Chapter 17a

So Paul and Silas are doing their thing again. This time they’re in Thessalonica. And once again, people are coming to Christ in droves.

Then of course we face the opposition. Again.

This time they don’t actually manage to catch Paul and Silas, but they do catch their friends, who are imprisoned.

An interesting side note is this: Do you notice the Jews telling complete porkies to get Paul?

Anyway, Paul and Silas end up in Berea. The Bereans are described as “more noble than the Thessalonians.” TAKE THAT!

They’re considered more noble because they don’t necessarily agree with Paul.

Say what?

That’s right, they’re more noble because, rather than taking him at face value, they spend time in scripture wrestling with what he says.

Now, this is a fairly unusual thing for Christians today. Many of us tend to take an approach to our beliefs that is basically “Avoid thinking about things”. We even hear this viewpoint proudly stated – “God said it, I believe it, that settles it!”

The curious thing here is that God doesn’t want you taking that switch-the-brain-off-at-the-door- thinking. And here’s the proof.

He’s given you a brain to think with! If he hadn’t intended you to use it, He wouldn’t have given it to you!

Especially noble, though, is what the Bereans are doing – using those thought-processes, it is clear that God wants us to be capable of reading His word for ourselves, and this would mean a bit of time spent getting into it.

I will break with tradition and talk a little more about the rest of the chapter tomorrow some time. Right not I’m sick and need to get to bed!