Skip to main content

Search the Scriptures


 The Bereans sought the truth

Berea (modern Verria) was located approximately 50 miles (80 km) from Thessalonica, a district of Macedonia (Greece.) The name means “place of many waters.” Mount Olympus, an extraordinary landmark, stood within view of what was once known as; Berea. This must have been a beautiful place to live as it rested between the sea and the mountains. The warm, ocean wind would have been contrasted by the chilly, snowcapped mountains in the distance.

The Christians who lived there in the time of the apostle Paul were considered to be more noble than the Thessalonians. Why were the people of Berea considered to be nobler than the Thessalonians? As Paul preached to them they received the message with great eagerness, but examined the Scriptures every day to see for themselves if what Paul was saying to them was true. This story is found in (Acts 17:11).

None of us is so learned concerning the Bible that we don’t need to search the Scriptures for ourselves. As believers of the Word we have the right to ask questions and seek proof of the teachings we hear. Teaching and preaching must
align with God’s Word, or it is false teaching. Even the smallest portion of Scripture has to align with Scripture as a whole!

We aren’t to argue, nor are we to seek to find fault in our pastors or teachers, but rather to confirm truthful explanation of what we hear by checking with the only standard of truth—the Scriptures themselves.

Study the Word of God; discover the Truth personally, and prepare yourself to receive the true enlightenment an anointed preacher or teacher will provide you. Do you own an exhaustive Bible concordance (Vines), an easy to read Bible dictionary (Vines Complete Expository Bible Dictionary,) and some good commentaries? These are just some of my favorite references; but there are other good ones to choose from. Like the Bereans, we too can exercise the noble practices they modeled, and always verify what we hear with what is written in God’s infallible Word.

I would never intend to mislead you, but I am not without human error at times. So, please read any Scriptures I may refer to for yourself to make sure what I say aligns with God’s Word. 

Popular posts from this blog

A Dead Battery

Last year, around the end of summer, our power-mower gave up the ghost. It was getting harder and harder to start every time I wanted to use it. So, I finally gave in to buying a new one. Bless her heart, my wife Sally told me if she didn’t have to pull that difficult, old starter-cord every time she wouldn’t mind helping me mow every once in a while. She even said it might be good exercise for her. This extra help with the yard work would be welcomed I thought. I went online checking out the outrageous prices of new lawnmowers; it had been four or five years since I bought our last one. Most of the retailers; Lowes, Home Depot,  WalMart and Sears were priced about the same, still way too much for me, but if I was going to get something Sally could start easily it would have to be one of the new key-start models where she didn’t have to pull a cord, she could just turn the key, like her car, and it would start right up. I bought one of these new models.They are great! Last week, an
Post a Comment
Read more

We Rob God

Were God a greedy God He would expect ninety percent of our earnings leaving us the remaining ten to support our needs, He doesn’t though. Instead, He asks exactly the opposite of our potential, one tenth, a tithe. Have we excluded God out of our plans? Sure we have! Do we continue to exclude Him from what we want to believe is rightfully our world, our government, our lives? We not only exclude Him, we deny Him of what is rightfully His from the very beginning. Even worse, as a nation, a world, a people we deny He exist! We have declared He has no place in our government, our public buildings, and our schools. Pity us, it is no wonder we are under a curse as a nation with so much turmoil in our lives – we are robbing God. This is not a sermon, but wait, yes, it is! We are truly guilty of “me-ism.” We have become a world of “what about me?” Our insatiable greed has consumed us, so we have no choice but to continue feeding our monster, because it’s demanding more and more. Nothing is
Post a Comment
Read more

Sanctity Given

A person can’t accomplish sanctification by themselves no matter how much he or she studies the Word or desires this quality. It is not even something God would produce in you as something you would contemplate yourself. Instead it is the Holy Spirit, His Spirit of holiness alone, who can or will communicate His holiness and continue to renew the same in you. By our complete faith we become partakers of His holiness. It is Jesus who sanctifies us for God.  (1 Corinthians 1:30) says, “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God – and righteousness and sanctification and redemption – that, as it is written, 'He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.'” We seek to surrender ourselves to God by faith, so He may enable us to live life moment by moment. By His Spirit, we are to believe the Lord will, lead us into, and keep us in, this life of holiness and consecration to God’s service. We choose to live in obedience of faith, listening to God’s voice – the
Post a Comment
Read more