A Mind for Truth - The Bereans
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Introduction: One of the most iconic lines in cinematic history was in the movie “A Few Good Men” starting Tom Cruise and Jack Nicolson. My guess is for some of you already know the line: “You want the truth, you can’t handle the truth.”
Now one of the reasons why I think that line is so iconic is that it deals with something that we can all relate to. An inability to deal with truth. Many people can’t handle the truth. It’s hard to handle the truth:
When it challenges what we already believe.
When it’s not popular
Or sometimes when it’s too popular.
When it goes against what we want to believe.
When it’s said by someone who’ve said other things we don’t like.
But truth has power that we can miss if we aren’t careful. Jesus says in John 8:31-32.
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
The truth will set us free, but how can we know what the truth is?
Transition to the Text: Turn with me in your Bibles to Acts 17:10-15. These few short verses talk about a group of people that is mentioned nowhere else in the Bible, but they made such an impression on Paul and Luke that their story is recorded here for us to learn from. The Bereans had a mind for truth. But part of knowing the truth means having an appropriate skepticism of anything that might be a lie.
Introduce:
Authentic Principle: A mind for truth requires appropriate skepticism.
Authentic Principle: A mind for truth requires appropriate skepticism.
Read:
Acts 17:10–15 (ESV)
10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15 Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.
Authentic Principle: A mind for truth requires appropriate skepticism.
Authentic Principle: A mind for truth requires appropriate skepticism.
Paul had just finished up a tense ministry experience in Thessalonica where in response to Paul’s preaching of Jesus as the Christ sent the city into an uproar. The church sent Paul and Silas (Timothy was also with them) away in the middle of the night to Berea. So how great must it have been to find the Bereans to be more noble than what they experienced in Thessalonica. Luke tells us that the Bereans received Paul’s word with all eagerness, but also a little bit of skepticism.
However what we can learn from them is...
1. Don’t blindly take someone’s word. (Acts 17:10-11)
1. Don’t blindly take someone’s word. (Acts 17:10-11)
Explanation: While it’s true that the Bereans received the words with all eagerness, they weren’t willing to take just anyone’s word for it…and to be honest they had just met Paul. They wanted to appeal to a higher authority.
So while they were eager to hear what Paul had to say, the fact-checked Paul. But fact checking is only as reliable as what you check your facts against. The Bereans fact check Paul against the Scriptures. In fact Luke records that they searched the scriptures daily. This means that they checked and rechecked everything that Paul said against the Scriptures to see if what he was saying matched up.
Now one thing we know, the NT at maximum was only starting to be written at this point. The only NT letter likely written by this time was the Epistle of James. So everything that Paul was preaching to them had to match up with the OT. Which shows you that you can preach Jesus just from the OT. Jesus did...
25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Now the word Scripture here clearly refers to the OT which is important because later, people like Paul, Peter and even Luke here would call what the NT writers were writing scripture as well. This shows that they saw that the NT was on the same level as the OT.
So what were the Bereans searching for in the Scriptures? They were searching for the truth. And even though what Paul said sounded good to them, that wasn’t enough for them. Because they had such a high view of Scripture that it overruled everything that didn’t agree with it.
Illustration: There are times in our lives when what someone is saying sounds good to us. They make a lot of sense. And before we know it, we’re hanging on every word. In the last century, there was a man who galvanized a nation and brought them out of an economic and depression. He gave the nation something to believe in and united them and gave them pride in their nation after years of dealing with the aftermath of WW1. The only problem was, he did it with lies. He told the people what they wanted to hear. And they loved him for it.
His name was Adolph Hitler. The people did not have a mind for truth because they didn’t have an appropriate level of skepticism. Be careful of who you are listening to. People will hate you for telling them the truth.
These days we are naturally skeptical of anyone who tries to convince us of something. But still, it’s tough to know what to believe or who to believe.
We’ve experienced this these past few years as we’ve navigated COVID.
Application: It’s easy sometimes to just revert to what someone else thinks. Sometimes people are charismatic and convincing. And we believe them because we want to. Paul writes to Timothy about this in 2 Timothy 4:3-5
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Don’t take just anyone’s word for it.
Notice that Luke admires the Bereans for not taking Paul’s word for it. He calls them noble not only for their eagerness to hear Paul but also in their diligence in checking Paul’s teaching against the Scriptures. They believed what is true.
2. Believe what is true (Acts 17:12)
2. Believe what is true (Acts 17:12)
Explanation: It is so important for us to understand that a person, a pastor, a teacher is only as credible as their source material.
The Bereans didn’t know if they could trust Paul. But they knew they could trust the Scriptures. They knew that this was their standard of truth.
You might ask, what if they were wrong about the Bible? Because that’s what so many people ask today. So many doubt whether or not the Bible is true and trustworthy, let alone authoritative over our lives. You could say that people are skeptical of the Bible. But do they have to be?
First, people doubt that what we have in our Bible is was originally written down.
Secondly, people doubt what was originally written down is actually true and authoritative. Because it’s only authoritative if it’s true.
The first one is easy. When it comes to the OT, the Jewish scribes were so meticulous in their copying the Scriptures that their precision led to almost perfect transcription. For example, the dead sea scrolls were discovered in the 1950s, the oldest copies of the Hebrew Bible were from around 1100 A.D. So when the dead sea scrolls were discovered, they predated those earliest copies by over 1200 years. The expectation was significant differences. And wouldn’t you know it, they matched almost exactly.
When it comes to the NT, there are over 5,000 Greek manuscripts, many of which date to within a few decades of the events they record. Here’s the amazing thing about those Manuscripts. While not one of them matches exactly with another (they have differences in spelling and expected scribal errors), we can take all of them together and by comparing them we can rebuild with near certainty what the originals said. If someone were to show up with a single old looking manuscript and were to say this is the original, we shouldn’t believe them. Because that’s not the way God sovereignly preserved His Word. He preserved them in 5000+ greek manuscripts. Now, not a single major doctrine hangs on one of the very few uncertain readings. The Trinity, Jesus as the divine Son of God, salvation by grace through faith and so on. There is a unified agreement on all the major doctrines. And even those uncertain readings aren’t uncertain from a meaning perspective.and from an exact wording perspective. The meaning is the same.
Now, on the other hand, even if we have the original words, how do we know that they are true? Now we do need to take a leap of faith, but it’s not blind faith. There are good reasons to believe the Bible.
Archaeology continues to show that many of the place names and people talked about in the Bible were real people and real places. History outside of the Bible continues to corroborate what the Bible claimed happened actually happened.
While belief in the Bible is a step of faith, but don’t think it’s a leap. There are good reasons to choose to believe the Bible.
Illustration: I love what Voddie Baucham says about “choosing” to believe the Bible.
Voddie Baucham: “I choose to believe the Bible because it is a reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They reported supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and claimed that their writing are divine rather than human in origin.”
The Bible continues to show that it is a reliable collection of Historical Documents
It can demonstrably be proven that the books of the Bible were written by eyewitnesses during the life of other eyewitnesses who could have come out of the woodwork to refute any error…and no one did.
They reported supernatural events that beg the question if the writers got the other everything else right, could the miracles be true?
They argued that it was in fulfillment of specific OT prophecies. That’s why the Bereans could go back and check everything Paul was saying, because Jesus was the fulfillment of OT prophecy.
They claimed that their writing was divine.
Application: It’s ok to be skeptical about the Bible, but if you investigate the claims of the Bible, you will find that there is good reason to believe it. You can be confident that the Bible as you have it is a reliable basis for what is true.
But you might ask, does the Bible speak to the things that happen in my life? Yep.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
The truth of the Bible is profitable to give guidance in all areas of our lives.
One final objection people make, “I can’t understand it. It’s too confusing.” It’s really not. Sure there are a few passages that cause us to dig deeper, but for the most part, the Bible is simple enough that a child can understand it. It’s ok to choose a translation that’s easier to understand.
So read it. Obey it. Search it daily to test the truth claims of the world. Everything you need for a godly life can be discerned from Scripture.
Nevertheless, when we believe what is true, we must recognize that there are going to be consequences.
3. Be willing to suffer for the truth. (Acts 17:13-15)
3. Be willing to suffer for the truth. (Acts 17:13-15)
Explanation: Luke tells us that Paul’s teaching produced fruit in that many of them believed. These likely refers to Jews because since he adds that a few Greek women of high standing as well as Greek men believed as well.
However, those same people who caused trouble for Paul and Silas in Thessalonica come to Berea to mess things up there as well. So the Bereans did what they could to protect Paul and send Him to safety. And it appears that it’s primarily Paul that is the problem because, only he has to leave. Timothy and Silas are able to remain and tie up loose ends in Berea.
But this is Paul’s life. Share the truth, watch as people respond in joy and then right as things get good, people show up to mess it up for you. They persecute you. And you have to leave people that you have learned to love.
Paul was one of the most faithful followers of Jesus to ever live. And what did he gain?
Paul talks about it in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28
23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
Standing for the truth will cost you.
Illustration: I think some of the most powerful stories are of those people who are willing to die for something. Soldiers who are willing to sacrifice themselves for their friends. But even more than that are the Christians throughout history who willingly gave their lives for Jesus.
William Tyndale is one of my favorite. He lived at the end of the 1400s and the beginning of the 1500s. In 1536 at the age of 42, he was executed for the crime considered punishable by death. What was that crime? He translating the Bible into the barbaric language: English. He believed that the Bible was something that should be easily accessible to everyone. Something that would unlock a mind for truth.
We talk a lot about how around the world people are dying for the sake of Jesus. Throughout history, the truth of the Gospel has cost people lives.
Application: The big take away is don’t be surprised when you face suffering when you stand firm for the truth of God’s word. In fact expect it.
A mind for truth is about thinking for yourself. And let’s face it, the world doesn’t like people who think for themselves…even in the church.
When we check what people say by looking at the Scriptures, people get upset.
But we aim to please God rather than men.
Response: How are you cultivating a mind for truth in your life?
Response: How are you cultivating a mind for truth in your life?
Summation:
Authentic Principle: A mind for truth requires appropriate skepticism.
1. Don’t blindly take someone’s word. (Acts 17:10-11)
2. Believe what is true (Acts 17:12)
3. Be willing to suffer for the truth. (Acts 17:13-15)
Closing Illustration:
Sometimes searching for the truth leads you to a place you never thought you’d go. Lee Strobel set out on a quest for the truth that the Bible was a lie. He investigated many different claims about Jesus to try to prove that:
The Bible isn’t reliable
That Jesus wasn’t who he said he was.
That he didn’t die on the cross and come back to life.
What he figured was a ironclad case that the Bible was full of nonsense, turned into journey towards faith.
His search led him to the truth and the truth set Him free.
Today, I’d like to invite you on a journey towards faith. It’s ok to be skeptical, but if you are willing to evaluate the claims of the Bible, you will find a compelling case that these things are true.
But truth in principle is not enough. Are you willing to allow the truth of God’s Word, guide you on your life.
Will you let God’s Word convict you of sin and your need for a savior?
Will you let God’s Word point you to the cross, not just in the NT but also in the OT as well?
Will you let God’s Word have the final say regarding what is true in your life?
May today be that day you embrace the truth.
Let’s pray.
Week 36 of 2021-2022 Sermon Series: Authentic Character :A Mind for Truth - The Bereans
Authentic Principle: A mind for TRUTH requires appropriate SKEPTICISM.
1. Don’t BLINDLY take someone’s WORD. (Acts 17:10-11)
2. BELIEVE what is TRUE. (Acts 17:12)
3. Be willing to SUFFER for the TRUTH. (Acts 17:13-15)
Response: How are you CULTIVATING a mind for truth in your LIFE?
Opening Discussion:
How do you define truth in your life? How do you determine what is true? How do you determine truth from a lie?
Sermon:
What did Paul and SIlas teach those in the Synagogue? How do you know?
Why were the Bereans more noble than those in Thessalonica?
How did the Bereans respond to Paul and Silas’ teaching?
How can you reconcile the idea that they “received the word with all eagerness” while still checking to see if it was true?
How did the Bereans determine whether or not Paul’s teaching was true?
How did the Thessalonians respond when they learned that the word was being proclaimed in Berea? Why do you think the reception of the truth by the Bereans was so upsetting to them?
Application:
How does the world define truth?
How can we differentiate between truth and opinion?
What can we learn from the Bereans about the source of Truth?
How can we maintain an appropriate level of skepticism even when the truth is being taught?
Why do you think people in our world are so upset about the truth?
How can we guard the truth in a world where anything can be true to anyone?
Will you examine the scriptures to see whether or not what Pastor James is teaching is true?