We Need to Be Searching the Scriptures
Dec 15, 2007
When the Apostle Paul and his fellow teacher, Silas, taught the Word in Thessalonica, some of the people there believed (Acts 17:1-4). Unfortunately, others did not believe. They formed a mob and tried to search Paul and Silas out, but couldn’t find them (Acts 17:5+6). The next city that they taught in was Berea. Acts 17:11 says of the Bereans, “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” The Bereans were more fair-minded than the Thessalonians, and it wasn’t just because they didn’t form a mob against Paul and Silas. It was because they “searched the Scriptures daily” to determine whether what Paul and Silas taught them was the truth. They didn’t thoughtlessly reject the gospel, but they didn’t blindly accept it either. They searched God’s word to find out whether what they were told was true.
The attitude that the Bereans showed was admirable. It was enough to earn them the description of “fair-minded,” as the New King James translation of the Bible renders it. Other translations use “noble” or “noble-minded.” Clearly, their willingness to search out God’s Word was well-respected. They weren’t the only ones who had a respect for God’s Word. When Jesus walked the earth and taught, He often taught right from the Scriptures. Apostles and teachers in the early Church taught the gospel and proved who Jesus was in the same manner " they used the Scriptures. The example they set is one that we should be following. To make sure that what we are being told is the truth, we must search the Scriptures.
One way that Jesus proved He was the Christ and the Son of God was with the use of miraculous signs. Another method He used was teaching from the Scriptures. For example, when He was being taken to be crucified, He pointed out that it was fulfilling a prophecy from the Scriptures (Matthew 26:55+56). After He was crucified and raised from the dead, Jesus met some of His disciples and “beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, he expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). Jesus used more from the Scriptures than prophecies concerning Himself. He also appealed to Scripture to show some Sadducees that resurrection was part of God’s plan (Matthew 22:31+32).
Use of the Scriptures certainly did not stop after Jesus ascended. As Paul worked to spread the Gospel, his custom was to use the Scriptures to “[explain] and [demonstrate] that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead” (Acts 17:2+3). A teacher named Apollos was described as “an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures” (Acts 18:24). He was able to “[show] from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 18:28). The book of 2nd Timothy was a letter from Paul to a young teacher named Timothy (2nd Timothy 1:1+2). In it, Paul wrote to Timothy that the Scriptures “[were] able to make [him] wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2nd Timothy 3:15).
The Scriptures were important then, and they are just as important now. The Gospel that the Bible writers taught must not be changed (Galatians 1:8+9). It is not enough to just trust what we are told by our “religious leaders” because God’s word says that there will be both false teachers (2nd Peter 2:1) and eager teachers who do not understand what they are trying to teach (1st Timothy 1:7). Even when someone quotes from scripture or refers to scripture, it is still important to check out what they say because there will be people twisting the Scriptures (2nd Peter 3:16). Don’t just trust what you are told. Be “noble-minded” like the Bereans and “[search] the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things [are] so” (Acts 17:11).
The attitude that the Bereans showed was admirable. It was enough to earn them the description of “fair-minded,” as the New King James translation of the Bible renders it. Other translations use “noble” or “noble-minded.” Clearly, their willingness to search out God’s Word was well-respected. They weren’t the only ones who had a respect for God’s Word. When Jesus walked the earth and taught, He often taught right from the Scriptures. Apostles and teachers in the early Church taught the gospel and proved who Jesus was in the same manner " they used the Scriptures. The example they set is one that we should be following. To make sure that what we are being told is the truth, we must search the Scriptures.
One way that Jesus proved He was the Christ and the Son of God was with the use of miraculous signs. Another method He used was teaching from the Scriptures. For example, when He was being taken to be crucified, He pointed out that it was fulfilling a prophecy from the Scriptures (Matthew 26:55+56). After He was crucified and raised from the dead, Jesus met some of His disciples and “beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, he expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). Jesus used more from the Scriptures than prophecies concerning Himself. He also appealed to Scripture to show some Sadducees that resurrection was part of God’s plan (Matthew 22:31+32).
Use of the Scriptures certainly did not stop after Jesus ascended. As Paul worked to spread the Gospel, his custom was to use the Scriptures to “[explain] and [demonstrate] that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead” (Acts 17:2+3). A teacher named Apollos was described as “an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures” (Acts 18:24). He was able to “[show] from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 18:28). The book of 2nd Timothy was a letter from Paul to a young teacher named Timothy (2nd Timothy 1:1+2). In it, Paul wrote to Timothy that the Scriptures “[were] able to make [him] wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2nd Timothy 3:15).
The Scriptures were important then, and they are just as important now. The Gospel that the Bible writers taught must not be changed (Galatians 1:8+9). It is not enough to just trust what we are told by our “religious leaders” because God’s word says that there will be both false teachers (2nd Peter 2:1) and eager teachers who do not understand what they are trying to teach (1st Timothy 1:7). Even when someone quotes from scripture or refers to scripture, it is still important to check out what they say because there will be people twisting the Scriptures (2nd Peter 3:16). Don’t just trust what you are told. Be “noble-minded” like the Bereans and “[search] the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things [are] so” (Acts 17:11).