THE NOBLE BEREANS

Acts 17:11-12

By David J. Riggs

Intro.
   A. Driven from Thessalonica, Paul and Silas came to Berea (fifty
      miles Southwest).
      1. In Berea, as their custom was, they entered the
         synagogue of the Jews and taught.
   B. The Berean Jews were commended: "These were more noble
      than those of Thessalonica."
      1. The NKJV has "fairminded" with a footnote, "Lit.
         noble."
         a. It means, "a better birth, a better bred."  They
            showed the better qualities of their heritage as
            manifested by their actions.
            (1) The example of Abraham, the father of the
                Jewish nation.  John 8:40
         b. The Thessalonica Jews were full of bigotry,
            prejudice, aversion to truth.
            (1) Being envious, they persecuted the gospel
                preachers.  (17:5,13)
   C. The Bereans' nobility was evidenced in at least three things.

I. HEARING THE WORD.
   A. "They received the word with all readiness of mind."
      1. Instead of allowing jealousy to blind them, they gave the
         word a candid consideration.
         a. Instead of persecuting or rejecting the messengers,
            they listened attentively to their message.
         b. It is the honest inquiry of God's Word which God
            wants.  
      2. They investigated; they wanted the truth.
         a. They were not gullible, blindly accepting something
            without first examining it.
         b. A study of God's truth is a way to please God, and
            to worship God.
         c. It is the good and honest heart that will accept
            God's truth.  Luke 8:15

II. THE BEREAN NOBILITY WAS ALSO MANIFESTED IN "EXAMINING THE     
   SCRIPTURES DAILY WHETHER THOSE THINGS WERE SO."
   A. Notice, first of all, that they tested their teachers.
      1. They were not gullible, blindly accepting something
         without first carefully examining it.
      2. They tested the teachers who were teaching them at the
         time.
         a. The common practice is to test some teacher of
            another persuasion or group.
         b. Every teacher should be tested.  1 John 4:1.
   B. Notice the reason for testing the teachers - "to see if those
      things were so."
      1. Their purpose was not to entrap the teachers, but they
         were prompted by their love of truth.
         a. A Love of truth is absolutely necessary to be saved. 
            2 Thess. 2:10; Prov. 23:23
   C. Notice who did the testing.  It was the people of Berea
      themselves.
      1. Testing someone is not a privilege and responsibility of
         some preacher or priest, but of all people.
   D. Notice the standard by which those things were tested - the
      Scriptures.
      1. The Scriptures are the last court of appeal; the one and
         only authority which determines truth before God.  We
         will be judged by the Scriptures in the last day.  Rev.
         20:12
   E. Notice the diligence employed - they searched the Scriptures
      daily.

III. THEIR NOBILITY IS ALSO EVIDENCED IN THE RESULTS THAT FOLLOWED.
   A. Notice the word "therefore."
      1. Because of their good attitude, they readily accepted the
         truth of God.
   B. Not as in Acts 17:4 "some," but "many believed."
   C. Many Greeks and prominent women were also included.
      1. Their good attitude brought marvelous results.

IV. THE BEREANS ARE WORTHY OF IMITATION.
   A. We are to always give the Word a fair hearing, receive it with
      all readiness of mind.
      1. A wise person will hear and increase in understanding. 
         Prov. 9:9-10
         a. A little received from God is better than a great deal
            from a man.
         b. The word of human beings, no matter how wise in
            substance or eloquence, cannot produce spiritual
            life.  Only God's Word can do that.
      2. With open minds, we must make decisions based on
         evidence.  Prov. 18:13
      3. Upon all who thus hear the Word, the Lord pronounces a
         blessing.  Luke 8:18; Matt. 13:16-17; John 7:17; Matt.
         5:6
   B. What would happen if the Bereans had not given the
      missionaries a fair hearing?
      1. This story comes from an occurrence at Yellowstone
         National Park.  A ranger, who was leading a group of
         hikers to a fire lookout, was so intent on telling the
         hikers about the flowers and animals that he considered
         the messages on his two-way radio distracting, so he
         switched it off.  Nearing the tower, the ranger was met
         by a nearly breathless lookout, who asked why he hadn't
         responded to the messages on his radio.  He said, "A
         grizzly bear has been seen stalking your group, and I was
         trying to warn you of the danger."
      2. How important it is that we never turn off God's saving
         message!  Heb 2:1-3; Heb 12:24-25
         a. "Listen with an open mind" is the point Paul is
            making in Acts 13:40-41.
   C. We should search the Scriptures daily.  It becomes a way of
      life to us.
      1. A whole lifetime is not long enough to appreciate fully
         the beauty and learning and value of the Bible. 
         a. That's why we must take time daily to study its
            truths and make them real in our lives.
         b. One just as well try to eat enough at one setting to
            last a lifetime, as to try to exhaust the Bible in one
            setting.  Some try to do that anyway, that is, eat
            enough at one setting to last a lifetime!
         c. How much time does it take to read from Genesis to
            Revelation?
            (1) If you would read the Bible aloud, slow
                enough to be heard and understood, it would
                take seventy-one hours. If you would break
                that down into minutes and divide it into 365
                days you could read the entire Bible, cover to
                cover, in only twelve minutes a day. Is this
                really too much time to spend reading about
                God?
      2. Study of the Scriptures becomes a way of life with us. 
         Psalm 119:97
         a. The Scriptures are daily spiritual food.  Job 23:12;
            Matt. 4:10
      3. Many people don't know what the Bible really says.  It's
         good to check up on our knowledge.  For example,
         which of the following are Biblical quotations? 
         "Cleanliness is next to godliness."  "God helps those who
         help themselves."  "An honest confession is good for the
         soul."  "We are as prone to sin as sparks fly upward." 
         "Money is the root of all evil."  "Honesty is the best
         policy."  "Spare the rod and spoil the child."  The
         answer?  While some of these statements are truisms,
         none of them, as quoted, are found in the Bible!  So
         before you quote the Bible, make sure it is in the Bible. 
         Matt 22:29; 2 Tim 2:15
      4. Some think they know the Bible, but in reality only know
         bits and pieces.  Here is one's explanation of the parable
         of the good Samaritan: "There was a good Samaritan
         going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among the
         thorns, and they sprang up and choked him and left him
         half-dead. So he said, `I will arise!' And he arose and
         came to a tree and got hung in a limb of that tree for
         forty days and forty nights, and the ravens fed him. Then
         Delilah came along with a pair of shears and cut off his
         hair, and he fell on stony ground. He said again, `I will
         arise!' So he came to a wall, and Jezebel was sitting on
         that wall; and he cried out, `Chuck her down!' So they
         chucked her down. He said, `Chuck her down seventy
         times!' And great was the fall thereof and of the
         fragments that remained they picked up twelve baskets
         full, but whose wife will she be in the Resurrection?"
   D. As the Bereans, we must test every teacher.
      1. We too, must determine "if it is so" on all matters of faith
         and practice.
      2. We should never let any self-styled religionist lead us
         away from the truth.
         a. There are many deceivers out in the world.  Eph.
            4:14-15; Matt. 7:15-16; Jer. 23:16; Col. 2:8,18
      3. The truth flourishes under scrutiny and investigation.
         a. The modern denominationalist is laboring under the
            doctrine "it doesn't matter."
         b. If it doesn't matter, there would be no need to
            search the Scriptures.  However, it most certainly
            does matter.
            (1) Error will condemn.  Titus 1:13; 2 John 9;
                Matt. 7:22-23; 15:9; 2 Thess. 2:10-12; Gal.
                1:8-9
   E. Like the Bereans, we should dare to be different.
      1. We, too, are more noble people.  We are a peculiar,
         different people.
         a. Very few people in our time search the Scriptures. 
            Very few demand a "thus saith the Lord" in matters
            of faith and practice.  As a result, they are destitute
            of the truth.
         b. We shine as lights in an evil world, holding forth the
            word of life.  Phil. 2:15-16
      2. The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that a fifth grade
         teacher violated the First Amendment's supposed
         "Separation of Church and State" by placing a Bible on
         his school desk.
         a. This "doctrine of separation" is attributed to Thomas
            Jefferson who, while President, asked that the Bible
            and the Isaac Watts Hymnal be used in public
            schools for their reading curriculum.
         b. Jefferson said: "I have always said, and always will
            say, that the studious perusal of the sacred volume
            will make us better citizens."
         c. Isn't it ironic that in the name of Jefferson the very
            thing he advocated is now being struck down by our
            judicial system? 
         d. It was our own Continental Congress that voted to
            spend $300,000 on September 11, 1777, to buy
            Bibles to be distributed throughout the 13 original
            colonies.  How times have changed!
   F. The advantages of being like the Bereans are everlasting.
      1. Knowing and believing the truth leads to eternal life. 
         John 8:31-33; James 1:21
      2. Those who do not love the truth will receive strong
         delusion.  2 Thess. 2:11-12
      3. The Word exercises its power in us.  Heb. 4:12; Isa.
         55:10-11
      4. We derive strong consolation in all the difficulties of  
         life. Rom. 15:4
      5. We have comfort and hope regarding the world to come. 
         2 Tim. 3:15; Acts 20:32

Concl.
   A. Be like the noble Bereans - having a genuine love for God's
      Word, manifested in the way we study the Scriptures and by
      the way we live.

Chart #1
"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they
received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the     
scriptures daily, whether those things were so."  (Acts 17:11).
                       
They tested their teachers.

The reason for their testing.

They did the testing themselves.

The standard by which they tested.

The diligence employed.

Chart #2
The Advantages of Being Like the Bereans:

Knowing and believing the truth leads to eternal life.  John 8:31-33;
James 1:21

Those who do not love the truth will receive strong delusion.  2
Thess. 2:11-12

The Word exercises its power in us.  Heb. 4:12; Isa. 55:10-11

We derive strong consolation in all the difficulties of life.  Rom.
15:4

We have comfort and hope regarding the world to come.  2 Tim. 3:15;
Acts 20:32