Acts 17:11
"And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth."
2 Timothy 2:15 [CEB]
"Make an effort to present yourself to God as a tried-and-true worker, who doesn’t need to be ashamed but is one who interprets the message of Truth correctly."
[Emphasis added.]
With the start of this new school year and seeing all the kids going off to school, I was reminded of one piece of advice my daddy gave me when I headed off to college. He said, "Don't you let anything get in the way of you getting your papers!" Funny, I know, but by papers he meant degrees and being the overachieving perfectionist I was, I took it to heart. Even though presented as a quasi-serious "Dad" instruction I understood the underlying seriousness that not only is a mind a terrible thing to waste, but learning is an intentional and conscious decision we make in or outside of an educational institution. I've talked in the past of how God exhorts us to get wisdom, ask for wisdom, study and apply His instructions to our daily lives and Faith walk. And I would encourage us to approach it as if we were approaching the literal classroom. Translation; take studying and applying God's Word, as well as who you hear it from, seriously. With learning, this involves eagerness, listening, diligence and thoughtfulness as we open our minds to God's Word.
One group of Believers who did this very thing is the Bereans whom the Apostle Paul is referencing in today's first verse; theoretically made easier by the type of sound teaching he encourages in Timothy in today's second verse. The Bereans weren't content to just hear a sermon. They went away and studied what they heard even further. No Bible? No problem. They had first and second hand eyewitness [or maybe even personal] accounts of Jesus' three-year earthly ministry. The first fives Books of the Old Testament were verbally available and taught and new Believers could couple this with what they heard from Paul and the other Apostles. So this private study alluded to is a meditation, mulling over and studying of the teachings about Jesus. Public recitation, explanation and discourse would have been the norm to digest, study and interpret. Not to challenge or prove the Apostles wrong, but to confirm the teachings' soundness to better meditate on and internalize the Word in application to their lives.
Just reading or studying the Word in a solitary vacuum is a great start and is very necessary, but it is not enough. We need to hear sound, theological preaching and teaching in conjunction with our private study and prayer to produce a full bodied spiritual experience encapsulated by these Bible Truths. How does one do that and avoid unnecessary noise? I'll reiterate what I shared recently with a Masterpiece. Like both of today's passages allude to; studying is as necessary as listening. We must be mindful of who is speaking into our lives and spiritually feeding us. In modern times, we seek church community that is sound in its belief system, leadership, preaching and teaching while also being in line with our Spiritual needs. So a little Godly investigation can be in order before we settle in for food. With that said, being on the receiving end of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is simply an opportunity to have our minds renewed in study, prayer and application. And I think that is something any daddy would approve of!
Takeaways for you to remember:
#1. Seek out Biblically sound teaching, preaching.
#2. In conjunction, study, pray and meditate on the Bible.
#3. When able, surround yourself with other Christ followers to discuss, dissect and apply the Word of God.
Yours in Christ!
Dr. Quahana
Want to enjoy some of the Scriptures inspiring this entry?
[NLT version unless otherwise noted.]
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