Friday Night Message: Prove All Things

May 26, 2023

Good evening brethren, 

How did we respond to the teachings of the church of God, when we were first introduced to that  precious truth?  Did we resist it at first, since the teaching of the Bible is so different from traditional Christian principles and practices?  Or did we quickly embrace it as true?

In the book of Acts, Luke commends the Bereans, for knowing how to properly evaluate what is being preached.  The apostle Paul was in Greece on his second journey, and would regularly enter into the synagogue in order to address the Jews who attended there:

Acts 17:10 – Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea.  When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.

The next verse describes their (the Jews in Berea) attitude and approach to Paul’s preaching:

Acts 17:11 – These (those in Berea) were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.  

At that time, the New Testament did not exist … the Scriptures at that time consisted of just the Old Testament writings as canonized by Ezra.  What was the result of Paul’s preaching to the Bereans?

Acts 17:12 – Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.

The Berean’s approach was very successful.  There were many who were converted, including some Greeks, women who were prominent in their neighborhood, as well as many Jewish men.  

It is interesting to note that Paul mentioned the following in a list of exhortations, and this was written specifically by Paul in his first epistle to the Thessalonians:

I Thes. 5:21 – Test all things; hold fast what is good.

Here are six renderings of the phrase “Test all things”, each rendition from a separate translation found in various Bible versions:

• Test all

• but test everything

• bring everything to the test

• but continue to prove all things until you can approve them

• and yet you must scrutinize it all carefully

If we do not explicitly and properly and thoroughly prove these things, we may have doubts later on and fall away from the truth.  Notice a warning of Jesus to His disciples:

Luke 6:39 - …and Jesus spoke a parable to them: Can the blind lead the blind?”  Will they not both fall into the ditch?

The Bereans were the models for “right-minded” followers for Christ Jesus.  Although ready and even zealous to hear, they did not thoughtlessly OR simply believe and accept the truths of the gospel which Paul preached.  May we always be like the Bereans, who proved to themselves that Paul spoke the truth.

Have an inspiring Sabbath,

Fred