Being a Berean

“Being a Berean” is a paraphrase of Acts 17:10–11, meaning to study the Scriptures “daily” to see what they say and to compare everything you read and hear against what is written in Scripture (in aggregate; Psa 119:160; cf. 2Ti 3:16–17). Scripture calls that type of person “noble-minded.” We are further urged to “be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2Ti 2:15), which is the “sword of the Spirit” (Eph 6:17). Correctly understanding the Word of God is an essential part of your (spiritual) “armor” because, as you have seen, the false teachings and “fake gospels” (paraphrase) of man abound in all directions and as far as the eye can see. The only way you will not be “tricked” or “deceived” is if you know Scripture better than the false teachers (the “wolves” and “false prophets”) do.[1]

Moreover, even Satan and his demons know the Scriptures (Mat 8:29). We see examples in the Bible where Satan quotes Scripture (Gen 3:1; Mat 4:3, 6, 9), but he always does so by subtly altering or twisting God’s Word with the intention to deceive. He does this by adding to, misquoting, distorting, or taking away from Scripture and by mixing some truth in with lies so that it all sounds very convincing and very “biblical” on the surface. You must be able to detect half-truths, lies of omission, and so on, all of which the forces of “darkness,” “wickedness,” and “evil” (Eph 6:11–12; 1Jn 4:1–6; 5:19; cf. Eph 4:18; 5:8) use to trick, trap, and ensnare us. Satan will also use parts of Scripture taken out of context to try to get us to covet and desire things (i.e., idolize them; 1Jn 5:21; Rev 9:20; cf. 1Ti 6:10) or put God “to the test” (Mat 4:7; Luk 4:12; Act 5:9; 15:10). We must resist such temptations (Jas 4:7). Do not underestimate the danger of those tricks, for this is how Satan “tricked” Eve in the Garden of Eden (2Co 11:3; Gen 3).

We are also told to “test the spirits” (1Jn 4:1–6). This applies to testing teachers, preachers, self-proclaimed prophets, authors (me included!), books, movies, and everything you hear or read that is related to the Bible. How do you test them? You check that what they say (and do) matches the truth of Scripture (Act 17:11). Furthermore, as mentioned in the chapter “Choosing a Bible,” you should be comparing multiple Bible translations side-by-side when you do your Bible study so you can weed out any translation errors. In summary, being a Berean means “accurately handling the word of truth” (2Ti 2:15), which I strive to do myself. Throughout this book, I have explained that you must not only know the Word of God exceedingly well, but you must also know what is not the Word of God!

Lastly, reading and studying Scripture is how we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (1Pe 3:16), which every Christian should be excited to do and which is a process that should continue throughout their lifetime!