Day 16 – The Bereans: Testing Everything by Scripture

The Shepherd Calls Us Back to Scripture

Today we begin the second half of The Open Gospel.

The first fifteen days focused on the heart of the Gospel:

Our need for salvation.

God’s plan of redemption.

Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

Salvation by grace through faith.

Justification by faith.

Christ’s finished work.

Christ our only Mediator.

The assurance of eternal life.

And finally:

All glory belongs to God.

Now we move into another important question:

How do we know that what we believe is actually true?

The answer is:

We go back to Scripture.

Acts 17 introduces us to a group of people called the Bereans.

They heard Paul preaching.

They listened carefully.

They received the message eagerly.

But they did something remarkable.

They examined the Scriptures to see whether what Paul was teaching was true.

This gives us a powerful biblical principle:

Do not simply believe because someone tells you. Open the Scriptures and examine what you hear.

The Bereans show us what it looks like to have an open Bible and a teachable heart.

The Bereans Listened

Paul and Silas arrived in Berea and went into the Jewish synagogue.

They began teaching about the Gospel.

The Bereans did not immediately reject what they heard.

They listened.

They were willing to consider the message.

They were willing to learn.

This is important.

Testing teaching does not mean having a closed mind.

It means being willing to hear while remaining committed to truth.

The Bereans were willing to hear something new, but they did not blindly accept it.

They listened carefully.

A person who refuses to listen cannot grow.

But a person who believes everything they hear can easily be deceived.

Biblical maturity requires both:

A teachable heart.

And:

A discerning mind.

We should be willing to listen.

But we should also be willing to examine.

They Received the Message With Eagerness

Acts tells us:

“They received the message with great eagerness.”

There was humility in their response.

They did not say:

“We already know everything.”

They were willing to learn.

A teachable heart is valuable.

We should never become so confident in our own understanding that we refuse to examine God’s Word.

The Gospel deserves our attention.

But notice what they did next.

They Examined the Scriptures

This is the heart of today’s message.

“They examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”

They did not simply accept the message because Paul was an impressive teacher.

They examined his teaching against Scripture.

Think about how remarkable this is.

Paul was an apostle.

He was a highly respected teacher.

He had extraordinary knowledge of the Scriptures.

Yet the Bereans were still commended for examining the message in light of Scripture.

This is not a call to distrust faithful Christian teachers.

It is a reminder that no human teacher is the final authority.

God’s Word is.

A faithful pastor, priest, preacher, teacher, or leader should therefore welcome people who open Scripture and examine what is being taught.

The question is not:

“Do I like this teacher?”

The question is:

“Is this teaching faithful to God’s Word?”

If the Bereans examined Paul’s preaching, how much more should we examine everything we hear today?

Scripture Is the Standard

The Bereans did not compare Paul’s teaching with:

• their personal feelings,
• popular opinion,
• cultural expectations,
• family traditions,
• political ideas,
• or what everyone else believed.

They searched the Scriptures.

The Word of God was the standard.

This is fundamental to The Open Gospel.

When we hear a teaching, we should ask:

“Where is this found in Scripture?”

And then:

“Does Scripture actually teach this?”

The authority is not our feelings.

The authority is not public opinion.

The authority is not a personality.

The authority is not a denomination.

The authority is not tradition.

The authority is God’s Word.

Even Good Teachers Must Be Tested

This principle is not an attack on pastors, teachers, or Christian leaders.

God gives teachers to His Church.

We need godly leadership.

But no human teacher is the ultimate authority.

God’s Word is.

Paul himself wrote:

“Test everything; hold on to what is good.”

A faithful teacher should not be threatened by people who examine Scripture.

They should encourage it.

The goal of biblical teaching is not to make people dependent upon the teacher.

It is to help people become increasingly grounded in Christ and His Word.

Tradition Must Be Tested by Scripture

This principle becomes particularly important when we examine religious traditions.

Tradition may contain history.

Tradition may preserve cultural practices.

Tradition may remind people of important moments from the past.

But tradition cannot become more authoritative than Scripture.

Jesus Himself warned about traditions that could cause people to set aside God’s command.

He said:

“You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

The problem was not simply that tradition existed.

The problem was when human tradition was elevated above God’s revealed Word.

Therefore, we should not automatically reject something because it is traditional.

But neither should we automatically accept something because it is traditional.

We should ask:

“Does Scripture teach this?”

If Scripture confirms it, we can receive it.

If Scripture corrects it, we must be willing to change.

Our loyalty must ultimately be to God’s truth.

Culture and Religious Practices Must Be Tested

The same principle applies to culture.

Every culture has things that are good.

Every culture also has things that need correction.

Christians should not automatically assume:

“Because our culture has always done this, it must be biblical.”

Instead, we ask:

“What does God’s Word say?”

If Scripture confirms it, hold to it.

If Scripture corrects it, we must be willing to change.

God’s Word stands above culture.

We Must Know Scripture to Recognise Error

If you do not know the truth, it becomes difficult to recognise error.

Imagine someone gives you a counterfeit banknote.

You do not identify it merely because it looks suspicious.

You know it is counterfeit because you know what the genuine note looks like.

The same principle applies spiritually.

We need to know God’s Word.

The better we know Scripture, the better equipped we become to recognise teaching that contradicts it.

The Bereans examined Scripture every day.

Their example reminds us that biblical discernment is not a one-time exercise.

We need God’s Word continually.

Jesus Warned About Deception

Jesus repeatedly warned His followers:

“Watch out that no one deceives you.”

Why would Jesus give this warning?

Because deception is real.

Not every spiritual message is true.

Not every teacher is faithful.

Not every religious claim comes from God.

Not everything that uses the name of Jesus represents the biblical Jesus.

But discernment does not grow simply by becoming suspicious.

It grows by becoming grounded in God’s Word.

The more clearly we know Christ as He is revealed in Scripture, the better equipped we become to recognise teaching that presents a different Christ or a different Gospel.

The Bereans Were Commended

The Bible describes the Bereans as having:

“more noble character.”

Why?

Because they combined three things:

Eagerness to hear.

Discipline to examine.

Humility to believe.

They were neither blindly accepting nor arrogantly rejecting.

They listened.

They investigated.

They compared.

And then they believed.

That is biblical discernment.

A Simple Berean Method

When you hear a teaching, remember these five questions.

1. What does the Bible actually say?

Read the passage yourself.

Do not rely entirely upon someone else’s summary.

2. What does the passage mean in context?

Consider the surrounding verses.

Consider the chapter.

Consider the book.

Do not build an entire doctrine upon an isolated sentence.

3. Does this teaching agree with the rest of Scripture?

The Bible should be interpreted consistently.

A difficult passage should be understood in light of the wider teaching of Scripture.

4. Is this Scripture or someone’s tradition or opinion?

Learn to distinguish between:

“The Bible says…”

and:

“People have traditionally taught…”

Those statements are not automatically the same.

5. Am I willing to change if God’s Word proves me wrong?

This may be the hardest question.

But it is essential.

Biblical discernment requires humility.

If Scripture corrects us, we must be willing to listen.

The Invitation

Perhaps you have believed something for many years simply because someone told you it was Christian.

Perhaps you have never personally examined some of the beliefs you inherited.

Perhaps you have depended heavily upon a religious leader to tell you what the Bible says.

Perhaps you have been afraid to ask questions.

Or perhaps you have become so confident in your own interpretation that you no longer allow Scripture to challenge you.

Today, the Shepherd invites you back to His Word.

Open the Bible.

Read it carefully.

Ask honest questions.

Study the context.

Compare Scripture with Scripture.

Listen to faithful teachers.

But ultimately, test what you hear by God’s Word.

And when Scripture corrects you, be humble enough to change.

Do not be afraid of truth.

Do not be afraid to examine what you believe.

Do not be afraid to discover that something you have always believed needs to be reconsidered.

The goal is to remain faithful to the truth He has revealed.

Open the Scriptures.

Examine what you hear.

Allow God’s Word to examine you.

And let Scripture lead you to Christ.