Daily Devotional Thought--From the New Testament

Acts 17:10-15:

10The 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.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Thank God there are still Christians like the Bereans today.

Pastors give thanks for them on good days, but bemoan them on days when the flesh gets the best of us.

But Berean Christians are necessary for the church to maintain a proper confession of faith.

You may have a response similar to one of these:

• "But Pastor, I don't want to be a pest."
• "But Pastor, who am I to question you?"

To the first, I would remind you of St. Paul admonition to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15ff). That is to say, if you have a question about something your pastor is teaching or preaching, go to him in humility and with respect. Assume that he misspoke, or that you misunderstood, or that he just didn't communicate as clearly as he had hoped. In other words, assume the best. And in most cases, you will find your pastor to be glad you asked--at least someone was listening!!

To the second, I our reading from Acts reminds us of a faithful group of Christians who carried out their collective office as the Priesthood of All Believers, searching the scriptures and delighting in the Word of God (Psalm 1, John 10, etc.). A church full of people who are taught well, and are able to discern the truth from error, will be a church whose pastors are forced to study so that they in fact do deliver the goods--Preaching Christ Crucified and delivering the Word of God in its truth and purity.

The church that is made up of Christians like the Bereans is a church where pastors and people are abiding in the Word of Christ together, are having Christ revealed to them, and therefore, know the freedom of the Gospel.

We we all be so bold as to pray for brothers and sisters in the faith who will hold us accountable to the sacred Word of God. Amen.