination of e Scriptures by e Bereans was more an a mere cursory reading of e Scriptures daily. It was a orough examination, an investigation, of e Scriptures. And what was e purpose of e investigation? It was to see wheer e ings being preached were correct (Acts 17:11). It would be noble indeed if people today would examine e Scriptures daily. There are too many who leave e examination to oer men, preachers and oer religious leaders. They en rely upon em to tell em God s W ord, to tell em what to do. Those Mark Them Which Walk So (Philippians 3:17) 24 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 3 not to be sold. For information contact e 39 Street church of Christ, East 39 Street, Independence, MO

4 The Bereans - Nobility in e Eyes of God Bereans did not even leave such to e inspired apostle Paul, but ey examined e Scriptures daily to see at e ings he was preaching were according to e W ord of God. People would do well to do likewise today. After all, on e day of judgment each individual will be responsible before God (Romans 14:12). Oer noble reasons can be found in God s W ord for examining e Scriptures. Joshua was told by God, This book of e law shall not depart out of y mou, but ou shalt meditate ereon day and night, at ou mayest observe to do according to all at is written erein: for en ou shalt make y way prosperous, and en ou shalt have good success (Joshua 1:8). Joshua was to be obedient to all e Law, to all of God s W ord. Doing such would make his life before God prosperous and successful. In order to do at, he was instructed to not only read e law recorded by Moses, but he was to meditate day and night upon it. Today, disciples of Christ are expected to observe all at Jesus commands (Matew 28:19-20). How can one expect to do at wiout oroughly examining His word and meditating upon it daily? Anoer noble reason for meditating on God s W ord is at it gives understanding. As e Psalmist recorded, I have more understanding an all my teachers; for y testimonies are my meditation (Psalm 119:99). A ird noble reason is also found in e Psalms. I will delight myself in y statutes: I will not forget y word (Psalm 119:16). In e parable of e soils (Luke 8), ose described by e seed falling on bo te rocky ground and on e orny ground failed to exhibit is principle. They did not delight emselves in e W ord of God. Conclusion W hat application can be made from observing e nobility of e Bereans? W hen e W ord of God is properly received, it will bear fruit (Luke 8:15; Isaiah 55:10-11). For e one who is not already a Christian, Christians will be produced. That is exactly what happened at Berea (Acts 17:12). Today, when one investigates God s plan of salvation as revealed in e Scriptures, it will produce fai (Romans 10:17). It will produce one who will confess at fai at Jesus is e resurrected Christ (Romans 10:9-10). It will produce one who will obediently submit to baptism at his sins can be washed away (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16). W hen one who is already a Christian continues to examine e Scriptures, he will be better prepared to live e Christian life (Hebrews 5:12-14). In e words of Peter, But grow in e grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Mark Them Which Walk So (Philippians 3:17) 24 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 4 not to be sold. For information contact e 39 Street church of Christ, East 39 Street, Independence, MO

5 The Bereans - Nobility in e Eyes of God Works Cited Jackson, W ayne (2000). The Acts of e Apostles from Jerusalem to Rome. Stockton, CA: Courier Publications Liddell. An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, Founded upon e Seven Edition of Liddell and Scott s Greek-English Lexicon (Electronic Edition). Cedar Rapids, IA: Parsons Technology, Inc. Newman, Jr, Barclay M. A Concise Greek-English Dictionary of e New Testament (Electronic Version). Cedar Rapids, IA: Parsons Technology, Inc. Robertson, Archibald Thomas. Word Pictures in e New Testament (Electronic Database by Biblesoft). Thayer, Joseph Henry. Thayer s Greek-English Lexicon of e New Testament (Electronic Database by Biblesoft). Vincent, Marvin R. Word Studies in e New Testament (Electronic Database by Biblesoft) Vine, W. E. (1985). Vine s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words (Electronic Database). Thomas Nelson Publishers. Webster s Seven Collegiate Dictionary (1970) Springfield, MASS: G. & C. Merriam Company Mark Them Which Walk So (Philippians 3:17) 24 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 5 not to be sold. For information contact e 39 Street church of Christ, East 39 Street, Independence, MO