Philosopher Emile Cailliet was born in a small French village near the end of the 19th century. His early education was committed to naturalism, leaving no room for God or supernatural intervention in human affairs. But his naturalistically inspirited studies in philosophy proved of little help during his front-line experiences as a lad of 20 in World War I. Confronted with the horrors of war, he asked:
What use is ill-kept, ancient philosophic banter, when your own buddy—at the time speaking to you of his mother—dies standing in front of you, a bullet in his chest. Was there a meaning to it all? A person can endure anything if only it appears meaningful…. I, too, felt—not with my reason, but with my whole being—that I was naked and, war or no war, destined to perish miserably when the hour came.
One night a bullet found Cailliet, too. An American field ambulance crew saved his life, and after a nine-month hospital stay, he was discharged and resumed his graduate studies. But he had to admit that the books no longer seemed like the same books, nor was his motivation the same. Reading at length in philosophy and literature, he found himself probing in depth for meaning. He testifies:
During long night watches in the foxholes I had in a strange way been longing—I must say it, however strange it may sound—for a book that would understand me. But I knew of no such book. Now I would in secret prepare one for my own private use. And so, as I went on reading for my courses, I would file passages that would speak to my condition, then carefully copy them in a leather-bound pocket book I would always carry with me. The quotations, which I numbered in red ink for easier reference, would lead me as it were from fear and anguish, through a variety of intervening stages, to supreme utterances of release and jubilation.
At last, the day came when he put the finishing touches on, as he said it, “the book that would understand me.” He describes a beautiful, sunny day in which he sat under a tree and opened his precious anthology. As he read, however, he was overcome by a growing disappointment. Instead of speaking to his condition as he expected, the passages only reminded him of their context—of the circumstances of his labor over their selection. Then, Cailliet says, he knew that the whole undertaking would not work, simply because it was of his own making. It carried no strength of persuasion. In a dejected mood, he put the little book back into his pocket.
On that same day, Cailliet’s wife had come into the possession of a Bible by extraordinary circumstances. Emile had always been adamant that religion would be taboo in their home, and at the age of 23 had never even seen a Bible. But at the end of that disappointing day, when she apologetically tried to explain how she had providentially (as he would later realize!) picked up a copy of the Bible, he was eager to see it. He describes what happened next:
I literally grabbed the book and rushed to my study with it. I opened it and “chanced” upon the Beatitudes. I read and read and read—now aloud with an indescribable warmth surging within…. I could not find words to express my awe and wonder. And suddenly the realization dawned upon me: This was the Book that would understand me! I needed it so much, yet, unaware, I had attempted to write my own—in vain. I continued to read deeply into the night, mostly from the Gospels. And lo and behold, as I looked through them, the one of whom they spoke, the one who spoke and acted in them, became alive in me.
This story illustrates the power of the Bible in the lives of people. Throughout the centuries and in modern times there are millions of people who have discovered the same truth as Emile Cailliet—the Bible is a book that understands us. It is a supernatural book that was written by a supernatural God and it transforms the lives of those who read and study it.
This is precisely what happened to the people of Berea in this morning’s text. They heard Paul preach the Word of God and then they examined the Scriptures on their own to see if what he said was true. Their study confirmed Paul’s message, they put their faith in Jesus Christ, and their lives were transformed forever.
Since there are only a handful of passages in the Bible that directly speak to the importance of examining the Scriptures for ourselves, I am disciplining myself to avoid some of the other lessons in these verses and focus solely on this one. For instance, I am tempted to discuss the importance of having a heterogeneous church. That is a church that is made up of people of different genders, ethnicities, and social and economic backgrounds. This principle is certainly reflected in the Berean church.
Likewise, I am tempted to discuss the importance of follow up ministry. After the mob stirred up trouble in Berea and Paul escaped to the coast, he left Silas and Timothy behind to encourage and strengthen the Berean believers. Paul knew that follow up ministry is absolutely essential for the survival of the church. This is still true today!
But I am going to resist the temptation to preach about these wonderful principles. Instead, I want to talk about the importance of reading and studying the Scriptures for ourselves. So, let’s take a look at the text!
After the missionaries escaped the mob in Philippi they fled forty-five miles southwest to the city of Berea. Berea was a terraced town that sat on a high slope overlooking the Haliacmon River. It was called an “out of the way” town because it was off the main road that passed through Macedonia.
When the missionaries entered Berea, according to their ordinary custom, they began their ministry at the local Jewish synagogue. They continued to preach the good news that Jesus was the Messiah and that he died on the cross for the forgiveness of their sins and was resurrected from the dead to offer eternal life to those who would put their faith in him. Now Luke tells us that these Bereans were of more “noble character” than the Thessalonians. The Greek word “eugenes” can also be translated as “receptive” or “open-minded”.
Their overall response to the gospel was much more positive than the Thessalonians. They proved it by their eagerness to hear and understand the word of God and to diligently examine the Scriptures on their own to see if what they were saying was true. So, on one hand, they listened to Paul’s message with great enthusiasm, intrigue, and zeal; on the other hand, they maintained a healthy skepticism until they had a chance to search the Scriptures on their own and evaluate the validity of their message. Luke, in essence, says that the Bereans were better than the Thessalonians because they were more open-minded toward Paul’s message. He seems to be saying that if recipients of the gospel can put religious, political, and social prejudice out of the way for a bit, they will understand how logical, historical, and wonderful the message about Jesus really is.
So, when the Bereans compared Paul’s preaching to their own understanding of the Bible (Old Testament), they were convinced that his message was true (Jesus really was the Messiah who died and rose again and was the only way to eternal life) and put their faith in Jesus Christ. It wasn’t just the Berean Jews, but many Greek men ad women responded positively to the gospel as well. As in Philippi and Thessalonica, Luke mentions that many prominent Greek women trusted in Christ. Again, this is to highlight the fact that the gospel crosses ethnic, social, economic, and gender boundaries. A large number of the Berean population became Christians and their lives were transformed.
Luke proclaims that the Bereans had noble character because they were eager to receive Paul’s message and they compared it against their own examination of the Scriptures. Our Christian character is also partially determined by our eagerness to hear God’s Word and examine the Scriptures on our own. Now I will be the first one to admit that I am not the best preacher in the world, but what is our level of eagerness when we hear God’s Word proclaimed? Do we come to God’s Word with the attitude “What am I going to learn about God, life, or ministry today?” or do we sit through church staring at our watches saying, “How much longer?”
Even apart from church there are many opportunities to hear God’s Word. We can listen to the Word on the radio, watch it on TV, or take advantage of thousands of different internet and printed resources. Are we utilizing any of these? Really, how eager are we to hear God’s Word and be transformed by its message?
Likewise, these Bereans showed their noble character by examining the Scriptures for themselves to see if what Paul said was true. The nobleness of our character is also partially determined by our willingness to study the Scriptures on our own. Probably the greatest lesson that we learn from the Bereans is “When it comes to the Bible, never trust an explanation without an examination!”
So, whether it is me, some other preacher, a scholar from the History Channel, a college professor, or anyone else, never trust their explanation without examining the text yourself. There are many false teachers out there who are deliberately distorting God’s Word and manipulating people for their own selfish purposes. And even respected preachers who have pure motives can make mistakes!
When I was in college I spent some time preaching in Choctaw Indian churches in Oklahoma. One evening I preached a sermon and got a biblical fact wrong. Later that night a friend took me aside and pointed it out to me. My intentions were pure, but my research was not thorough enough. It was a minor mistake that probably no one else noticed, but I appreciated his willingness to check what I said and hold me accountable. He showed his noble character by searching the Scriptures for himself.
It is my job to study diligently to make sure what I preach is true. It is your job to examine the Scriptures on your own to make sure what I am saying is true. If I make a mistake, I expect all of you to hold me accountable. This is one of the reasons why I insist on having you all open you’re Bibles, read, and follow along with me throughout the sermon. If you don’t follow along there is no way for you to evaluate if what I am saying is accurate.
A few years ago some friends of ours from Gordon-Conwell Seminary came to spend a weekend with us. After attending both of our Franklin churches that day, at lunch he commented about how impressed he was that everyone opened their Bibles and followed along with the sermon. Then he said, “That is awesome! I wish the people at my church did that.”
Let us continue to model ourselves after the Bereans! When we are in church, let us continue to open our Bible’s, read the text, follow along with the sermon, and hold me accountable to preaching the truth! When we are not in church, let us read the Bible before we leave for work in the morning or before we go to bed at night! Let us read whole books and study short passages. When you are struggling with specific problems, use the topical index in the back of the Bible to find verses that speak to those problems. Regardless of how or when you do it, get in the Word—it has power to transform your life. And remember, when it comes to the Bible, never trust an explanation without an examination.
These statistics are a little dated and I would guess they are even lower now, but they are still worth hearing:
• 12 percent of all American adults read the Bible every day of the week
• 52 percent do not read it at all. Another 33 percent read the Scriptures at least once during a typical week.
• More blacks (70 percent) read the Bible than Hispanics (49 percent) and whites (42 percent). More women (50 percent) read it than men (39 percent).
• The South can retain its label as the Bible belt: 56 percent of southern adults read the Bible at least weekly. On the other end of the spectrum is the Northeast, where only 30 percent do.
Do you think these statistics are accurate? Where do you fit in them?
In an interview, Billy Graham was asked this question: “If you had to live your life over again, what would you do differently?” His answer: “One of my great regrets is that I have not studied enough. I wish I had studied more and preached less. People have pressured me into speaking to groups when I should have been studying and preparing. Donald Barnhouse said that if he knew the Lord was coming in three years, he would spend two of them studying and one preaching. I’m trying to make it up”
My guess is that most of us have a lot of making up to do! So, let’s get to it!