In the New Testament Book of Acts we find an account of some Jews who heard Paul preach thoughts they never heard before let alone believed. ..Paul had just finished ministering in Thessalonica where the Jews in that city rioted and ran him out of town. ..
Acts 17:10-11 KJV ..And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. ..(11) ..These were more noble than those in Thessalonica,..in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
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Think of the difference between the Jews of Thessalonica and Berea. ..The Bereans must have considered Paul might be correct for them to take the time and search the scriptures to see if what Paul was saying was correct. ..Closed-mindedness was not their habit. ..You would not think you cannot be wrong if you took someone's ideas and searched the bible to verify them, but rather search the bible to shoot down what that person said...
So many are like the Thessalonians who riot with those whom they disagree with. ..So few are truly "Berean". ..Picture yourself speaking an idea or teaching to a person who was taught something else altogether. ..Many people will not consider your words whatsoever. ..While not even really listening to you, instead they are trying to think of how to come against what you are saying. ..You have approached a "Thessalonian"! ..A "Berean" would not do that. ..
Think of the reason many people simply do not wish to hear anything contrary to what they've already heard and been taught. ..They are fearful! ..What other reason would there be to not even consider what another teaching might propose? ..They fear because in many cases they have put their identities' themselves into their beliefs or church dogma. ..They have thereby made themselves an identity and find their security in that identity, as though their purpose in life is integrally connected to it. ..And when this doctrine is challenged, they become personally offended since they have based their person identities upon it. ..So, in their minds, attacking that doctrine attacks their identity. They also fear that if one belief they hold turns out to be incorrect, what else might they believe that is wrong?
If you look up the definition of the names Thessalonica and Berea, you will find a veritable message that coincides quite well with how the two different people reacted to Paul's ..preaching.
Thessalonica comes from a combination of “Thessalos” and “nike”. ..“Nike” means "conquest, a means of success, victory." ..
Berea seems to come from a term Peraea, which means "the region beyond the coastline." ..It means "beyond, across, farther, the other side, over."
What a perfect explanation of why some fight what they never heard before as opposed to others who consider it in case it might be right and their idea wrong. ..Thessalonica represents a people who only wish to win and argument, or to conquer and think only of their personal success. ..How shallow! ..Berea, on the other hand, speaks of a people who are deeper than that and are "beyond the coastline" into deeper depths of truths. ..They are..farther..along in the Spirit. ..Beyond the norm. ..To Bereans, truth is more important than personal identity and prideful victories in every argument in which they engage. ..And if their beliefs happen to be incorrect, it is better to learn that and humble themselves and be corrected, rather than hold to pride and refuse to let others think they might be wrong.
Let's be Berean!
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