Christian Education and Discipleship

How to Study and Learn Biblical Truths - Part 9

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Education and Discipleship

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2022-05-15

Synopsis: John Weaver concludes his series on learning biblical truth by examining Acts 17:1-13, contrasting the noble Bereans with the hostile Thessalonians and indifferent Athenians. He argues that humanly speaking, the Bereans' positive response stemmed from three characteristics: a noble character (honesty to admit God's Word is right), a ready mind (passionate eagerness for truth), and diligent daily searching of the Scriptures (thorough examination). Weaver emphasizes that learning truth requires the same methodology as teaching it—reasoning from Scripture, explaining it, and aligning one's words with the Bible. He warns that wrong doctrine leads to wrong conduct, and that embracing truth inevitably brings opposition, which grounds believers in conviction. The message underscores that growth in knowledge and holiness is impossible apart from the Word of God.

[John Weaver] Open your Bibles, if you would, to Acts 17. And I want to just simply read verses 1-3, and then we're going to read verses 10-13. Notice, if you would, verses 1-3, Acts 17.

[John Weaver] Now when they had passed through Amphibolus in Apollyona, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, And three Sabbaths days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Jesus whom I'm preaching to you is Christ.

[John Weaver] Now skip down to verse 11. Talking about the Bereans, let's read verse 10. And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea, who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the words of the readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore, many of them believed also of honorable women, which were Greeks, and of men not a few. But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also and stirred up the people."

[John Weaver] Now, we've been looking at this truth on how to study and how to learn biblical truth for a number of weeks. This is the final message where I'm actually coming down to how to learn biblical truth. There's been very little preaching in the pulpits of America today, especially using Paul's methodology that he mentioned there in verses two and three. When he reasoned out of the scripture, of course, reason with the scripture, he opened the scripture, that is, he explained and as well as expounded. And then, of course, he alleged he took what he said, said it alongside of the word of God so that they could see that what he was saying was exactly that which the Bible also said. So let me also remind you of the outline of Acts chapter 17. Paul, of course, was on his second missionary journey. He made three stops.

[John Weaver] There was opposition to the gospel in Thessalonica. There was interest in the gospel in Berea, and there was indifference to the gospel at Athens. So let me try to stimulate your thinking by asking a question, and I think you will understand the importance of this question just momentarily. But here's the question. Why, humanly speaking, was there interest in the gospel in Berea? when there was opposition to the gospel in Thessalonica and indifference to the gospel in Athens. Now, another way to ask that question would be this.

[John Weaver] Why did the Bereans respond positively while the other groups responded negatively? So the answer that usually is very quickly available and very quickly given is that is because of the sovereignty of God. And certainly I believe in the sovereignty of God. The Bible does teach in Proverbs chapter 16 in verse 1 that the preparation of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue are from the Lord. And I certainly know that God must work in our hearts. He must prepare our hearts. And I know that God is sovereign.

[John Weaver] But let me ask this question again. Why, humanly speaking, Was there interest in the gospel in Acts chapter 17 at Berea and not in all of these other places? So, it's true then that God is sovereign. It's true then that God must work in our hearts. But, I want to point something out before I actually get to Acts 17. If you'll turn quickly to 2 Thessalonians and look in chapter 2, beginning there with verse 13. 2 Thessalonians 2, and beginning there with verse 13. Notice what the Word of God says. 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 13.

[John Weaver] The Apostle Paul writes this. 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 13. He says, But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. Now watch verse 14, where unto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, obviously, when you look at verse 13, we have the biblical doctrine of election because he said, but we're bound to give thanks always to God for you, brother and beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation.

[John Weaver] Now, the word elect or election or its equivalent occurs 73 times in the New Testament. So you have to believe something about the doctrine of election or you have to tear 73 passage passages out of the Bible. I want you to note something. Election is the foundation of salvation, but it is not salvation in and of itself. Moreover, Election does not negate the means of salvation. Rather, it guarantees those means.

[John Weaver] So if you look back in verse 13, he says, but we're bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God had from the beginning chosen you for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. Now watch verse 14. Whereunto He called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So it's true that no one will ever be converted apart from the sovereignty of God. It's true that no one will ever be converted apart from God's eternal election. It's also true that no one will ever be converted apart from the Holy Spirit of God. But it's also true that no one will ever be converted apart from belief of the truth. So the Bible tells us in verse 14, whereby he called you to our gospel. So these people who were chosen were sanctified by the spirit. They believe the truth. They were actually called by the gospel. So let me go back and ask this again.

[John Weaver] Why, humanly speaking, did the people in Berea respond positively when the other people did not? Well, let me try to answer that for you. And so if you will turn back in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 17 and let's begin reading there were verse 11 and notice if you would this truth. He says these were more noble than those in Thessalonica. Let's stop right there. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica. So here's the Bible is telling us that there is a certain thing that is required to actually believe the truth and receive the truth and to learn the truth. And that is, we must have a noble character.

[John Weaver] Now, let me explain that term. The Greek word for noble is the word eugenes. It is translated in our Bibles as noble or nobleman. And it also means that someone is of a noble family, a noble birth. But it also equally means someone with a noble mind. The interesting thing is about the word noble. The root word is eugenics. That is where we get our English name Eugene from. And so the name Eugene actually means noble. Now the word eugenics only occurs three times in the New Testament.

[John Weaver] The first one, if you will look with me, is found in Luke chapter 19 and verse 12. And of course, in this, our Lord is being represented as a nobleman and he is going to receive a kingdom. So in Luke chapter 19 and verse 12, here's what the Bible says. Watch carefully. Luke 19, verse 12. He said, therefore, certain noblemen went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return."

[John Weaver] Now, this indeed is a picture of Christ, but you must remember there were plenty of noble persons in the Bible, plenty of people who were well-born and well-bred that certainly did not receive a kingdom. So our Lord here is pictured as a nobleman who goes and stands before a king who is interrogated, who is found to be honest, righteous, full of integrity. And then, of course, he's given a kingdom and consequently he's to go back and rule for the king.

[John Weaver] So this is the first time the word is used. It is actually translated as a nobleman.

[John Weaver] Now, the second time you will find it in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. And I want you to turn there and look at verse 26. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 26. Notice, if you would, what the Bible says. It's the same word. Eugenes, watch it. 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 26. Our Lord says, For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh Not many mighty, not many noble are called. And then he goes on to say, but God had chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God had chosen the weak things of the world to confound things which are mighty. So it says not many noble are called. So when the word noble is used here, It means certainly that or someone who is well bred. If we were in England, we would say to the manner bred or to the manner born.

[John Weaver] So this is the thing. Today, we would just simply say someone in high society. So he's clearly been talking about someone who would be of aristocratic birth, someone who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He says not many of those are called. Some may be, but not many. So the third time this word occurs is found in Acts chapter 17 in verse 11. And so clearly then it does not mean these people were noblemen each and every one of them. It certainly does not mean that they were. high born and high bred and aristocrats in and of themselves. But what it does mean is that these individuals were noble minded. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica. And of course, we're going to see this word explained as we get on into this verse. So clearly, then we're talking about someone of a noble character. Now, let me explain what I'm talking about in this passage.

[John Weaver] They're hearing the Apostle Paul preach. And they're probably hearing things that they have never heard before or never even considered before. And so here's what they're doing is they hear the word of God. Remember now, Paul was reasoning out of the scriptures. He was reasoning with the scriptures. He was opening it, that is, he was explaining, he was interpreting, and then he was alleging he was putting what he said right beside the Bible so they could see that. And so when they heard what the Apostle Paul was saying, they had the character to say, wait a minute, if what Paul is saying is right, then I'm wrong. I've just never heard it explained like this. I'm going to have to stop and think this thing through. I am just, I've just never heard it like this. In other words, these people had a noble character. The old Puritans had a saying, which I really like. They said, and they asked, how many would be wise if they did not already think themselves so? And that is true.

[John Weaver] How many would be wise if they did not already think themselves so? So what the Bible is telling us here is a noble character, someone who is honest with the Scripture. And so we have to have some integrity, we have to have some character, we have to have some honesty. You remember our Lord said in the parable in Matthew chapter 13, it was that good ground hearer who received the Word in a good and honest heart.

[John Weaver] And so this is what we're talking about here. We may not understand every Scripture, we may not even agree with every Scripture at first, But at least we would have to have the integrity to say that's what Scripture says.

[John Weaver] Now, I told you, but I'm going to repeat it just in light of this, because years ago I heard Lester Roloff preaching on the radio on his family altar program, and he was dealing with Ephesians chapter one. And I knew that Lester Roloff was not a scholar, but he was a dear, dear saint of God. I knew that he was not a theologian. And I knew that he probably did not understand the doctrine of election. And so when he read Ephesians chapter one in verse four, that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, Lester Roloff said this, folks, he said, I don't understand the doctrine of election. He said, I don't have the ability to teach the doctrine of election, but the Bible says that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. And I believe it.

[John Weaver] So, he was absolutely honest in Scripture. In other words, he couldn't explain it, he didn't understand it, he couldn't teach it, but he knew that was exactly what the Bible says. So, if you have a noble character then, that means that you're at least willing to be honest with Scripture. You know, the Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 8 and verse 2,"...and if any man think that he knoweth anything, yet he knoweth nothing as he ought to know."

[John Weaver] So, go back to that old Puritan quote. How many would be wise if they didn't already think themselves so? Unhappily, here's what is happening. Most Christians are like those Jews in Thessalonica. The Jews in Thessalonica did not like what the Apostle Paul was preaching. They didn't agree with what the Apostle Paul was saying. So if you'll look back in your Bibles to Acts chapter 17 and verse 5, look what they did.

[John Weaver] Just to show you these people did not have a noble character. In Acts 17 and verse 5,"...but the Jews, which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people." Skip down to verse 13. Watch this.

[John Weaver] Now that's what they did in Thessalonica. In verse 13, But when the Jews of Thessalonica, watch that. But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the Word of God was preached to Paul at Berea, they came there also and stood up to the people. Isn't that astounding? Here are people from one city traveling to another city just to stir up trouble because they didn't like what the Apostle Paul was preaching. They didn't agree with it. They didn't believe it. Unhappily, Even most Christians are not willing to listen to the Word of God. They're not willing to be taught the truth. They're not willing to hear anything that opposes that which they have been raised with.

[John Weaver] The truth of the matter is, if we're going to ever learn truth, we must have an honest heart. We must have integrity. We must be willing to submit to the Word of God and not fight against it and not resist it.

[John Weaver] Now, I understand that God does not give the same amount of light to everyone. Neither does he give light at the same time. So when there is indeed a disagreement concerning a passage, if we're Christians and we can agree to disagree as Christians, we do not have to fuss and fight and maul each other. No. I never will forget seeing a cartoon one time and I thought how appropriate.

[John Weaver] The pastor was showing a man around the church building and they passed a room and two men were in there fighting. I mean, they had black eyes. They had scratches. Their clothes were torn. Their hair was pulled. And the pastor said, oh, never mind them. They're just having a weekly discussion over the doctrine of election. Well, That's unhappily the way a lot of people discuss things. They do not discuss them as as gentlemen at all. They do not even understand the biblical doctrine of illumination, which means that God must open our eyes. God must teach us. So the amazing thing to me is these Jews, man, they were just willing to cause trouble, not just in their hometown, but they were willing to travel to Berea as well to stir up trouble.

[John Weaver] In other words, Listen to this. Wrong, wicked thinking always leads to wrong, wicked conduct. Let me say it another way. Wrong, wicked, heretical, erroneous doctrine always leads to wicked and wrong conduct. Let me show you. I want you to turn in your Bibles very quickly. Hold in Acts 17. But look in your Bibles to the book of Isaiah chapter 1. Isaiah chapter 1, and let's begin reading there with verse 16. Isaiah 1, verse 16. Look at what God says.

[John Weaver] Many people quote one part of this without even using all of it. So in Isaiah 1, verse 16, God says, wash you, make you clean. Now watch carefully. Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes. cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Now watch in verse 18. Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord.

[John Weaver] Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Do you understand that one cannot reason with God until he ceases to do evil and learns to do well? That's what God is saying. God is saying put away the evil of your doing. Learn to do well. Follow my commandments. Do what I'm telling you.

[John Weaver] You remember what David said in Psalm 66 and verse 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. So if we just merely regard it, God's not going to hear us. If we're actually doing it and committing it, then very clearly, we're not going to be in any position to reason with God. If you will turn right over to the book of Amos, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, and look, if you would, at Amos chapter five, you'll see this again. Amos chapter five, beginning there with verse 14. Amos five, verse 14. God tells them, seek the good and not evil that you may live. And so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you as you have spoken. Hate the evil and love the good and establish judgment in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious under the remnant of Joseph. Notice his hate the evil, love the good. You can't love the good till you hate the evil.

[John Weaver] You cannot seek the good until you cease seeking that which is evil. That's why the Bible says in Proverbs 21 and verse 30 that there is no wisdom nor understanding against the counsel of the Lord. No, it's useless to argue with God. It's useless to try to debate with Him or resist Him. Where are those Jews from Thessalonica? They're dead, they're gone, they're condemned because they resisted God and resisted the gospel. It takes honesty and it takes integrity and it takes care to say, care to say, God is right, I am wrong. And let me put it to you another way, it is absolutely hypocritical and I would add sheer blasphemy for one to cry to God for truth.

[John Weaver] When at the same time, he's refusing to relinquish that which is erroneous and wicked and wrong. God is never, ever going to give us truth until we come to the realization that, look, Lord, I'm wrong. You're right. Your word is right. I want to bow to it. I want to submit to it. I'm going to say you are right. I will justify you rather than justify myself. So when you look back in Acts chapter 17, you're going to understand that the very first reason these people received the Word of God was they had a noble character. Let me show you the second reason. Look in Acts 17 verse 11. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that. So this phrase in that explains their nobility, which obviously was not a noble birth. It had to be a noble character. They notice he said these were more noble than those in this like in that they received the word with all readiness of mind. So let me just stop right there. Here's the second thing that we must have in order to learn the truth.

[John Weaver] We must only have a noble character to say God is right and I'm wrong. We must have a ready mind.

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is when the Bible talks about readiness of mind, It's from the Greek word, prothumia, which is translated in our Bibles as forwardness of mind, readiness of mind, a ready mind, and a willing mind. It also speaks of zeal and eagerness and passion. And here's why. The Greek word pro-thoumias made up of two Greek words pro is a preposition which actually means to or toward and thoumos is the Greek word for passion. So literally the word readiness there means to have a passion toward something. So the second characteristic that we need to learn truth is we must have a passion toward the Word of God.

[John Weaver] Now let me tell you how this is used. You remember that passage in Romans chapter 1 in verse 15, where Paul said, so much as in me is I'm ready also to preach the gospel to you that be at Rome. The word ready there is prothomia. So he says, so as much as in me is I have a passion to preach the word of God to you which are at Rome also.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn over to your Bibles. The first Peter. Notice 1 Peter, if you would please, chapter 5, and let's begin reading the reverse 1. 1 Peter, chapter 5, verse 1. And I want you to see this. This might help you understand something. 1 Peter, chapter 5, verse 1. The Bible declares as Peter is writing. He says, the elders which are among you, I exhort.

[John Weaver] who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed." Now look what he tells these elders, these pastors. Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind. So he says, you've got to feed the flock of God. You have to take the oversight thereof.

[John Weaver] No one has to force you to do it. You must do it willingly. And not just for money. No, no, no. But for a ready mind. Would you like to know what the word ready is there? It's the same word that is translated as readiness in Acts chapter 17. It means a mind that has a passion toward the Word of God. It means someone that has excited someone that is zealous toward the Word of God. Now, I don't know if you've ever noticed this or not, but it is politically and socially correct to have a passion about anything and everything except the Word of God and, of course, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Have you ever thought about how people spend money? hours and efforts just to attend a ball game.

[John Weaver] They will sit for hours on hard benches, cheer until their throats are absolutely sore and endure all kinds of weather. And then other folks just can't sit in church one hour without complaining. And yet, when you look at the ball games, they're sitting on hard benches. There is no air conditioning. They're hot. The benches are not padded. And it doesn't upset them how long the game goes on. And if the game goes into overtime, they're happy. But you let a preacher preach about 10 or 15 minutes longer than most folks think he's supposed to, and then you've got problems.

[John Weaver] I never will forget years ago, I was preaching in a little South Georgia town. The pastor was not there that day. I was filling in for him and he normally stopped at 12 o'clock. And he had arranged for me to have dinner that day with the family in his church and because I was to preach there that night and I was just going to spend the afternoon at their home.

[John Weaver] Well, I preached till I got through it. It was, I don't know, 15 minutes to one, something like that. Well, when I got home with this lady and her husband, she let me know right quickly that I was going to eat burned roast beef because she had cooked that to be ready at 12. And I went way past 12. Well, the point I'm trying to make is She actually came to get out. She didn't come to get in. But you know, this is the same thing with hunters and fishermen.

[John Weaver] It's not just ball games. I mean, I've known hunters and fishermen will get up way before daylight and endure all kind of weather and go out and hunt all day and sit and endure all kinds of pain and mosquitoes and bugs and come home empty handed. And they still never, ever complain. But you sit in church. longer than you think the pastor ought to be preaching, and there's usually always problem. You know why? Because people just do not have a passion for the Word of God. And anytime someone really gets a passion for the Word of God, everyone else thinks he's gone off on the deep end. He's a lunatic. He's crazy.

[John Weaver] Oh, Lance Habner said it like this. He said Christians have been subnormal for so long that when one gets normal, everyone else thinks he's abnormal. And that's about the truth. That is the way it goes.

[John Weaver] Now, to show you someone who had a passion to preach, consider the Apostle Paul. In Acts chapter 20, the Apostle Paul preached until midnight. You know the only thing that stopped him? Eutychus fell out of a window and killed himself. When you read Acts chapter 20, Paul quit preaching, went down, raised Eutychus from the dead, then went back and the Bible says preached until the break of day. The only reason I don't preach all night is I can't raise folks from the dead. It's hard enough to keep them awake while I am preaching to Brother Gary. But notice if you would, how in the world Would most people respond today if the pastor preached three or four hours? You know, I hear people say, well, what I'd like to do is go back to horse and buggy days. Just one sermon. Yeah, I would, too. I'd like that because here's what they did.

[John Weaver] They got up before daylight. They fed all their animals. They got in the horse and buggy with a picnic dinner, came to church. The preacher preached several hours. Then they had a picnic dinner. Then he preached again. Then he let them go just in time to get home so they could do chores again, feed all the animals. And then the family sat around at night and they catechized their children. And they meditated and asked questions on everything the preacher said.

[John Weaver] We don't have anything like that today, I can assure you. No.

[John Weaver] Now, you remember, Ezra was a ready scribe in the Law of Moses. David said it like this in Psalm 119 and verse 97,"'O how love I thy law! It is my meditation day and night.'" So if you and I are to love the truth, if you and I are to learn the truth, we have to have a ready mind toward it. We have to have a passion toward the Word of God, toward the preached Word of God as well.

[John Weaver] Have you ever stopped to think that the Christians that had been faithful to church and faithful to preaching, all of their lives should be theologians. They should be able to be scholars. But the truth is, most of them let everything slip and let everything go. If you and I are going to learn truth, we have to have a mind that's eager and passionate toward the Word of God. Now, you're going to say, Pastor, that's just not normal. Normal according to whom?

[John Weaver] If you look back in your Bibles, Acts chapter 13, Acts chapter 13, let's begin reading there with verse 13, read through verse 16, then I'm going to show you something. Look in Acts chapter 13, verse 13.

[John Weaver] Now, when Paul and his company loose from Paphos, they came to Perga and Pamphylia, and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch to Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down."

[John Weaver] Now watch,"...and after the reading of this law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, You men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand, said, Men of Israel, and you that fear God, give audience." I've always said I'm going to preach on this, and I never have. I was going to preach on the mistake of a great rabbi. Can you imagine asking the Apostle Paul if he had anything to say?

[John Weaver] Well, let me show you what he did. He'd only had something to say. In verse 17 he says,"...the God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with a higher arm brought Him..." He starts giving the people a history lesson which they should already know. And he continues, and if you'll skip down to verse 39, watch what he says. He's giving all this history. In verse 39 he comes to Jesus Christ. And it says, By him, all that believe are justified from all things, for which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

[John Weaver] Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you which hath spoken of them prophets. Behold, you despisers in wonder and perish. For I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no wise believe, who a man declared unto you. Now watch verse 42. And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, The Gentiles be stumped that these words might be preached on them the next Sabbath. In other words, Paul, you've got to promise that you're going to come back and preach again. We're not going to let you go until you promise. OK, I'll come back. Watch the next verse. Now, when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas.

[John Weaver] who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. Wow. So they had just gotten out of synagogue. They just got a promise he's coming back. That's not sufficient. They're following him, asking questions, warning more. And so he turns around and teaches them on preservation. He said, you got to continue in the faith. Wow. I'm just simply pointing out the fact that these people, We're serious. Look in verse 44. And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. Wow. Wow. You see, these people had a ready mind, they wanted truth, they were eagerly seeking truth, you know. In first Thessalonians, chapter two and verse 13, The Bible tells us what an eager mind and a ready mind really is.

[John Weaver] Because there the Apostle Paul said this, for this cause also thank we God without ceasing. Listen carefully, because when you receive the word of God, which you heard of us. You received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. So let me say something. As long as I'm expounding, explaining, and applying Scripture, that is the Word of God. That is the Word of God. If I'm giving my own opinion and my pet peeves, that is not the Word of God. So, when the Apostle Paul reasoned out of the Scriptures, reasoned with the Scriptures, opened the Scriptures, and alleged with the Scriptures, They weren't sitting back saying, well, that's just what Paul thinks. That's Paul's opinion. No, no, no. They received it as it is in truth, the word of God, because that's exactly what it was. Now, go back to Acts chapter 17.

[John Weaver] Look again at verse 11. He says, these were more noble than those in Thessalonica. In that, They received the word with all readiness of mind. Here's the next thing, and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so. So they not only had a noble character, they had a ready mind and they had a heart to search the Scriptures. Here's the practice. They search the Scriptures.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you something that you need to understand. Searching the Scriptures is not opening a concordance. And saying, let me see how many times this word appears. You might need to know that, but that is not searching the Scriptures. When the Bible says they search the Scriptures, the Greek word is Anna Krono. The word Anna is a preposition which is usually translated as unto or up or upwards. Krono means to judge. Literally, the word means to judge into, to judge upward, or to discern. In other words, this word is a forensic word.

[John Weaver] It is a term of the law courts. It means to examine a witness thoroughly. You will find the word used in 1 Corinthians 9 and verse 3 when the Apostle Paul said, My answer to those that examine me is this. Well, what were they doing examining Apostle Paul? They were trying to find something wrong with him. They were scrutinizing him. They were going into detail, tearing him apart. You'll find the same word. In Luke 23, verse 14, when Pilate said concerning Christ, I have examined Him and found by no fault in Him worthy of death. I've examined Him. I've thoroughly gone over this. It means a close examination.

[John Weaver] So, in light of this, you have to understand that searching the Scriptures is not just simply running references with a concordance. You are actually discerning The intent and the truth of the passage. Now, watch this. Here's the period. They searched the Scripture, how often? Daily. They were not off and on. They were not up and down. It was not something every now and then. No, no, no. They searched the Scriptures daily.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you, I'm all for reading the Scripture through in a year. If you can read the Bible all the way through in a year, wonderful. I'm reading the Bible. However, you can read the Bible, but I will tell you this, I had rather read one verse and be able to discern it and understand it than read 40 chapters and not have any idea what I just read.

[John Weaver] So this is what he's talking about. They're searching the scripture. Let me show you. I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs, chapter two. Look in Proverbs, chapter two. Here it is, Proverbs, chapter two, and let's begin reading there with verse one. Watch this. I'm going to emphasize certain things with my voice, so watch. He says, My son, if thou wilt receive My words and hide My commandments with thee, so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thine heart to understanding, if thou priest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for understanding, if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures, then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord. and find the knowledge of God. So understanding and finding is a result of receiving, hiding, inclining, applying, crying, lifting up your voice and seeking and searching. So this is what it means when it says they search the Scriptures daily.

[John Weaver] Have you ever considered this? One of the reasons you and I do not really retain so much. Is because it never really cost us anything. If I spend 20 hours working on a message. And you hear it within an hour. You haven't put anything into it. And you can say, well, That was a good message. But then it's gone. But you know something, when you do the digging and when you do the searching, you don't let it go. It's not an easy come, easy go.

[John Weaver] You have dug through the Scriptures. You have discerned. You have done the work. It now has value to you. I remember as a teenager. When I was at home and my dad Bought a brand new 1958 Ford. Man, that thing was fast. I could peel rubber and I did. I laid some of it down. Didn't bother me. I thought it was fun. But when I got older.

[John Weaver] And I had to buy the tires. I didn't peel off anymore, Steve. I wanted that rubber right on that tire. I didn't want it left on the road somewhere. In other words, the point I'm trying to make, once you do the searching and you do the work, all of a sudden it means something. That's why the Bible in Proverbs 22 and verse 23 says this, buy the truth and sell it not. Buy the truth and sell it not. That's why the Word of God says in Proverbs 25 and verse 2 that it's the glory of God to conceal a thing, but it's the honor of a king to search the matter out. Now, I want you to go back to Acts chapter 17. I want to show you this.

[John Weaver] Because I ask you, when I begin this message, why, humanly speaking, was there reception of the Gospel in Berea when there was opposition in Thessalonica and indifference in Athens? Well, here it is. Look, if you would, in verse 11 now. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether these things were so.

[John Weaver] Therefore, many of them believed. Why did they believe? Because they used the means that God ordained. They had a noble character to say, I'm wrong. God's right. They had a mind that was eager to the Word of God, and they actually searched, they discerned the Scriptures. Therefore, many of them believed. Now, the reasons they believed, they had the noble character, they had the ready mind, they searched the Scripture, and the answer is, therefore, many of them believed.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you something else. I began last week was showing you Paul's methodology. If you look back in Acts 17 and verse 2, the Bible says he reasoned with them out of the Scriptures. You remember that. He reasoned out of the Scripture. He reasoned with the Scripture. He opened. That is, he explained. He interpreted. And then he alleged. And the word paratithēni means he took what he said and placed it right beside the Bible so they could see exactly what Paul was saying was what the Bible said. Now, listen carefully. The way to learn biblical truth is exactly the same way that you teach Bible truth. So when Paul was reasoning out of the Scripture and reasoning with the Scripture, these Bereans said, wow, he's right. I'm wrong. That's a noble character. Then the Bible said they received it with readiness of mind. They had a mind eager toward that as he was opening the Scriptures. And then when he placed what he said right by the Scripture so they could see it, guess what?

[John Weaver] They took what he said and searched the Scriptures daily and to see if what he said was what the Bible said. And in other words, you learn the Scripture the same way that you teach the Scripture. If you would notice verse 12, Here is a blessed result of the preaching and teaching of the Word of God and searching. Therefore, many of them believed. But here is a beneficial result in verse 13. But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the Word of God was preached to Paul at Berea, they came thither also and stood up the gospel. You say, how in the world can opposition now be beneficial? Because opposition will ground you in the faith. Opposition will separate the wheat from the chaff. Opposition will say, look, I know what I found. I know what I believe. I know what I saw in the Scripture. I am not changing.

[John Weaver] So let me ask you a question. What in the world can the devil do or the world do or the flesh do or anyone do with someone who has bought the truth and refuses to sell it? This is the only way you can explain the martyrs. When they were being burned at the stake, they had opportunity after opportunity to recant. They said, we will not recant and we'll never recant. Why? Because they had bought the truth and they refused to sell it. Now, let me mention this again by way of application. First of all, there will never, ever be any growth in knowledge and in truth.

[John Weaver] until we relinquish error and sin. That's exactly what he said in Isaiah chapter 1 and in Amos chapter 5. So if we want truth, we've got to be willing to let go of what Grandpa said and Aunt Tilda said and the way I was raised. We've got to come to the point where we're going to submit ourselves to the Word of God. That's why the Bible says that we're to grow in grace even in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now, let me point something else out. Listen to this one. Where there is no receiving of truth with a ready mind, where there is no noble character, where there is no searching of the Scripture There will never, ever be any real conviction for truth. Do you understand that conviction comes from the fact that I know what the Bible says? I know it. If it is not ours, there's never, ever going to be any conviction. That's why our Lord quoted Isaiah 29 In Mark 7 and Matthew 15, when he said, their fear toward me is taught by man, not by the Word of God, not by the Holy Spirit.

[John Weaver] That's why most people easily and quickly forsake the truth and forsake the Word of God, just like Demas forsook Paul, because there's no conviction, none whatsoever. Let me point this out as well. Wherever truth is embraced, wherever truth is believed, wherever there's a real, genuine conviction of truth, you're always going to have opposition. Always. You had it in Acts 17, verse 13. You had it in Acts 17, verse 5. There's always going to be opposition. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 16, verse 9, For there is an effectual door open unto me, and there are many adversaries. So let me put it to you like this. The doors of opportunity swing on the hinges of opposition.

[John Weaver] You can't move without producing friction. So whenever you have a noble character, and a ready mind, and a searching of the Scripture, and you have deep convictions of the Word of God, inevitably there's going to be opposition. Because we're going to find out if you have really, genuinely bought the truth. if it is yours." Here's the last application. No one will ever learn truth apart from the Word of Truth. Someone tells me they want truth.

[John Weaver] Not unless they read the Bible. Not unless they study the Bible. Our Lord said in John 17, 17,"...sanctify them through thy truth, thy Word is truth." Peter said,"...desire of the zinzir, milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby." We will never know truth apart from the Word of God. We will never, ever do what is right apart from the Word of God. We will never, ever live a holy life apart from the Word of God. The Bible is our foundation, and the Bible is our sole authority for faith and practice. If we want the truth, we must endeavor to try to master this book. We will never accomplish it in this life. But we must do like these Bereans. We must search the Scripture daily. How do you learn truth? The same way you teach truth. You have to make sure that it's out of the Scripture, that it's explained. You have to make sure that you put what you say along beside the Word of God so that everybody can see it's one and the same.

[John Weaver] Then those that hear must be noble enough to say, The Bible's right, I'm wrong. I've got a mind willing to find out, and I'm going to search those Scriptures to see if what that preacher said is true. So the way to learn truth is the same way you teach truth. We'll never ever learn truth apart from the Word of Truth and the Son of God who is truth incarnate. Let's pray.

[John Weaver] Father, we thank You today in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for Your grace, for Your mercy. We're thankful for Your truth, Lord. And ask, Father, that You would enlighten our minds, illuminate us, grant us understanding, and grant, Father, that Your will would be done in each life. In Thy name we pray, Amen.

How to Study and Learn Biblical Truths - Part 9

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	516221741561838
Subject	Education and Discipleship
Course	Christian Education and Discipleship
Genre	Sermon
Date	2022-05-15
Dictation Name
Book	Book 065: Three Reasons We Need To Consider Truth And Interpret Scripture — Chapter 9
Source Timed Segments	77

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Three Responses in Acts 17

Weaver reads Acts 17:1-3 and 10-13, noting Paul's methodology of reasoning, opening, and alleging from Scripture. He outlines the three stops on Paul's second missionary journey: opposition in Thessalonica, interest in Berea, and indifference in Athens.

Open your Bibles, if you would, to Acts 17. And I want to just simply read verses 1-3, and then we're going to read verses 10-13. Notice, if you would, verses 1-3, Acts 17. Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Jesus whom I'm preaching to you is Christ.

Now skip down to verse 11. Talking about the Bereans, let's read verse 10. "And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea, who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore, many of them believed also of honorable women, which were Greeks, and of men not a few. But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also and stirred up the people."

Now, we've been looking at this truth on how to study and how to learn biblical truth for a number of weeks. This is the final message where I'm actually coming down to how to learn biblical truth. There's been very little preaching in the pulpits of America today, especially using Paul's methodology that he mentioned there in verses two and three. When he reasoned out of the scripture, of course, reason with the scripture, he opened the scripture, that is, he explained and as well as expounded. And then, of course, he alleged he took what he said, said it alongside of the word of God so that they could see that what he was saying was exactly that which the Bible also said. So let me also remind you of the outline of Acts chapter 17. Paul, of course, was on his second missionary journey. He made three stops.

There was opposition to the gospel in Thessalonica. There was interest in the gospel in Berea, and there was indifference to the gospel at Athens. So let me try to stimulate your thinking by asking a question, and I think you will understand the importance of this question just momentarily. But here's the question. Why, humanly speaking, was there interest in the gospel in Berea when there was opposition to the gospel in Thessalonica and indifference to the gospel in Athens? Now, another way to ask that question would be this.

The Sovereignty of God and Human Means

Weaver acknowledges God's sovereignty in salvation but insists that humanly speaking, the Bereans' response was due to their use of God-ordained means: noble character, ready mind, and searching the Scriptures. He cites 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 to show election guarantees the means of belief.

Why did the Bereans respond positively while the other groups responded negatively? So the answer that usually is very quickly available and very quickly given is that is because of the sovereignty of God. And certainly I believe in the sovereignty of God. The Bible does teach in Proverbs chapter 16 in verse 1 that the preparation of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue are from the Lord. And I certainly know that God must work in our hearts. He must prepare our hearts. And I know that God is sovereign.

But let me ask this question again. Why, humanly speaking, was there interest in the gospel in Acts chapter 17 at Berea and not in all of these other places? So, it's true then that God is sovereign. It's true then that God must work in our hearts. But, I want to point something out before I actually get to Acts 17. If you'll turn quickly to 2 Thessalonians and look in chapter 2, beginning there with verse 13. 2 Thessalonians 2, and beginning there with verse 13. Notice what the Word of God says. 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 13.

The Apostle Paul writes this. 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 13. He says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

"But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth."

Now watch verse 14,

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

"Whereunto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Now, obviously, when you look at verse 13, we have the biblical doctrine of election because he said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

"but we're bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation."

Now, the word elect or election or its equivalent occurs 73 times in the New Testament. So you have to believe something about the doctrine of election or you have to tear 73 passages out of the Bible. I want you to note something. Election is the foundation of salvation, but it is not salvation in and of itself. Moreover, Election does not negate the means of salvation. Rather, it guarantees those means.

So if you look back in verse 13, he says, "but we're bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." Now watch verse 14. "Whereunto He called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." So it's true that no one will ever be converted apart from the sovereignty of God. It's true that no one will ever be converted apart from God's eternal election. It's also true that no one will ever be converted apart from the Holy Spirit of God. But it's also true that no one will ever be converted apart from belief of the truth. So the Bible tells us in verse 14, whereby he called you by our gospel. So these people who were chosen were sanctified by the spirit. They believe the truth. They were actually called by the gospel. So let me go back and ask this again.

Why, humanly speaking, did the people in Berea respond positively when the other people did not? Well, let me try to answer that for you. And so if you will turn back in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 17 and let's begin reading there with verse 11 and notice if you would this truth. He says "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica." Let's stop right there. "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica." So here the Bible is telling us that there is a certain thing that is required to actually believe the truth and receive the truth and to learn the truth. And that is, we must have a noble character.

The First Characteristic: A Noble Character

The Bereans were 'more noble' (eugenes), meaning noble-minded, not aristocratic. A noble character is honesty to admit when Scripture contradicts one's own views, as exemplified by Lester Roloff's humble acceptance of election.

Now, let me explain that term. The Greek word for noble is the word eugenes. It is translated in our Bibles as noble or nobleman. And it also means that someone is of a noble family, a noble birth. But it also equally means someone with a noble mind. The interesting thing is about the word noble. The root word is eugenes. That is where we get our English name Eugene from. And so the name Eugene actually means noble. Now the word eugenes only occurs three times in the New Testament.

The first one, if you will look with me, is found in Luke chapter 19 and verse 12. And of course, in this, our Lord is being represented as a nobleman and he is going to receive a kingdom. So in Luke chapter 19 and verse 12, here's what the Bible says. Watch carefully. Luke 19, verse 12. He said, "Therefore, a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return."

Now, this indeed is a picture of Christ, but you must remember there were plenty of noble persons in the Bible, plenty of people who were well-born and well-bred that certainly did not receive a kingdom. So our Lord here is pictured as a nobleman who goes and stands before a king who is interrogated, who is found to be honest, righteous, full of integrity. And then, of course, he's given a kingdom and consequently he's to go back and rule for the king. So this is the first time the word is used. It is actually translated as a nobleman.

Now, the second time you will find it in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. And I want you to turn there and look at verse 26. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 26. Notice, if you would, what the Bible says. It's the same word. Eugenes, watch it. 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 26. Our Lord says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 1:26

"For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called."

And then he goes on to say, "but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound things which are mighty." So it says not many noble are called. So when the word noble is used here, it means certainly that or someone who is well bred. If we were in England, we would say to the manner bred or to the manner born.

So this is the thing. Today, we would just simply say someone in high society. So he's clearly been talking about someone who would be of aristocratic birth, someone who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He says not many of those are called. Some may be, but not many. So the third time this word occurs is found in Acts chapter 17 in verse 11. And so clearly then it does not mean these people were noblemen each and every one of them. It certainly does not mean that they were high born and high bred and aristocrats in and of themselves. But what it does mean is that these individuals were noble minded. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica. And of course, we're going to see this word explained as we get on into this verse. So clearly, then we're talking about someone of a noble character. Now, let me explain what I'm talking about in this passage.

They're hearing the Apostle Paul preach. And they're probably hearing things that they have never heard before or never even considered before. And so here's what they're doing is they hear the word of God. Remember now, Paul was reasoning out of the scriptures. He was reasoning with the scriptures. He was opening it, that is, he was explaining, he was interpreting, and then he was alleging he was putting what he said right beside the Bible so they could see that. And so when they heard what the Apostle Paul was saying, they had the character to say, wait a minute, if what Paul is saying is right, then I'm wrong. I've just never heard it explained like this. I'm going to have to stop and think this thing through. I am just, I've just never heard it like this. In other words, these people had a noble character. The old Puritans had a saying, which I really like. They said, and they asked, how many would be wise if they did not already think themselves so? And that is true.

How many would be wise if they did not already think themselves so? So what the Bible is telling us here is a noble character, someone who is honest with the Scripture. And so we have to have some integrity, we have to have some character, we have to have some honesty. You remember our Lord said in the parable in Matthew chapter 13, it was that good ground hearer who received the Word in a good and honest heart. And so this is what we're talking about here. We may not understand every Scripture, we may not even agree with every Scripture at first, but at least we would have to have the integrity to say that's what Scripture says.

Now, I told you, but I'm going to repeat it just in light of this, because years ago I heard Lester Roloff preaching on the radio on his family altar program, and he was dealing with Ephesians chapter one. And I knew that Lester Roloff was not a scholar, but he was a dear, dear saint of God. I knew that he was not a theologian. And I knew that he probably did not understand the doctrine of election. And so when he read Ephesians chapter one in verse four, that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, Lester Roloff said this, folks, he said, I don't understand the doctrine of election. He said, I don't have the ability to teach the doctrine of election, but the Bible says that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. And I believe it.

So, he was absolutely honest in Scripture. In other words, he couldn't explain it, he didn't understand it, he couldn't teach it, but he knew that was exactly what the Bible says. So, if you have a noble character then, that means that you're at least willing to be honest with Scripture. You know, the Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 8 and verse 2, "...and if any man think that he knoweth anything, yet he knoweth nothing as he ought to know."

So, go back to that old Puritan quote. How many would be wise if they didn't already think themselves so? Unhappily, here's what is happening. Most Christians are like those Jews in Thessalonica. The Jews in Thessalonica did not like what the Apostle Paul was preaching. They didn't agree with what the Apostle Paul was saying. So if you'll look back in your Bibles to Acts chapter 17 and verse 5, look what they did.

The Contrast: The Wicked Conduct of the Thessalonians

The Thessalonian Jews lacked noble character; they stirred up mobs and traveled to Berea to cause trouble. Wrong doctrine leads to wrong conduct, as seen in their envy and violence.

Just to show you these people did not have a noble character. In Acts 17 and verse 5, "...but the Jews, which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people." Skip down to verse 13. Watch this. Now that's what they did in Thessalonica. In verse 13, "But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the Word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also and stirred up the people." Isn't that astounding? Here are people from one city traveling to another city just to stir up trouble because they didn't like what the Apostle Paul was preaching. They didn't agree with it. They didn't believe it. Unhappily, even most Christians are not willing to listen to the Word of God. They're not willing to be taught the truth. They're not willing to hear anything that opposes that which they have been raised with.

The truth of the matter is, if we're going to ever learn truth, we must have an honest heart. We must have integrity. We must be willing to submit to the Word of God and not fight against it and not resist it. Now, I understand that God does not give the same amount of light to everyone. Neither does he give light at the same time. So when there is indeed a disagreement concerning a passage, if we're Christians and we can agree to disagree as Christians, we do not have to fuss and fight and maul each other. No. I never will forget seeing a cartoon one time and I thought how appropriate.

The pastor was showing a man around the church building and they passed a room and two men were in there fighting. I mean, they had black eyes. They had scratches. Their clothes were torn. Their hair was pulled. And the pastor said, oh, never mind them. They're just having a weekly discussion over the doctrine of election. Well, that's unhappily the way a lot of people discuss things. They do not discuss them as gentlemen at all. They do not even understand the biblical doctrine of illumination, which means that God must open our eyes. God must teach us. So the amazing thing to me is these Jews, man, they were just willing to cause trouble, not just in their hometown, but they were willing to travel to Berea as well to stir up trouble.

In other words, listen to this. Wrong, wicked thinking always leads to wrong, wicked conduct. Let me say it another way. Wrong, wicked, heretical, erroneous doctrine always leads to wicked and wrong conduct. Let me show you. I want you to turn in your Bibles very quickly. Hold in Acts 17. But look in your Bibles to the book of Isaiah chapter 1. Isaiah chapter 1, and let's begin reading there with verse 16. Isaiah 1, verse 16. Look at what God says.

The Necessity of Ceasing Evil to Reason with God

Using Isaiah 1:16-18 and Amos 5:14-15, Weaver argues that one cannot reason with God or receive truth while clinging to sin. Honesty requires admitting God is right and we are wrong.

Many people quote one part of this without even using all of it. So in Isaiah 1, verse 16, God says,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:16-18

"Wash you, make you clean."

Now watch carefully.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:16-18

"Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow."

Now watch in verse 18.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:16-18

"Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord." "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

Do you understand that one cannot reason with God until he ceases to do evil and learns to do well? That's what God is saying. God is saying put away the evil of your doing. Learn to do well. Follow my commandments. Do what I'm telling you.

You remember what David said in Psalm 66 and verse 18. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." So if we just merely regard it, God's not going to hear us. If we're actually doing it and committing it, then very clearly, we're not going to be in any position to reason with God. If you will turn right over to the book of Amos, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, and look, if you would, at Amos chapter five, you'll see this again. Amos chapter five, beginning there with verse 14. Amos five, verse 14. God tells them, "Seek the good and not evil that you may live. And so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you as you have spoken. Hate the evil and love the good and establish judgment in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph." Notice he says hate the evil, love the good. You can't love the good till you hate the evil.

You cannot seek the good until you cease seeking that which is evil. That's why the Bible says in Proverbs 21 and verse 30 that there is no wisdom nor understanding against the counsel of the Lord. No, it's useless to argue with God. It's useless to try to debate with Him or resist Him. Where are those Jews from Thessalonica? They're dead, they're gone, they're condemned because they resisted God and resisted the gospel. It takes honesty and it takes integrity and it takes character to say, God is right, I am wrong. And let me put it to you another way, it is absolutely hypocritical and I would add sheer blasphemy for one to cry to God for truth.

When at the same time, he's refusing to relinquish that which is erroneous and wicked and wrong. God is never, ever going to give us truth until we come to the realization that, look, Lord, I'm wrong. You're right. Your word is right. I want to bow to it. I want to submit to it. I'm going to say you are right. I will justify you rather than justify myself. So when you look back in Acts chapter 17, you're going to understand that the very first reason these people received the Word of God was they had a noble character. Let me show you the second reason. Look in Acts 17 verse 11. "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that." So this phrase "in that" explains their nobility, which obviously was not a noble birth. It had to be a noble character. They notice he said "these were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind." So let me just stop right there. Here's the second thing that we must have in order to learn the truth.

The Second Characteristic: A Ready Mind

The Bereans received the word with 'all readiness of mind' (prothumia), meaning a passionate, eager zeal for God's Word. Weaver contrasts this with modern indifference, using examples from sports and hunting to illustrate misplaced passion.

We must not only have a noble character to say God is right and I'm wrong. We must have a ready mind. Now, the interesting thing is when the Bible talks about readiness of mind, it's from the Greek word, prothumia, which is translated in our Bibles as forwardness of mind, readiness of mind, a ready mind, and a willing mind. It also speaks of zeal and eagerness and passion. And here's why. The Greek word prothumia is made up of two Greek words: pro is a preposition which actually means to or toward and thumos is the Greek word for passion. So literally the word readiness there means to have a passion toward something. So the second characteristic that we need to learn truth is we must have a passion toward the Word of God.

Now let me tell you how this is used. You remember that passage in Romans chapter 1 in verse 15, where Paul said,

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:15

"So much as in me is I'm ready also to preach the gospel to you that be at Rome."

The word ready there is prothumia. So he says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:15

"So as much as in me is I have a passion to preach the word of God to you which are at Rome also."

Now, I want you to turn over to your Bibles. The first Peter. Notice 1 Peter, if you would please, chapter 5, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. 1 Peter, chapter 5, verse 1. And I want you to see this. This might help you understand something. 1 Peter, chapter 5, verse 1. The Bible declares as Peter is writing. He says, "The elders which are among you, I exhort."

"who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed." Now look what he tells these elders, these pastors. "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind." So he says, you've got to feed the flock of God. You have to take the oversight thereof. No one has to force you to do it. You must do it willingly. And not just for money. No, no, no. But for a ready mind. Would you like to know what the word ready is there? It's the same word that is translated as readiness in Acts chapter 17. It means a mind that has a passion toward the Word of God. It means someone that is excited, someone that is zealous toward the Word of God. Now, I don't know if you've ever noticed this or not, but it is politically and socially correct to have a passion about anything and everything except the Word of God and, of course, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Have you ever thought about how people spend money, hours and efforts just to attend a ball game.

They will sit for hours on hard benches, cheer until their throats are absolutely sore and endure all kinds of weather. And then other folks just can't sit in church one hour without complaining. And yet, when you look at the ball games, they're sitting on hard benches. There is no air conditioning. They're hot. The benches are not padded. And it doesn't upset them how long the game goes on. And if the game goes into overtime, they're happy. But you let a preacher preach about 10 or 15 minutes longer than most folks think he's supposed to, and then you've got problems.

I never will forget years ago, I was preaching in a little South Georgia town. The pastor was not there that day. I was filling in for him and he normally stopped at 12 o'clock. And he had arranged for me to have dinner that day with the family in his church and because I was to preach there that night and I was just going to spend the afternoon at their home. Well, I preached till I got through it. It was, I don't know, 15 minutes to one, something like that. Well, when I got home with this lady and her husband, she let me know right quickly that I was going to eat burned roast beef because she had cooked that to be ready at 12. And I went way past 12. Well, the point I'm trying to make is she actually came to get out. She didn't come to get in. But you know, this is the same thing with hunters and fishermen.

It's not just ball games. I mean, I've known hunters and fishermen will get up way before daylight and endure all kind of weather and go out and hunt all day and sit and endure all kinds of pain and mosquitoes and bugs and come home empty handed. And they still never, ever complain. But you sit in church longer than you think the pastor ought to be preaching, and there's usually always problem. You know why? Because people just do not have a passion for the Word of God. And anytime someone really gets a passion for the Word of God, everyone else thinks he's gone off on the deep end. He's a lunatic. He's crazy.

Oh, Lance Habner said it like this. He said Christians have been subnormal for so long that when one gets normal, everyone else thinks he's abnormal. And that's about the truth. That is the way it goes.

Now, to show you someone who had a passion to preach, consider the Apostle Paul. In Acts chapter 20, the Apostle Paul preached until midnight. You know the only thing that stopped him? Eutychus fell out of a window and killed himself. When you read Acts chapter 20, Paul quit preaching, went down, raised Eutychus from the dead, then went back and the Bible says preached until the break of day. The only reason I don't preach all night is I can't raise folks from the dead. It's hard enough to keep them awake while I am preaching to Brother Gary. But notice if you would, how in the world would most people respond today if the pastor preached three or four hours? You know, I hear people say, well, what I'd like to do is go back to horse and buggy days. Just one sermon. Yeah, I would, too. I'd like that because here's what they did.

They got up before daylight. They fed all their animals. They got in the horse and buggy with a picnic dinner, came to church. The preacher preached several hours. Then they had a picnic dinner. Then he preached again. Then he let them go just in time to get home so they could do chores again, feed all the animals. And then the family sat around at night and they catechized their children. And they meditated and asked questions on everything the preacher said.

We don't have anything like that today, I can assure you. No. Now, you remember, Ezra was a ready scribe in the Law of Moses. David said it like this in Psalm 119 and verse 97, "O how love I thy law! It is my meditation day and night." So if you and I are to love the truth, if you and I are to learn the truth, we have to have a ready mind toward it. We have to have a passion toward the Word of God, toward the preached Word of God as well.

The Third Characteristic: Searching the Scriptures Daily

The Bereans 'searched the Scriptures daily' (anakrino), meaning they thoroughly examined and discerned the truth, like a forensic cross-examination. Weaver emphasizes that personal digging gives truth lasting value, citing Proverbs 2:1-5.

Now, let me tell you something that you need to understand. Searching the Scriptures is not opening a concordance and saying, let me see how many times this word appears. You might need to know that, but that is not searching the Scriptures. When the Bible says they search the Scriptures, the Greek word is anakrino. The word ana is a preposition which is usually translated as unto or up or upwards. Krino means to judge. Literally, the word means to judge into, to judge upward, or to discern. In other words, this word is a forensic word.

It is a term of the law courts. It means to examine a witness thoroughly. You will find the word used in 1 Corinthians 9 and verse 3 when the Apostle Paul said, "My answer to those that examine me is this." Well, what were they doing examining Apostle Paul? They were trying to find something wrong with him. They were scrutinizing him. They were going into detail, tearing him apart. You'll find the same word in Luke 23, verse 14, when Pilate said concerning Christ, "I have examined Him and found no fault in Him worthy of death." I've examined Him. I've thoroughly gone over this. It means a close examination.

So, in light of this, you have to understand that searching the Scriptures is not just simply running references with a concordance. You are actually discerning the intent and the truth of the passage. Now, watch this. Here's the period. They searched the Scripture, how often? Daily. They were not off and on. They were not up and down. It was not something every now and then. No, no, no. They searched the Scriptures daily.

Now, let me tell you, I'm all for reading the Scripture through in a year. If you can read the Bible all the way through in a year, wonderful. I'm reading the Bible. However, you can read the Bible, but I will tell you this, I had rather read one verse and be able to discern it and understand it than read 40 chapters and not have any idea what I just read.

So this is what he's talking about. They're searching the scripture. Let me show you. I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs, chapter two. Look in Proverbs, chapter two. Here it is, Proverbs, chapter two, and let's begin reading there with verse one. Watch this. I'm going to emphasize certain things with my voice, so watch. He says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 2:1-5

"My son, if thou wilt receive My words and hide My commandments with thee, so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thine heart to understanding, if thou criest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for understanding, if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures, then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God."

So understanding and finding is a result of receiving, hiding, inclining, applying, crying, lifting up your voice and seeking and searching. So this is what it means when it says they search the Scriptures daily.

Have you ever considered this? One of the reasons you and I do not really retain so much is because it never really cost us anything. If I spend 20 hours working on a message and you hear it within an hour, you haven't put anything into it. And you can say, well, that was a good message. But then it's gone. But you know something, when you do the digging and when you do the searching, you don't let it go. It's not an easy come, easy go.

You have dug through the Scriptures. You have discerned. You have done the work. It now has value to you. I remember as a teenager when I was at home and my dad bought a brand new 1958 Ford. Man, that thing was fast. I could peel rubber and I did. I laid some of it down. Didn't bother me. I thought it was fun. But when I got older.

And I had to buy the tires. I didn't peel off anymore, Steve. I wanted that rubber right on that tire. I didn't want it left on the road somewhere. In other words, the point I'm trying to make, once you do the searching and you do the work, all of a sudden it means something. That's why the Bible in Proverbs 23 and verse 23 says this, "Buy the truth and sell it not." Buy the truth and sell it not. That's why the Word of God says in Proverbs 25 and verse 2 that it's the glory of God to conceal a thing, but it's the honor of a king to search the matter out. Now, I want you to go back to Acts chapter 17. I want to show you this.

The Result: Belief and Opposition

Because they used these means, many believed. Opposition from Thessalonica followed, but Weaver argues opposition is beneficial because it grounds believers in conviction and separates the wheat from the chaff.

Because I ask you, when I begin this message, why, humanly speaking, was there reception of the Gospel in Berea when there was opposition in Thessalonica and indifference in Athens? Well, here it is. Look, if you would, in verse 11 now. "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether these things were so." "Therefore, many of them believed." Why did they believe? Because they used the means that God ordained. They had a noble character to say, I'm wrong. God's right. They had a mind that was eager to the Word of God, and they actually searched, they discerned the Scriptures. Therefore, many of them believed. Now, the reasons they believed, they had the noble character, they had the ready mind, they searched the Scripture, and the answer is, therefore, many of them believed.

Now, let me show you something else. I began last week was showing you Paul's methodology. If you look back in Acts 17 and verse 2, the Bible says he reasoned with them out of the Scriptures. You remember that. He reasoned out of the Scripture. He reasoned with the Scripture. He opened. That is, he explained. He interpreted. And then he alleged. And the word paratithēmi means he took what he said and placed it right beside the Bible so they could see exactly what Paul was saying was what the Bible said. Now, listen carefully. The way to learn biblical truth is exactly the same way that you teach Bible truth. So when Paul was reasoning out of the Scripture and reasoning with the Scripture, these Bereans said, wow, he's right. I'm wrong. That's a noble character. Then the Bible said they received it with readiness of mind. They had a mind eager toward that as he was opening the Scriptures. And then when he placed what he said right by the Scripture so they could see it, guess what?

They took what he said and searched the Scriptures daily to see if what he said was what the Bible said. And in other words, you learn the Scripture the same way that you teach the Scripture. If you would notice verse 12, here is a blessed result of the preaching and teaching of the Word of God and searching. "Therefore, many of them believed." But here is a beneficial result in verse 13. "But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the Word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also and stirred up the people." You say, how in the world can opposition now be beneficial? Because opposition will ground you in the faith. Opposition will separate the wheat from the chaff. Opposition will say, look, I know what I found. I know what I believe. I know what I saw in the Scripture. I am not changing.

So let me ask you a question. What in the world can the devil do or the world do or the flesh do or anyone do with someone who has bought the truth and refuses to sell it? This is the only way you can explain the martyrs. When they were being burned at the stake, they had opportunity after opportunity to recant. They said, we will not recant and we'll never recant. Why? Because they had bought the truth and they refused to sell it. Now, let me mention this again by way of application. First of all, there will never, ever be any growth in knowledge and in truth.

Applications: Learning Truth Requires the Word and Right Character

Weaver applies the message: growth in truth requires relinquishing error, conviction comes from personal knowledge of Scripture, opposition is inevitable, and truth is only learned through the Word of God. The method for learning truth is the same as teaching it.

until we relinquish error and sin. That's exactly what he said in Isaiah chapter 1 and in Amos chapter 5. So if we want truth, we've got to be willing to let go of what Grandpa said and Aunt Tilda said and the way I was raised. We've got to come to the point where we're going to submit ourselves to the Word of God. That's why the Bible says that we're to grow in grace even in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now, let me point something else out. Listen to this one. Where there is no receiving of truth with a ready mind, where there is no noble character, where there is no searching of the Scripture, there will never, ever be any real conviction for truth. Do you understand that conviction comes from the fact that I know what the Bible says? I know it. If it is not ours, there's never, ever going to be any conviction. That's why our Lord quoted Isaiah 29 in Mark 7 and Matthew 15, when he said, "Their fear toward me is taught by man, not by the Word of God, not by the Holy Spirit."

That's why most people easily and quickly forsake the truth and forsake the Word of God, just like Demas forsook Paul, because there's no conviction, none whatsoever. Let me point this out as well. Wherever truth is embraced, wherever truth is believed, wherever there's a real, genuine conviction of truth, you're always going to have opposition. Always. You had it in Acts 17, verse 13. You had it in Acts 17, verse 5. There's always going to be opposition. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 16, verse 9, "For there is an effectual door open unto me, and there are many adversaries." So let me put it to you like this. The doors of opportunity swing on the hinges of opposition.

You can't move without producing friction. So whenever you have a noble character, and a ready mind, and a searching of the Scripture, and you have deep convictions of the Word of God, inevitably there's going to be opposition. Because we're going to find out if you have really, genuinely bought the truth, if it is yours. Here's the last application. No one will ever learn truth apart from the Word of Truth. Someone tells me they want truth. Not unless they read the Bible. Not unless they study the Bible. Our Lord said in John 17:17, "Sanctify them through thy truth, thy Word is truth." Peter said, "Desire the sincere milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby." We will never know truth apart from the Word of God. We will never, ever do what is right apart from the Word of God. We will never, ever live a holy life apart from the Word of God. The Bible is our foundation, and the Bible is our sole authority for faith and practice. If we want the truth, we must endeavor to try to master this book. We will never accomplish it in this life. But we must do like these Bereans. We must search the Scripture daily. How do you learn truth? The same way you teach truth. You have to make sure that it's out of the Scripture, that it's explained. You have to make sure that you put what you say along beside the Word of God so that everybody can see it's one and the same.

Then those that hear must be noble enough to say, The Bible's right, I'm wrong. I've got a mind willing to find out, and I'm going to search those Scriptures to see if what that preacher said is true. So the way to learn truth is the same way you teach truth. We'll never ever learn truth apart from the Word of Truth and the Son of God who is truth incarnate. Let's pray.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Noble Character as Prerequisite for Truth

Summary: A noble (eugenes) character means having the integrity to admit when Scripture contradicts personal beliefs, submitting to God's Word rather than resisting it.

Evidence: Weaver explains that 'noble' in Acts 17:11 refers to noble-mindedness, not aristocratic birth, and illustrates with Lester Roloff's honest acceptance of election despite not fully understanding it.

Ready Mind: Passionate Eagerness for God's Word

Summary: A ready mind (prothumia) is a passionate, zealous eagerness toward Scripture, contrasting with the cultural acceptance of passion for sports or hobbies but not for the Bible.

Expansion: Weaver uses the Greek etymology (pro + thumos) to emphasize 'passion toward' and gives examples of Paul's all-night preaching and the Antiochians' hunger for the Word.

Diligent Searching of Scripture

Summary: Searching the Scriptures (anakrino) means thorough, forensic examination to discern truth, not mere concordance work. It must be done daily and personally to gain lasting conviction.

Evidence: Weaver contrasts surface reading with deep study, citing Proverbs 2:1-5 and the analogy of buying tires to show that personal investment makes truth valuable.

The Relationship Between Doctrine and Conduct

Summary: Wrong, heretical doctrine inevitably leads to wicked conduct, as seen in the Thessalonian Jews' violence. Conversely, right doctrine produces right living.

Evidence: Weaver points to Acts 17:5,13 and Isaiah 1:16-18 to show that ceasing evil is prerequisite to reasoning with God.

Opposition as a Grounding Force

Summary: Embracing truth always brings opposition, but this opposition serves to ground believers in their convictions and separate genuine faith from superficiality.

Evidence: Weaver cites Acts 17:13 and 1 Corinthians 16:9, and references martyrs who refused to recant because they had 'bought the truth.'

Learning Truth by the Same Method as Teaching It

Summary: The way to learn biblical truth mirrors Paul's teaching method: reasoning from Scripture, explaining it, and aligning one's conclusions with the Bible. Both teacher and learner must engage in this process.

Evidence: Weaver explicitly states, 'the way to learn biblical truth is exactly the same way that you teach Bible truth,' and ties it to the Bereans' response to Paul's reasoning, opening, and alleging.

Key Arguments

Human Responsibility in Reception of Truth

Summary: While God is sovereign in salvation, humanly speaking, the Bereans' positive response was due to their noble character, ready mind, and diligent searching—means God ordained and they employed.

Evidence: Weaver asks, 'Why, humanly speaking, was there interest in the gospel in Berea?' and answers by detailing the three characteristics from Acts 17:11.

Election Guarantees the Means of Salvation

Summary: Election is the foundation of salvation but does not negate the means; rather, it guarantees them, including belief of the truth through the gospel call.

Evidence: Weaver expounds 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, stating, 'Election does not negate the means of salvation. Rather, it guarantees those means.'

Honesty with Scripture Requires Admitting Error

Summary: A noble character means being willing to say, 'God is right, I am wrong,' even when Scripture challenges long-held traditions or personal views.

Evidence: Weaver quotes the Puritan saying, 'How many would be wise if they did not already think themselves so?' and cites Lester Roloff's example.

Passion for God's Word Is Normal Christianity

Summary: A ready mind—passionate eagerness for Scripture—is the biblical norm, but cultural Christianity has made it seem abnormal. True believers should be zealous for the Word.

Evidence: Weaver contrasts modern churchgoers' impatience with the endurance of sports fans and hunters, and cites Acts 13:42-44 as an example of eager reception.

Personal Study Produces Lasting Conviction

Summary: Truth that is personally dug out through searching the Scriptures becomes precious and unforgettable, unlike passively received information.

Evidence: Weaver uses the analogy of buying tires versus peeling rubber in a parent's car, and cites Proverbs 23:23, 'Buy the truth and sell it not.'

Opposition Is Inevitable and Beneficial

Summary: Where truth is embraced, opposition will follow, but it serves to strengthen conviction and reveal genuine faith.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'The doors of opportunity swing on the hinges of opposition,' and references Acts 17:13 and the example of martyrs.

Scripture References

Acts 17:1-3

Context: Paul's custom of reasoning from the Scriptures in the Thessalonian synagogue, opening and alleging that Jesus is the Christ.

Acts 17:10-13

Context: The Bereans' noble character, readiness of mind, and daily searching of the Scriptures, contrasted with Thessalonian opposition.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

Context: Election through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, and the call by the gospel to obtain glory.

Luke 19:12

Context: The nobleman who went to receive a kingdom, illustrating the word eugenes used of Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:26

Context: Not many noble (eugenes) are called, showing the word can refer to aristocratic birth, but in Acts 17 it means noble-minded.

Acts 17:5

Context: The Thessalonian Jews' envy and mob violence, demonstrating lack of noble character.

Isaiah 1:16-18

Context: God's call to cease evil and learn to do well before reasoning together; cleansing from sin precedes understanding.

Amos 5:14-15

Context: Seek good, hate evil, establish judgment; loving good requires hating evil.

Romans 1:15

Context: Paul's readiness (prothumia) to preach the gospel, illustrating the word for 'ready mind.'

1 Peter 5:1-2

Context: Elders are to feed the flock willingly and with a ready mind (prothumia), not by constraint.

Acts 13:13-16, 39-44

Context: Paul's preaching in Antioch of Pisidia; the Gentiles' eagerness to hear more and the whole city gathering the next Sabbath.

1 Thessalonians 2:13

Context: The Thessalonians received Paul's word not as man's word but as God's Word, which works in believers.

Proverbs 2:1-5

Context: The conditions for understanding the fear of the Lord: receiving, hiding, inclining, applying, crying, seeking, and searching.

Proverbs 23:23

Context: Buy the truth and sell it not, emphasizing the value of personally acquired truth.

Proverbs 25:2

Context: It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings to search out a matter.

Acts 17:11-12

Context: The Bereans' noble character, readiness, and searching led to many believing.

1 Corinthians 16:9

Context: An effectual door open to Paul with many adversaries, illustrating that opportunity comes with opposition.

John 17:17

Context: Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.

1 Peter 2:2

Context: Desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby.

Historical References

Lester Roloff

Context: Weaver recounts hearing Lester Roloff on the radio honestly admitting he didn't understand election but believed it because the Bible said it, exemplifying a noble character.

Puritan saying: 'How many would be wise if they did not already think themselves so?'

Context: Weaver quotes this to illustrate the pride that prevents people from receiving truth with a noble, honest mind.

Cartoon about two men fighting over the doctrine of election

Context: Weaver mentions a cartoon where a pastor dismisses two men fighting as 'just having a weekly discussion over the doctrine of election,' illustrating how Christians often fail to discuss doctrine with gentleness.

Lance Habner quote: 'Christians have been subnormal for so long that when one gets normal, everyone else thinks he's abnormal.'

Context: Weaver quotes this to support his point that passionate zeal for God's Word is viewed as fanaticism in a spiritually apathetic culture.

Eutychus incident (Acts 20)

Context: Weaver references Paul's all-night preaching after raising Eutychus from the dead, illustrating Paul's passion and the early church's endurance for preaching.

Horse and buggy days church practices

Context: Weaver describes historical church services where people spent all day in preaching, catechizing, and discussion, contrasting with modern impatience.

1958 Ford and tire peeling analogy

Context: Weaver shares a personal story about peeling rubber in his father's car versus buying his own tires to illustrate how personal investment makes something valuable.

Important Quotes

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Significance: This is the key verse Weaver expounds to show the three characteristics of noble character, ready mind, and diligent searching that lead to belief.

Election is the foundation of salvation, but it is not salvation in and of itself. Moreover, Election does not negate the means of salvation. Rather, it guarantees those means.

Significance: Weaver's concise statement balancing divine sovereignty with human responsibility in the reception of truth.

How many would be wise if they did not already think themselves so?

Significance: A Puritan saying Weaver uses to illustrate the pride that hinders people from honestly receiving biblical truth.

Wrong, wicked thinking always leads to wrong, wicked conduct. Let me say it another way. Wrong, wicked, heretical, erroneous doctrine always leads to wicked and wrong conduct.

Significance: Weaver's thesis that doctrine and practice are inseparable, demonstrated by the Thessalonian Jews' violence.

The doors of opportunity swing on the hinges of opposition.

Significance: A memorable aphorism summarizing Weaver's point that opposition is inevitable and beneficial for grounding believers.

Buy the truth and sell it not.

Significance: Proverbs 23:23 quoted to emphasize the value of personally acquired truth that one will not relinquish under pressure.

The way to learn biblical truth is exactly the same way that you teach Bible truth.

Significance: Weaver's central methodological point: both teacher and learner must reason from Scripture, explain it, and align conclusions with the Bible.

Discussion Questions

What does it mean to have a 'noble character' in relation to Scripture, and how can we cultivate it?

Context: Weaver defines noble character as honesty to admit when the Bible contradicts our views. He uses Lester Roloff as an example.

Why is a 'ready mind' or passionate eagerness for God's Word so rare today, and how can we develop it?

Context: Weaver contrasts cultural passion for sports with apathy toward Scripture and cites Acts 13 as an example of eager reception.

What is the difference between merely reading the Bible and 'searching the Scriptures' as the Bereans did?

Context: Weaver explains anakrino as forensic examination and emphasizes personal digging for truth.

How does wrong doctrine lead to wrong conduct, and can you think of modern examples?

Context: Weaver points to the Thessalonian Jews' violence as a direct result of their rejection of Paul's teaching.

In what ways can opposition to our faith actually strengthen our convictions?

Context: Weaver argues opposition grounds believers, separates wheat from chaff, and was faced by martyrs who refused to recant.

How can we apply Paul's methodology of reasoning, opening, and alleging from Scripture in our personal study and in teaching others?

Context: Weaver states that learning truth uses the same method as teaching it, based on Acts 17:2-3.

Applications

Relinquish Error and Sin to Receive Truth

Summary: We must be willing to let go of traditions, family teachings, or personal sins that contradict Scripture, admitting God is right and we are wrong.

Evidence: Weaver cites Isaiah 1:16-18 and Amos 5:14-15, and says, 'God is never, ever going to give us truth until we come to the realization that... I'm wrong. You're right.'

Cultivate a Passionate Eagerness for God's Word

Summary: Believers should develop a ready mind—zeal and excitement for Scripture—rather than treating church and Bible study as a chore.

Evidence: Weaver contrasts the endurance of sports fans with impatience in church, and urges a mind that is 'eager and passionate toward the Word of God.'

Engage in Daily, Thorough Scripture Study

Summary: Rather than superficial reading, believers should search the Scriptures daily with forensic care, personally digging for truth to make it their own.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'I had rather read one verse and be able to discern it and understand it than read 40 chapters and not have any idea what I just read.'

Expect and Endure Opposition as a Mark of True Conviction

Summary: When we embrace biblical truth deeply, opposition will come, but it serves to strengthen our faith and prove its genuineness.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Wherever truth is embraced... you're always going to have opposition,' and points to the martyrs as examples.

Use the Bible as the Sole Authority and Foundation

Summary: All learning and living must be grounded in Scripture; we must endeavor to master the Book, though we never fully will in this life.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The Bible is our foundation, and the Bible is our sole authority for faith and practice.'

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T06:49:10Z

Clean Transcript

How to Study and Learn Biblical Truths - Part 9

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Open your Bibles, if you would, to Acts 17. And I want to just simply read verses 1-3, and then we're going to read verses 10-13. Notice, if you would, verses 1-3, Acts 17.
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Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Jesus whom I'm preaching to you is Christ.
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Now skip down to verse 11. Talking about the Bereans, let's read verse 10. "And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea, who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore, many of them believed also of honorable women, which were Greeks, and of men not a few. But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also and stirred up the people."
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Now, we've been looking at this truth on how to study and how to learn biblical truth for a number of weeks. This is the final message where I'm actually coming down to how to learn biblical truth. There's been very little preaching in the pulpits of America today, especially using Paul's methodology that he mentioned there in verses two and three. When he reasoned out of the scripture, of course, reason with the scripture, he opened the scripture, that is, he explained and as well as expounded. And then, of course, he alleged he took what he said, said it alongside of the word of God so that they could see that what he was saying was exactly that which the Bible also said. So let me also remind you of the outline of Acts chapter 17. Paul, of course, was on his second missionary journey. He made three stops.
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There was opposition to the gospel in Thessalonica. There was interest in the gospel in Berea, and there was indifference to the gospel at Athens. So let me try to stimulate your thinking by asking a question, and I think you will understand the importance of this question just momentarily. But here's the question. Why, humanly speaking, was there interest in the gospel in Berea when there was opposition to the gospel in Thessalonica and indifference to the gospel in Athens? Now, another way to ask that question would be this.
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Why did the Bereans respond positively while the other groups responded negatively? So the answer that usually is very quickly available and very quickly given is that is because of the sovereignty of God. And certainly I believe in the sovereignty of God. The Bible does teach in Proverbs chapter 16 in verse 1 that the preparation of the heart in man and the answer of the tongue are from the Lord. And I certainly know that God must work in our hearts. He must prepare our hearts. And I know that God is sovereign.
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But let me ask this question again. Why, humanly speaking, was there interest in the gospel in Acts chapter 17 at Berea and not in all of these other places? So, it's true then that God is sovereign. It's true then that God must work in our hearts. But, I want to point something out before I actually get to Acts 17. If you'll turn quickly to 2 Thessalonians and look in chapter 2, beginning there with verse 13. 2 Thessalonians 2, and beginning there with verse 13. Notice what the Word of God says. 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 13.
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The Apostle Paul writes this. 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 13. He says, "But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." Now watch verse 14, "Whereunto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." Now, obviously, when you look at verse 13, we have the biblical doctrine of election because he said, "but we're bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation."
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Now, the word elect or election or its equivalent occurs 73 times in the New Testament. So you have to believe something about the doctrine of election or you have to tear 73 passages out of the Bible. I want you to note something. Election is the foundation of salvation, but it is not salvation in and of itself. Moreover, Election does not negate the means of salvation. Rather, it guarantees those means.
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So if you look back in verse 13, he says, "but we're bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." Now watch verse 14. "Whereunto He called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." So it's true that no one will ever be converted apart from the sovereignty of God. It's true that no one will ever be converted apart from God's eternal election. It's also true that no one will ever be converted apart from the Holy Spirit of God. But it's also true that no one will ever be converted apart from belief of the truth. So the Bible tells us in verse 14, whereby he called you by our gospel. So these people who were chosen were sanctified by the spirit. They believe the truth. They were actually called by the gospel. So let me go back and ask this again.
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Why, humanly speaking, did the people in Berea respond positively when the other people did not? Well, let me try to answer that for you. And so if you will turn back in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 17 and let's begin reading there with verse 11 and notice if you would this truth. He says "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica." Let's stop right there. "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica." So here the Bible is telling us that there is a certain thing that is required to actually believe the truth and receive the truth and to learn the truth. And that is, we must have a noble character.
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Now, let me explain that term. The Greek word for noble is the word eugenes. It is translated in our Bibles as noble or nobleman. And it also means that someone is of a noble family, a noble birth. But it also equally means someone with a noble mind. The interesting thing is about the word noble. The root word is eugenes. That is where we get our English name Eugene from. And so the name Eugene actually means noble. Now the word eugenes only occurs three times in the New Testament.
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The first one, if you will look with me, is found in Luke chapter 19 and verse 12. And of course, in this, our Lord is being represented as a nobleman and he is going to receive a kingdom. So in Luke chapter 19 and verse 12, here's what the Bible says. Watch carefully. Luke 19, verse 12. He said, "Therefore, a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return."
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Now, this indeed is a picture of Christ, but you must remember there were plenty of noble persons in the Bible, plenty of people who were well-born and well-bred that certainly did not receive a kingdom. So our Lord here is pictured as a nobleman who goes and stands before a king who is interrogated, who is found to be honest, righteous, full of integrity. And then, of course, he's given a kingdom and consequently he's to go back and rule for the king.
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So this is the first time the word is used. It is actually translated as a nobleman.
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Now, the second time you will find it in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. And I want you to turn there and look at verse 26. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 26. Notice, if you would, what the Bible says. It's the same word. Eugenes, watch it. 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 26. Our Lord says, "For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called." And then he goes on to say, "but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound things which are mighty." So it says not many noble are called. So when the word noble is used here, it means certainly that or someone who is well bred. If we were in England, we would say to the manner bred or to the manner born.
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So this is the thing. Today, we would just simply say someone in high society. So he's clearly been talking about someone who would be of aristocratic birth, someone who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He says not many of those are called. Some may be, but not many. So the third time this word occurs is found in Acts chapter 17 in verse 11. And so clearly then it does not mean these people were noblemen each and every one of them. It certainly does not mean that they were high born and high bred and aristocrats in and of themselves. But what it does mean is that these individuals were noble minded. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica. And of course, we're going to see this word explained as we get on into this verse. So clearly, then we're talking about someone of a noble character. Now, let me explain what I'm talking about in this passage.
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They're hearing the Apostle Paul preach. And they're probably hearing things that they have never heard before or never even considered before. And so here's what they're doing is they hear the word of God. Remember now, Paul was reasoning out of the scriptures. He was reasoning with the scriptures. He was opening it, that is, he was explaining, he was interpreting, and then he was alleging he was putting what he said right beside the Bible so they could see that. And so when they heard what the Apostle Paul was saying, they had the character to say, wait a minute, if what Paul is saying is right, then I'm wrong. I've just never heard it explained like this. I'm going to have to stop and think this thing through. I am just, I've just never heard it like this. In other words, these people had a noble character. The old Puritans had a saying, which I really like. They said, and they asked, how many would be wise if they did not already think themselves so? And that is true.
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How many would be wise if they did not already think themselves so? So what the Bible is telling us here is a noble character, someone who is honest with the Scripture. And so we have to have some integrity, we have to have some character, we have to have some honesty. You remember our Lord said in the parable in Matthew chapter 13, it was that good ground hearer who received the Word in a good and honest heart.
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And so this is what we're talking about here. We may not understand every Scripture, we may not even agree with every Scripture at first, but at least we would have to have the integrity to say that's what Scripture says.
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Now, I told you, but I'm going to repeat it just in light of this, because years ago I heard Lester Roloff preaching on the radio on his family altar program, and he was dealing with Ephesians chapter one. And I knew that Lester Roloff was not a scholar, but he was a dear, dear saint of God. I knew that he was not a theologian. And I knew that he probably did not understand the doctrine of election. And so when he read Ephesians chapter one in verse four, that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, Lester Roloff said this, folks, he said, I don't understand the doctrine of election. He said, I don't have the ability to teach the doctrine of election, but the Bible says that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. And I believe it.
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So, he was absolutely honest in Scripture. In other words, he couldn't explain it, he didn't understand it, he couldn't teach it, but he knew that was exactly what the Bible says. So, if you have a noble character then, that means that you're at least willing to be honest with Scripture. You know, the Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 8 and verse 2, "...and if any man think that he knoweth anything, yet he knoweth nothing as he ought to know."
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So, go back to that old Puritan quote. How many would be wise if they didn't already think themselves so? Unhappily, here's what is happening. Most Christians are like those Jews in Thessalonica. The Jews in Thessalonica did not like what the Apostle Paul was preaching. They didn't agree with what the Apostle Paul was saying. So if you'll look back in your Bibles to Acts chapter 17 and verse 5, look what they did.
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Just to show you these people did not have a noble character. In Acts 17 and verse 5, "...but the Jews, which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people." Skip down to verse 13. Watch this.
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Now that's what they did in Thessalonica. In verse 13, "But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the Word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also and stirred up the people." Isn't that astounding? Here are people from one city traveling to another city just to stir up trouble because they didn't like what the Apostle Paul was preaching. They didn't agree with it. They didn't believe it. Unhappily, even most Christians are not willing to listen to the Word of God. They're not willing to be taught the truth. They're not willing to hear anything that opposes that which they have been raised with.
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The truth of the matter is, if we're going to ever learn truth, we must have an honest heart. We must have integrity. We must be willing to submit to the Word of God and not fight against it and not resist it.
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Now, I understand that God does not give the same amount of light to everyone. Neither does he give light at the same time. So when there is indeed a disagreement concerning a passage, if we're Christians and we can agree to disagree as Christians, we do not have to fuss and fight and maul each other. No. I never will forget seeing a cartoon one time and I thought how appropriate.
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The pastor was showing a man around the church building and they passed a room and two men were in there fighting. I mean, they had black eyes. They had scratches. Their clothes were torn. Their hair was pulled. And the pastor said, oh, never mind them. They're just having a weekly discussion over the doctrine of election. Well, that's unhappily the way a lot of people discuss things. They do not discuss them as gentlemen at all. They do not even understand the biblical doctrine of illumination, which means that God must open our eyes. God must teach us. So the amazing thing to me is these Jews, man, they were just willing to cause trouble, not just in their hometown, but they were willing to travel to Berea as well to stir up trouble.
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In other words, listen to this. Wrong, wicked thinking always leads to wrong, wicked conduct. Let me say it another way. Wrong, wicked, heretical, erroneous doctrine always leads to wicked and wrong conduct. Let me show you. I want you to turn in your Bibles very quickly. Hold in Acts 17. But look in your Bibles to the book of Isaiah chapter 1. Isaiah chapter 1, and let's begin reading there with verse 16. Isaiah 1, verse 16. Look at what God says.
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Many people quote one part of this without even using all of it. So in Isaiah 1, verse 16, God says, "Wash you, make you clean." Now watch carefully. "Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow." Now watch in verse 18. "Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord."
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"Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Do you understand that one cannot reason with God until he ceases to do evil and learns to do well? That's what God is saying. God is saying put away the evil of your doing. Learn to do well. Follow my commandments. Do what I'm telling you.
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You remember what David said in Psalm 66 and verse 18. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." So if we just merely regard it, God's not going to hear us. If we're actually doing it and committing it, then very clearly, we're not going to be in any position to reason with God. If you will turn right over to the book of Amos, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, and look, if you would, at Amos chapter five, you'll see this again. Amos chapter five, beginning there with verse 14. Amos five, verse 14. God tells them, "Seek the good and not evil that you may live. And so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you as you have spoken. Hate the evil and love the good and establish judgment in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph." Notice he says hate the evil, love the good. You can't love the good till you hate the evil.
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You cannot seek the good until you cease seeking that which is evil. That's why the Bible says in Proverbs 21 and verse 30 that there is no wisdom nor understanding against the counsel of the Lord. No, it's useless to argue with God. It's useless to try to debate with Him or resist Him. Where are those Jews from Thessalonica? They're dead, they're gone, they're condemned because they resisted God and resisted the gospel. It takes honesty and it takes integrity and it takes character to say, God is right, I am wrong. And let me put it to you another way, it is absolutely hypocritical and I would add sheer blasphemy for one to cry to God for truth.
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When at the same time, he's refusing to relinquish that which is erroneous and wicked and wrong. God is never, ever going to give us truth until we come to the realization that, look, Lord, I'm wrong. You're right. Your word is right. I want to bow to it. I want to submit to it. I'm going to say you are right. I will justify you rather than justify myself. So when you look back in Acts chapter 17, you're going to understand that the very first reason these people received the Word of God was they had a noble character. Let me show you the second reason. Look in Acts 17 verse 11. "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that." So this phrase "in that" explains their nobility, which obviously was not a noble birth. It had to be a noble character. They notice he said "these were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind." So let me just stop right there. Here's the second thing that we must have in order to learn the truth.
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We must not only have a noble character to say God is right and I'm wrong. We must have a ready mind.
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Now, the interesting thing is when the Bible talks about readiness of mind, it's from the Greek word, prothumia, which is translated in our Bibles as forwardness of mind, readiness of mind, a ready mind, and a willing mind. It also speaks of zeal and eagerness and passion. And here's why. The Greek word prothumia is made up of two Greek words: pro is a preposition which actually means to or toward and thumos is the Greek word for passion. So literally the word readiness there means to have a passion toward something. So the second characteristic that we need to learn truth is we must have a passion toward the Word of God.
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Now let me tell you how this is used. You remember that passage in Romans chapter 1 in verse 15, where Paul said, "So much as in me is I'm ready also to preach the gospel to you that be at Rome." The word ready there is prothumia. So he says, "So as much as in me is I have a passion to preach the word of God to you which are at Rome also."
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Now, I want you to turn over to your Bibles. The first Peter. Notice 1 Peter, if you would please, chapter 5, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. 1 Peter, chapter 5, verse 1. And I want you to see this. This might help you understand something. 1 Peter, chapter 5, verse 1. The Bible declares as Peter is writing. He says, "The elders which are among you, I exhort."
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"who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed." Now look what he tells these elders, these pastors. "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind." So he says, you've got to feed the flock of God. You have to take the oversight thereof.
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No one has to force you to do it. You must do it willingly. And not just for money. No, no, no. But for a ready mind. Would you like to know what the word ready is there? It's the same word that is translated as readiness in Acts chapter 17. It means a mind that has a passion toward the Word of God. It means someone that is excited, someone that is zealous toward the Word of God. Now, I don't know if you've ever noticed this or not, but it is politically and socially correct to have a passion about anything and everything except the Word of God and, of course, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Have you ever thought about how people spend money, hours and efforts just to attend a ball game.
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They will sit for hours on hard benches, cheer until their throats are absolutely sore and endure all kinds of weather. And then other folks just can't sit in church one hour without complaining. And yet, when you look at the ball games, they're sitting on hard benches. There is no air conditioning. They're hot. The benches are not padded. And it doesn't upset them how long the game goes on. And if the game goes into overtime, they're happy. But you let a preacher preach about 10 or 15 minutes longer than most folks think he's supposed to, and then you've got problems.
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I never will forget years ago, I was preaching in a little South Georgia town. The pastor was not there that day. I was filling in for him and he normally stopped at 12 o'clock. And he had arranged for me to have dinner that day with the family in his church and because I was to preach there that night and I was just going to spend the afternoon at their home.
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Well, I preached till I got through it. It was, I don't know, 15 minutes to one, something like that. Well, when I got home with this lady and her husband, she let me know right quickly that I was going to eat burned roast beef because she had cooked that to be ready at 12. And I went way past 12. Well, the point I'm trying to make is she actually came to get out. She didn't come to get in. But you know, this is the same thing with hunters and fishermen.
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It's not just ball games. I mean, I've known hunters and fishermen will get up way before daylight and endure all kind of weather and go out and hunt all day and sit and endure all kinds of pain and mosquitoes and bugs and come home empty handed. And they still never, ever complain. But you sit in church longer than you think the pastor ought to be preaching, and there's usually always problem. You know why? Because people just do not have a passion for the Word of God. And anytime someone really gets a passion for the Word of God, everyone else thinks he's gone off on the deep end. He's a lunatic. He's crazy.
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Oh, Lance Habner said it like this. He said Christians have been subnormal for so long that when one gets normal, everyone else thinks he's abnormal. And that's about the truth. That is the way it goes.
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Now, to show you someone who had a passion to preach, consider the Apostle Paul. In Acts chapter 20, the Apostle Paul preached until midnight. You know the only thing that stopped him? Eutychus fell out of a window and killed himself. When you read Acts chapter 20, Paul quit preaching, went down, raised Eutychus from the dead, then went back and the Bible says preached until the break of day. The only reason I don't preach all night is I can't raise folks from the dead. It's hard enough to keep them awake while I am preaching to Brother Gary. But notice if you would, how in the world would most people respond today if the pastor preached three or four hours? You know, I hear people say, well, what I'd like to do is go back to horse and buggy days. Just one sermon. Yeah, I would, too. I'd like that because here's what they did.
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They got up before daylight. They fed all their animals. They got in the horse and buggy with a picnic dinner, came to church. The preacher preached several hours. Then they had a picnic dinner. Then he preached again. Then he let them go just in time to get home so they could do chores again, feed all the animals. And then the family sat around at night and they catechized their children. And they meditated and asked questions on everything the preacher said.
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We don't have anything like that today, I can assure you. No.
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Now, you remember, Ezra was a ready scribe in the Law of Moses. David said it like this in Psalm 119 and verse 97, "O how love I thy law! It is my meditation day and night." So if you and I are to love the truth, if you and I are to learn the truth, we have to have a ready mind toward it. We have to have a passion toward the Word of God, toward the preached Word of God as well.
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Have you ever stopped to think that the Christians that had been faithful to church and faithful to preaching all of their lives should be theologians. They should be able to be scholars. But the truth is, most of them let everything slip and let everything go. If you and I are going to learn truth, we have to have a mind that's eager and passionate toward the Word of God. Now, you're going to say, Pastor, that's just not normal. Normal according to whom?
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If you look back in your Bibles, Acts chapter 13, Acts chapter 13, let's begin reading there with verse 13, read through verse 16, then I'm going to show you something. Look in Acts chapter 13, verse 13.
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"Now, when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia, and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down."
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Now watch, "...and after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, You men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand, said, Men of Israel, and you that fear God, give audience." I've always said I'm going to preach on this, and I never have. I was going to preach on the mistake of a great rabbi. Can you imagine asking the Apostle Paul if he had anything to say?
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Well, let me show you what he did. He only had something to say. In verse 17 he says, "...the God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm brought He..." He starts giving the people a history lesson which they should already know. And he continues, and if you'll skip down to verse 39, watch what he says. He's giving all this history. In verse 39 he comes to Jesus Christ. And it says, "By him, all that believe are justified from all things, for which you could not be justified by the law of Moses."
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"Beware, therefore, lest that come upon you which hath spoken of the prophets. Behold, you despisers in wonder and perish. For I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you." Now watch verse 42. "And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath." In other words, Paul, you've got to promise that you're going to come back and preach again. We're not going to let you go until you promise. OK, I'll come back. Watch the next verse. "Now, when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas."
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"who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God." Wow. So they had just gotten out of synagogue. They just got a promise he's coming back. That's not sufficient. They're following him, asking questions, wanting more. And so he turns around and teaches them on preservation. He said, you got to continue in the faith. Wow. I'm just simply pointing out the fact that these people were serious. Look in verse 44. "And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God." Wow. Wow. You see, these people had a ready mind, they wanted truth, they were eagerly seeking truth, you know. In 1 Thessalonians, chapter two and verse 13, the Bible tells us what an eager mind and a ready mind really is.
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Because there the Apostle Paul said this, "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing." Listen carefully, "because when you receive the word of God, which you heard of us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." So let me say something. As long as I'm expounding, explaining, and applying Scripture, that is the Word of God. That is the Word of God. If I'm giving my own opinion and my pet peeves, that is not the Word of God. So, when the Apostle Paul reasoned out of the Scriptures, reasoned with the Scriptures, opened the Scriptures, and alleged with the Scriptures, they weren't sitting back saying, well, that's just what Paul thinks. That's Paul's opinion. No, no, no. They received it as it is in truth, the word of God, because that's exactly what it was. Now, go back to Acts chapter 17.
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Look again at verse 11. He says, "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind." Here's the next thing, "and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so." So they not only had a noble character, they had a ready mind and they had a heart to search the Scriptures. Here's the practice. They search the Scriptures.
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Now, let me tell you something that you need to understand. Searching the Scriptures is not opening a concordance and saying, let me see how many times this word appears. You might need to know that, but that is not searching the Scriptures. When the Bible says they search the Scriptures, the Greek word is anakrino. The word ana is a preposition which is usually translated as unto or up or upwards. Krino means to judge. Literally, the word means to judge into, to judge upward, or to discern. In other words, this word is a forensic word.
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It is a term of the law courts. It means to examine a witness thoroughly. You will find the word used in 1 Corinthians 9 and verse 3 when the Apostle Paul said, "My answer to those that examine me is this." Well, what were they doing examining Apostle Paul? They were trying to find something wrong with him. They were scrutinizing him. They were going into detail, tearing him apart. You'll find the same word in Luke 23, verse 14, when Pilate said concerning Christ, "I have examined Him and found no fault in Him worthy of death." I've examined Him. I've thoroughly gone over this. It means a close examination.
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So, in light of this, you have to understand that searching the Scriptures is not just simply running references with a concordance. You are actually discerning the intent and the truth of the passage. Now, watch this. Here's the period. They searched the Scripture, how often? Daily. They were not off and on. They were not up and down. It was not something every now and then. No, no, no. They searched the Scriptures daily.
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Now, let me tell you, I'm all for reading the Scripture through in a year. If you can read the Bible all the way through in a year, wonderful. I'm reading the Bible. However, you can read the Bible, but I will tell you this, I had rather read one verse and be able to discern it and understand it than read 40 chapters and not have any idea what I just read.
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So this is what he's talking about. They're searching the scripture. Let me show you. I want you to turn back in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs, chapter two. Look in Proverbs, chapter two. Here it is, Proverbs, chapter two, and let's begin reading there with verse one. Watch this. I'm going to emphasize certain things with my voice, so watch. He says, "My son, if thou wilt receive My words and hide My commandments with thee, so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thine heart to understanding, if thou criest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for understanding, if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures, then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." So understanding and finding is a result of receiving, hiding, inclining, applying, crying, lifting up your voice and seeking and searching. So this is what it means when it says they search the Scriptures daily.
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Have you ever considered this? One of the reasons you and I do not really retain so much is because it never really cost us anything. If I spend 20 hours working on a message and you hear it within an hour, you haven't put anything into it. And you can say, well, that was a good message. But then it's gone. But you know something, when you do the digging and when you do the searching, you don't let it go. It's not an easy come, easy go.
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You have dug through the Scriptures. You have discerned. You have done the work. It now has value to you. I remember as a teenager when I was at home and my dad bought a brand new 1958 Ford. Man, that thing was fast. I could peel rubber and I did. I laid some of it down. Didn't bother me. I thought it was fun. But when I got older.
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And I had to buy the tires. I didn't peel off anymore, Steve. I wanted that rubber right on that tire. I didn't want it left on the road somewhere. In other words, the point I'm trying to make, once you do the searching and you do the work, all of a sudden it means something. That's why the Bible in Proverbs 23 and verse 23 says this, "Buy the truth and sell it not." Buy the truth and sell it not. That's why the Word of God says in Proverbs 25 and verse 2 that it's the glory of God to conceal a thing, but it's the honor of a king to search the matter out. Now, I want you to go back to Acts chapter 17. I want to show you this.
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Because I ask you, when I begin this message, why, humanly speaking, was there reception of the Gospel in Berea when there was opposition in Thessalonica and indifference in Athens? Well, here it is. Look, if you would, in verse 11 now. "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether these things were so."
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"Therefore, many of them believed." Why did they believe? Because they used the means that God ordained. They had a noble character to say, I'm wrong. God's right. They had a mind that was eager to the Word of God, and they actually searched, they discerned the Scriptures. Therefore, many of them believed. Now, the reasons they believed, they had the noble character, they had the ready mind, they searched the Scripture, and the answer is, therefore, many of them believed.
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Now, let me show you something else. I began last week was showing you Paul's methodology. If you look back in Acts 17 and verse 2, the Bible says he reasoned with them out of the Scriptures. You remember that. He reasoned out of the Scripture. He reasoned with the Scripture. He opened. That is, he explained. He interpreted. And then he alleged. And the word paratithēmi means he took what he said and placed it right beside the Bible so they could see exactly what Paul was saying was what the Bible said. Now, listen carefully. The way to learn biblical truth is exactly the same way that you teach Bible truth. So when Paul was reasoning out of the Scripture and reasoning with the Scripture, these Bereans said, wow, he's right. I'm wrong. That's a noble character. Then the Bible said they received it with readiness of mind. They had a mind eager toward that as he was opening the Scriptures. And then when he placed what he said right by the Scripture so they could see it, guess what?
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They took what he said and searched the Scriptures daily to see if what he said was what the Bible said. And in other words, you learn the Scripture the same way that you teach the Scripture. If you would notice verse 12, here is a blessed result of the preaching and teaching of the Word of God and searching. "Therefore, many of them believed." But here is a beneficial result in verse 13. "But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the Word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also and stirred up the people." You say, how in the world can opposition now be beneficial? Because opposition will ground you in the faith. Opposition will separate the wheat from the chaff. Opposition will say, look, I know what I found. I know what I believe. I know what I saw in the Scripture. I am not changing.
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So let me ask you a question. What in the world can the devil do or the world do or the flesh do or anyone do with someone who has bought the truth and refuses to sell it? This is the only way you can explain the martyrs. When they were being burned at the stake, they had opportunity after opportunity to recant. They said, we will not recant and we'll never recant. Why? Because they had bought the truth and they refused to sell it. Now, let me mention this again by way of application. First of all, there will never, ever be any growth in knowledge and in truth.
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until we relinquish error and sin. That's exactly what he said in Isaiah chapter 1 and in Amos chapter 5. So if we want truth, we've got to be willing to let go of what Grandpa said and Aunt Tilda said and the way I was raised. We've got to come to the point where we're going to submit ourselves to the Word of God. That's why the Bible says that we're to grow in grace even in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now, let me point something else out. Listen to this one. Where there is no receiving of truth with a ready mind, where there is no noble character, where there is no searching of the Scripture, there will never, ever be any real conviction for truth. Do you understand that conviction comes from the fact that I know what the Bible says? I know it. If it is not ours, there's never, ever going to be any conviction. That's why our Lord quoted Isaiah 29 in Mark 7 and Matthew 15, when he said, "Their fear toward me is taught by man, not by the Word of God, not by the Holy Spirit."
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That's why most people easily and quickly forsake the truth and forsake the Word of God, just like Demas forsook Paul, because there's no conviction, none whatsoever. Let me point this out as well. Wherever truth is embraced, wherever truth is believed, wherever there's a real, genuine conviction of truth, you're always going to have opposition. Always. You had it in Acts 17, verse 13. You had it in Acts 17, verse 5. There's always going to be opposition. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 16, verse 9, "For there is an effectual door open unto me, and there are many adversaries." So let me put it to you like this. The doors of opportunity swing on the hinges of opposition.
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You can't move without producing friction. So whenever you have a noble character, and a ready mind, and a searching of the Scripture, and you have deep convictions of the Word of God, inevitably there's going to be opposition. Because we're going to find out if you have really, genuinely bought the truth, if it is yours. Here's the last application. No one will ever learn truth apart from the Word of Truth. Someone tells me they want truth.
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Not unless they read the Bible. Not unless they study the Bible. Our Lord said in John 17:17, "Sanctify them through thy truth, thy Word is truth." Peter said, "Desire the sincere milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby." We will never know truth apart from the Word of God. We will never, ever do what is right apart from the Word of God. We will never, ever live a holy life apart from the Word of God. The Bible is our foundation, and the Bible is our sole authority for faith and practice. If we want the truth, we must endeavor to try to master this book. We will never accomplish it in this life. But we must do like these Bereans. We must search the Scripture daily. How do you learn truth? The same way you teach truth. You have to make sure that it's out of the Scripture, that it's explained. You have to make sure that you put what you say along beside the Word of God so that everybody can see it's one and the same.
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Then those that hear must be noble enough to say, The Bible's right, I'm wrong. I've got a mind willing to find out, and I'm going to search those Scriptures to see if what that preacher said is true. So the way to learn truth is the same way you teach truth. We'll never ever learn truth apart from the Word of Truth and the Son of God who is truth incarnate. Let's pray.
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Father, we thank You today in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for Your grace, for Your mercy. We're thankful for Your truth, Lord. And ask, Father, that You would enlighten our minds, illuminate us, grant us understanding, and grant, Father, that Your will would be done in each life. In Thy name we pray, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T16:16:09Z

How to Study and Learn Biblical Truths - Part 9

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver concludes his series on learning biblical truth by examining Acts 17:1-13, contrasting the noble Bereans with the hostile Thessalonians and indifferent Athenians. He argues that humanly speaking, the Bereans' positive response stemmed from three characteristics: a noble character (honesty to admit God's Word is right), a ready mind (passionate eagerness for truth), and diligent daily searching of the Scriptures (thorough examination). Weaver emphasizes that learning truth requires the same methodology as teaching it—reasoning from Scripture, explaining it, and aligning one's words with the Bible. He warns that wrong doctrine leads to wrong conduct, and that embracing truth inevitably brings opposition, which grounds believers in conviction. The message underscores that growth in knowledge and holiness is impossible apart from the Word of God.

Introduction: The Three Responses in Acts 17

The Sovereignty of God and Human Means

The Apostle Paul writes this. 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 13. He says,

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

"But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth."

Now watch verse 14,

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

"Whereunto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Now, obviously, when you look at verse 13, we have the biblical doctrine of election because he said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

"but we're bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation."

The First Characteristic: A Noble Character

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 1:26

"For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called."

The Contrast: The Wicked Conduct of the Thessalonians

The Thessalonian Jews lacked noble character; they stirred up mobs and traveled to Berea to cause trouble. Wrong doctrine leads to wrong conduct, as seen in their envy and violence.

The Necessity of Ceasing Evil to Reason with God

Using Isaiah 1:16-18 and Amos 5:14-15, Weaver argues that one cannot reason with God or receive truth while clinging to sin. Honesty requires admitting God is right and we are wrong.

Many people quote one part of this without even using all of it. So in Isaiah 1, verse 16, God says,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:16-18

"Wash you, make you clean."

Now watch carefully.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:16-18

"Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow."

Now watch in verse 18.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:16-18

"Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord." "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

The Second Characteristic: A Ready Mind

Now let me tell you how this is used. You remember that passage in Romans chapter 1 in verse 15, where Paul said,

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:15

"So much as in me is I'm ready also to preach the gospel to you that be at Rome."

The word ready there is prothumia. So he says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:15

"So as much as in me is I have a passion to preach the word of God to you which are at Rome also."

The Third Characteristic: Searching the Scriptures Daily

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 2:1-5

"My son, if thou wilt receive My words and hide My commandments with thee, so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thine heart to understanding, if thou criest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for understanding, if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures, then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God."

The Result: Belief and Opposition

Applications: Learning Truth Requires the Word and Right Character

How to Study and Learn Biblical Truths - Part 9

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	516221741561838
Subject	Education and Discipleship
Course	Christian Education and Discipleship
Genre	Sermon
Date	2022-05-15
Dictation Name
Book	Book 065: Three Reasons We Need To Consider Truth And Interpret Scripture — Chapter 9
Source Timed Segments	77

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Three Responses in Acts 17: Weaver reads Acts 17:1-3 and 10-13, noting Paul's methodology of reasoning, opening, and alleging from Scripture. He outlines the three stops on Paul's second missionary journey: opposition in Thessalonica, interest in Berea, and indifference in Athens.
The Sovereignty of God and Human Means: Weaver acknowledges God's sovereignty in salvation but insists that humanly speaking, the Bereans' response was due to their use of God-ordained means: noble character, ready mind, and searching the Scriptures. He cites 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 to show election guarantees the means of belief.
The First Characteristic: A Noble Character: The Bereans were 'more noble' (eugenes), meaning noble-minded, not aristocratic. A noble character is honesty to admit when Scripture contradicts one's own views, as exemplified by Lester Roloff's humble acceptance of election.
The Contrast: The Wicked Conduct of the Thessalonians: The Thessalonian Jews lacked noble character; they stirred up mobs and traveled to Berea to cause trouble. Wrong doctrine leads to wrong conduct, as seen in their envy and violence.
The Necessity of Ceasing Evil to Reason with God: Using Isaiah 1:16-18 and Amos 5:14-15, Weaver argues that one cannot reason with God or receive truth while clinging to sin. Honesty requires admitting God is right and we are wrong.
The Second Characteristic: A Ready Mind: The Bereans received the word with 'all readiness of mind' (prothumia), meaning a passionate, eager zeal for God's Word. Weaver contrasts this with modern indifference, using examples from sports and hunting to illustrate misplaced passion.
The Third Characteristic: Searching the Scriptures Daily: The Bereans 'searched the Scriptures daily' (anakrino), meaning they thoroughly examined and discerned the truth, like a forensic cross-examination. Weaver emphasizes that personal digging gives truth lasting value, citing Proverbs 2:1-5.
The Result: Belief and Opposition: Because they used these means, many believed. Opposition from Thessalonica followed, but Weaver argues opposition is beneficial because it grounds believers in conviction and separates the wheat from the chaff.
Applications: Learning Truth Requires the Word and Right Character: Weaver applies the message: growth in truth requires relinquishing error, conviction comes from personal knowledge of Scripture, opposition is inevitable, and truth is only learned through the Word of God. The method for learning truth is the same as teaching it.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Human Responsibility in Reception of Truth

While God is sovereign in salvation, humanly speaking, the Bereans' positive response was due to their noble character, ready mind, and diligent searching—means God ordained and they employed.

Weaver asks, 'Why, humanly speaking, was there interest in the gospel in Berea?' and answers by detailing the three characteristics from Acts 17:11.

Election Guarantees the Means of Salvation

Election is the foundation of salvation but does not negate the means; rather, it guarantees them, including belief of the truth through the gospel call.

Weaver expounds 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14, stating, 'Election does not negate the means of salvation. Rather, it guarantees those means.'

Honesty with Scripture Requires Admitting Error

A noble character means being willing to say, 'God is right, I am wrong,' even when Scripture challenges long-held traditions or personal views.

Weaver quotes the Puritan saying, 'How many would be wise if they did not already think themselves so?' and cites Lester Roloff's example.

Passion for God's Word Is Normal Christianity

A ready mind—passionate eagerness for Scripture—is the biblical norm, but cultural Christianity has made it seem abnormal. True believers should be zealous for the Word.

Weaver contrasts modern churchgoers' impatience with the endurance of sports fans and hunters, and cites Acts 13:42-44 as an example of eager reception.

Personal Study Produces Lasting Conviction

Truth that is personally dug out through searching the Scriptures becomes precious and unforgettable, unlike passively received information.

Weaver uses the analogy of buying tires versus peeling rubber in a parent's car, and cites Proverbs 23:23, 'Buy the truth and sell it not.'

Opposition Is Inevitable and Beneficial

Where truth is embraced, opposition will follow, but it serves to strengthen conviction and reveal genuine faith.

Weaver states, 'The doors of opportunity swing on the hinges of opposition,' and references Acts 17:13 and the example of martyrs.

Scripture References

Acts 17:1-3: Paul's custom of reasoning from the Scriptures in the Thessalonian synagogue, opening and alleging that Jesus is the Christ.
Acts 17:10-13: The Bereans' noble character, readiness of mind, and daily searching of the Scriptures, contrasted with Thessalonian opposition.
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14: Election through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, and the call by the gospel to obtain glory.
Luke 19:12: The nobleman who went to receive a kingdom, illustrating the word eugenes used of Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:26: Not many noble (eugenes) are called, showing the word can refer to aristocratic birth, but in Acts 17 it means noble-minded.
Acts 17:5: The Thessalonian Jews' envy and mob violence, demonstrating lack of noble character.
Isaiah 1:16-18: God's call to cease evil and learn to do well before reasoning together; cleansing from sin precedes understanding.
Amos 5:14-15: Seek good, hate evil, establish judgment; loving good requires hating evil.
Romans 1:15: Paul's readiness (prothumia) to preach the gospel, illustrating the word for 'ready mind.'
1 Peter 5:1-2: Elders are to feed the flock willingly and with a ready mind (prothumia), not by constraint.
Acts 13:13-16, 39-44: Paul's preaching in Antioch of Pisidia; the Gentiles' eagerness to hear more and the whole city gathering the next Sabbath.
1 Thessalonians 2:13: The Thessalonians received Paul's word not as man's word but as God's Word, which works in believers.
Proverbs 2:1-5: The conditions for understanding the fear of the Lord: receiving, hiding, inclining, applying, crying, seeking, and searching.
Proverbs 23:23: Buy the truth and sell it not, emphasizing the value of personally acquired truth.
Proverbs 25:2: It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings to search out a matter.
Acts 17:11-12: The Bereans' noble character, readiness, and searching led to many believing.
1 Corinthians 16:9: An effectual door open to Paul with many adversaries, illustrating that opportunity comes with opposition.
John 17:17: Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.
1 Peter 2:2: Desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby.

Historical References

Lester Roloff: Weaver recounts hearing Lester Roloff on the radio honestly admitting he didn't understand election but believed it because the Bible said it, exemplifying a noble character.
Puritan saying: 'How many would be wise if they did not already think themselves so?': Weaver quotes this to illustrate the pride that prevents people from receiving truth with a noble, honest mind.
Cartoon about two men fighting over the doctrine of election: Weaver mentions a cartoon where a pastor dismisses two men fighting as 'just having a weekly discussion over the doctrine of election,' illustrating how Christians often fail to discuss doctrine with gentleness.
Lance Habner quote: 'Christians have been subnormal for so long that when one gets normal, everyone else thinks he's abnormal.': Weaver quotes this to support his point that passionate zeal for God's Word is viewed as fanaticism in a spiritually apathetic culture.
Eutychus incident (Acts 20): Weaver references Paul's all-night preaching after raising Eutychus from the dead, illustrating Paul's passion and the early church's endurance for preaching.
Horse and buggy days church practices: Weaver describes historical church services where people spent all day in preaching, catechizing, and discussion, contrasting with modern impatience.
1958 Ford and tire peeling analogy: Weaver shares a personal story about peeling rubber in his father's car versus buying his own tires to illustrate how personal investment makes something valuable.

Important Quotes

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

This is the key verse Weaver expounds to show the three characteristics of noble character, ready mind, and diligent searching that lead to belief.

Election is the foundation of salvation, but it is not salvation in and of itself. Moreover, Election does not negate the means of salvation. Rather, it guarantees those means.

Weaver's concise statement balancing divine sovereignty with human responsibility in the reception of truth.

How many would be wise if they did not already think themselves so?

A Puritan saying Weaver uses to illustrate the pride that hinders people from honestly receiving biblical truth.

Wrong, wicked thinking always leads to wrong, wicked conduct. Let me say it another way. Wrong, wicked, heretical, erroneous doctrine always leads to wicked and wrong conduct.

Weaver's thesis that doctrine and practice are inseparable, demonstrated by the Thessalonian Jews' violence.

The doors of opportunity swing on the hinges of opposition.

A memorable aphorism summarizing Weaver's point that opposition is inevitable and beneficial for grounding believers.

Buy the truth and sell it not.

Proverbs 23:23 quoted to emphasize the value of personally acquired truth that one will not relinquish under pressure.

The way to learn biblical truth is exactly the same way that you teach Bible truth.

Weaver's central methodological point: both teacher and learner must reason from Scripture, explain it, and align conclusions with the Bible.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What does it mean to have a 'noble character' in relation to Scripture, and how can we cultivate it?

[Context]

Weaver defines noble character as honesty to admit when the Bible contradicts our views. He uses Lester Roloff as an example.

[Question]

Why is a 'ready mind' or passionate eagerness for God's Word so rare today, and how can we develop it?

[Context]

Weaver contrasts cultural passion for sports with apathy toward Scripture and cites Acts 13 as an example of eager reception.

[Question]

What is the difference between merely reading the Bible and 'searching the Scriptures' as the Bereans did?

[Context]

Weaver explains anakrino as forensic examination and emphasizes personal digging for truth.

[Question]

How does wrong doctrine lead to wrong conduct, and can you think of modern examples?

[Context]

Weaver points to the Thessalonian Jews' violence as a direct result of their rejection of Paul's teaching.

[Question]

In what ways can opposition to our faith actually strengthen our convictions?

[Context]

Weaver argues opposition grounds believers, separates wheat from chaff, and was faced by martyrs who refused to recant.

[Question]

How can we apply Paul's methodology of reasoning, opening, and alleging from Scripture in our personal study and in teaching others?

[Context]

Weaver states that learning truth uses the same method as teaching it, based on Acts 17:2-3.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T06:49:10Z