How Do You Stay Open-Minded Without Being Duped?

A Few Thoughts to Consider

Have you ever listened to a sermon or Bible study leader and wondered, How do I know that what this person is saying is right?

In Acts 17, after encountering hostility and being forced to leave Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul and his companion Silas traveled to the city of Berea to continue their missionary work. Upon arrival, they went to the local Jewish synagogue to preach. Unlike in Thessalonica, the Berean Jews were described as more open-minded and noble in character.

Acts 17:11-12 says, ¹¹ “The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. ¹² Consequently, many of them believed, including a number of the prominent Greek women as well as men.”

Notice the two key components of the Bereans’ response. They are eager to increase their understanding of the Word but are just as vigilant to ensure that what Paul is saying is backed up by Scripture. As John Polhill writes, “They did not accept his word uncritically but did their own examination of the Scriptures to see if they really did point to the death and resurrection of the Messiah as Paul claimed.”^[1]