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upon God. (3) They “examined” the Scriptures: there was no superficial scurry ing over the Scriptures, but a careful examination of them, comparing Scripture with Scripture, a determined attempt to find' out exactly what they taught and all they taught. (4) They were systematic and regular in their study, they examined the Scriptures “daily.” There is nothing more important in Bible study than that we be regular in our study and that we have a set time every day that is set apart and kept sacredly for the study of the Word. (5) They studied the Scriptures with a definite purpose and with the very highest purpose, viz., to find out the truth about Christ and to find if the things Paul and Silas were teaching, about Him “were so.” They did not Waste their time in the exami nation of curious theories about the human authorship of the various books of the Old Testament; no, they studied what the Scrip tures had to teach about the Christ. Note the word “therefore” in verse 12; it points to the reason why “many of them believed.” The reason is found in the preceding verse, in the way in which they studied the Bible. If people would study the Bible today in the same way that the Bereans studied it, the result would be that many would be brought to faith. Paul’s converts in Berea were of all classes, many society women and many men were included in the number. Paul’s method of evangelism in Berea is worthy of study and imitation, not merely as regards results but as regards method. It was Bible evangelism, that is, evangelism by getting people to study the Bible in the right way. Friday, February 23 . Acts 17 : 13 - 15 . For all Paul’s success in Berea, he was not allowed to preach unhindered. Satan raised up opposition to him there also, bringing down Jews from Thessalonica to oppose and hinder the work. The devil always causes difficulty when anything real is doing. But the persecution at Berea only served to spread the gospel further still, and take Paul to Athens. Satan and
Berea, regardless of the fact of what they had suffered for preaching in Thessalonica, they began at once preaching again, and to the Jews at that. No matter how Paul and Silas might be treated in one place, the next town they struck they always went at preaching again (cf. 1 Thess. 2:2; Acts 14:5-7). Most of us, if we had suffered as Paul and Silas for preaching the truth, would have been silent, or more judicious, for a while at leastl Thursday, February 22 . Acts 17 : 11 , 12 . Here we meet men whom God pro nounced noble. Their patent to nobility consisted in the fact that they were eager to know the truth, but scrupulously careful in finding out what the truth was as tested by the Word. Certainly no one ever had a better patent to true nobility than these Bereans. Note carefully the two things in which their nobility manifested itself: (1) “They received the Word with all readi ness of mind” (cf. Job 23:12; Jer. 15:16; ch. 2:41). When they knew a thing really was the truth of God as revealed in His Word they needed no urging to accept it, they received it at once with glad alacrity. They opened tljeir mouths wide to receive what God had to give. Some people receive the truth when you compel them to: real lovers of the truth are hungry for it. The Word of God thus received brings salva tion arid blessing (James 1:21; 1 Peter 2 :2). Woe to the one who does not receive it (2 TheSs. 2:10-12). (2) "They searched (or examined) the Scriptures daily whether these things were so.” While they were ready to receive the truth they insisted on being sure that what was taught them was the truth, and that they had the mind of God for it, and they took the Scriptures as the only final authority. They were model Bible students in five respects: (1) They studied the Scriptures “as the Word of God” (cf. 1 Thess. 2:13). (2) They studied the Scriptures themselves, not merely what some one had to say about the Scriptures; they were independent students of the Word, independent of men but dependent
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