We Need to Be More Like the Bereans

A classic scenario we’ve often seen is someone lying on a couch in a psychiatrist’s office saying, “Doctor, I hear voices.” These days, we’re all hearing voices: TV and radio talk shows; news commentary sometimes disguised as objective reporting; podcasts; social media; Internet diatribes. 

So many voices, one stating one thing, another saying something totally different. Kind of reminds me of the scene in the book of Acts when a mob in the city of Ephesus tried to disrupt the apostle Paul’s preaching: “The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there” (Acts 19:32). 

 

Living in our world of so many disparate voices can be just as confusing. Many of those most vocal are desperate to persuade us about what to think and how to interpret events all around us – in our communities, the nation, even the world. But the views expressed are so diverse, often diametrically opposed to each other. How are we to discern what’s right – or who’s right?

 

There are no simple answers, unfortunately. Even the spiritual realm can seem just as confounding. As was the case in ancient Ephesus, where “some were shouting one thing; some another,” we’re offered a smorgasbord of ideas and ideologies from which we can pick and choose, if we so desire.

 

Just a cursory comparison of the world’s religions reveals differences that can’t be reconciled. But even within Christianity we’re confronted with teachings that can leave us struggling to discern whose messages represent the truth. From what I’ve observed, some “teachers” apparently are drawing their conclusions from the books of Babylonians and 2 Opinions (which, spoiler alert, are not in the Bible). The question again arises, who are we to believe?

 

Another passage in the book of Acts offers guidance in how to distinguish between what’s true and what’s not. The apostle Paul, Silas, and those following them were on a mission trip, stopping in Thessalonica and then proceeding to Berea: “As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead” (Acts 17:2-3).

 

What Paul was preaching was the Gospel – literally, “good news” – which was eagerly received by some, but strongly opposed by others because what he was teaching was contrary to their well-established religious beliefs and practices. While some who heard Paul were convinced that what he taught was the truth, others formed a mob and started rioting to oppose him.

 

Then there were those who, similar to many of us today, simply wanted to carefully consider what he had to say and respond according to what they discovered. Among those were Jews in Berea. We’re told, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).

 

Rather than reacting negatively because the apostle’s teachings ran contrary to what they had always been taught or simply accepting his words ‘as gospel’ without any reservations, the Bereans chose the middle ground: They dug into the Scriptures – which at that time consisted only of the Old Testament – and compared what Paul was teaching with scriptural revelation.

 

We’d be wise to follow the example of the Bereans when we hear teachings from various apparently authoritative voices on matters such as theology, doctrine, morality, and their views about God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

 

We’re warned that “the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3). Even though these words were written many centuries ago, they ring true to this day. Sadly, many people ‘want the God they want,’ rather than truly seeking the God who is.

 

Hopefully you’re not among them. If your desire is to know the Lord and grow deeper in your walk and relationship with Him, “searching the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” is a healthy habit. We need to know which of the many voices out there are worth listening to.

 

Even if we belong to a body of believers where the Bible is revered and faithfully taught, it doesn’t hurt to check the Scriptures ourselves to confirm whether what Pastor So-and-So said is, in fact, so.

If indeed, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” as 2 Timothy 3:16 declares, as diligent truth-seekers we can trust the Lord to confirm or correct what we hear.

Pen Mightier Than a Sword? Um, What’s a Pen?

As a writer, pens have been as important for my “toolbox” as hammers for a carpenter, wrenches for a plumber, brushes for a painter, or a scalpel for a surgeon. Despite technological advances, pens remain for me welcomed companions.

I learned to type in high school. Then in journalism school we were taught to compose stories with fingers on the keys. At this very moment, sitting at a computer, my thoughts coalesce much more easily once my fingertips connect with the keyboard. Nevertheless, keyboards haven’t entirely replaced pens for my writing. 

Since tape recorders aren’t always dependable, whenever I interview someone for an article or a book, I resort to pen and notepad. More than one pen, because most don’t come with “low on ink” alerts.

So when I see or hear news reports about schools no longer teaching cursive writing, it’s sad. Just think of the things we are losing: "pen" pals; meaning for the saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword"; authors with "pen names." But what we're losing most is the capacity for thoughtful expression, presented in our unique form and style, known as penmanship.

With computers, smartphones and tablets we quickly click off our communications. Sometimes too quickly. We blurt (through fingertips) what’s on our minds, hit “Send,” and at the speed of cyberspace, it’s off to the intended audience. Sometimes with unintended consequences. If we’d paused to consider what we were transmitting and its potential impact, we might have waited. Speed and convenience aren’t ideal determinants for effective communication. 

But what’s best about handwriting is its personal touch and distinctiveness. Someone else could sit at my computer and write you an email on my behalf, and you might not be the wiser. Same with texts from my iPhone. But if I take the time and energy to sit, pen in hand, and write a personal note or (gasp!) a full letter, you could probably tell it was from me. It’s unlikely anyone would forge my writing to send you a thank-you note.

There’s one more reason I mourn when I hear about kids no longer being taught cursive writing. Some of the most important documents of mankind were written by hand: The Magna Carta. Our U.S. Constitution. Can you imagine, years from now, students – and politicians – unable to read the Constitution because they can’t read in cursive? Maybe that’s already happening.

The Bible in its original Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic languages was written and painstakingly copied by hand, then translated into English in the same way. The Ten Commandments were handwritten too – by the hand of God.

Handwriting was used to demonstrate legitimacy of the scriptural documents. In a letter to believers in the Greek city of Thessalonica, the apostle Paul noted, “I, Paul, write these greetings in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters This is how I write” (2 Thessalonians 3:17). To the church in the city of Colossae, he penned these words: “I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you” (Colossians 4:18).

To Christ followers in Galatia, Paul wrote, “See what large letters I use as I write to you in my own hand!” (Galatians 6:11). And consider how much the written Word was cherished even in the early Church: “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11). No printing presses back then.

The Old Testament gives examples of Israelite leaders remembering God’s decrees and faithfulness as they read time-honored, handwritten prophecies passed down through the generations. This sometimes prompted them to lead their headstrong people to repentance.

We even find examples of prophets who consumed the words of God. For example, the prophet Jeremiah wrote, “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty” (Jeremiah 15:16). 

This isn’t telling us to physically consume the pages of our Bibles, but we should internalize the truths God has given us through His Word. And just think: its original writings weren’t delivered via email, Word document, text or smartphone app. The Lord cared enough to make sure they were written to us personally, by hand.

“Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21).

So, seems to me it’s not a good idea to curse cursive writing. If anything, in these depersonalized times, the more personal we can be, the better.

Beware of Counterfeits

Have you heard about how Federal agents are trained to spot counterfeit money? I did some research and verified the story is true: The agents are brought in for several days – even as long as a week – and spend more than 90 percent of the time inspecting…real currency.

Our susceptibility to counterfeits depends on
how well we know the real thing.

They examine elements of the genuine article methodically and meticulously, things like portraits and other artwork, Federal Reserve and Treasury seals, borders, serial numbers and paper quality. Agents pour over real money from every possible angle. They learn its details until it’s as familiar to them as their own hands.

Only then, after many hours of examining and becoming intimately acquainted with bonafide currency, are they introduced to counterfeit money for their consideration.

Knowing the real McCoy so well, the fake cash stands out as if printed on pink paper with red ink. (Of course, in a sense, the Federal government does print paper with red ink – but that’s a topic for some other time.)

Sadly, our world surrounds us with counterfeits. Expensive-looking watches, knock-off purses and shoes, high-end fashions and high-tech devices are often foisted on naïve consumers who think they’re getting a bargain. Instead, they’re receiving mere copies, falsified replicas of the real deal. Even romance has its counterfeit these days, with TV and the movies masquerading raging hormones and lustful motives as “true love.”

There’s an important principle to be learned here. To be capable of spotting a counterfeit, it makes sense to know the genuine article very well.

This is as true in the spiritual realm as anywhere. Some make the claim, “All religions are the same.” Others would say, “It doesn’t matter what you believe, just as long as you’re sincere.” These views sound reasonable – until we compare counterfeits with the stuff of genuine faith.

Are we to assume Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Christianity and whatever other belief system you want to toss into the discussion are all essentially the same? They are alike in one respect – a shared conviction that even though we live in a material world, it has a very real spiritual dimension. After that, however, comparing them side by side reveals considerable – and irreconcilable – differences.

For the disciple of Christ, it’s helpful to know these differences. But even more important is having a clear understanding of what we believe – and why. The key is being so familiar with the Word of God, the Bible – just as Federal agents are familiar with genuine currency – that pretender belief systems become obvious.

In fact, Jesus assured His followers, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8:31-32). He promised we could know THE Truth, not someone’s opinion of what the truth should be.

The book of Acts offers an excellent example of the attitude to have when confronted with new spiritual claims: “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11). Another translation says they “searched the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (New American Standard).

In other words, these fervent truth-seekers from Berea knew the Scriptures extremely well, and as the apostle Paul taught in the synagogues, they would diligently compare what he said with what they knew to be true from the holy writings passed down through the centuries. “Accept no counterfeit!” might have been their motto.

The question is, are we in danger of being seduced by counterfeit teachings? The only way we can avoid this is to spend time studying, examining, meditating on and absorbing the real thing. Then, when faced with the counterfeit, we can recognize it and dismiss it for what it is.

Why are some people seduced by a Coach purse replica, a fake Rolex, or a counterfeit $20 bill? Because these look close enough to the actual item to deceive. But if you know the real thing, you can identify the counterfeit easily.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).