Becoming Berean: Navigating Cultural and Theological Issues

by Joseph Perkins

How should we feel about the issues of our culture today? Should I call someone by their preferred pronouns? Should I always vote Democrat or Republican? Are Christians predestined, or does salvation rest solely on man’s choice? These are just some tough questions we deal with today—whether cultural or theological. However, I believe there is a way to handle these things in a way that glorifies God. 

We can learn from the Bereans! 

Now, I know what you are thinking—who in the world are the Bereans, and what do they have to do with me!? The Bereans resided in the city of Berea in Macedonia. Paul and Silas preached to them during Paul’s second missionary journey. The account of Paul and Silas in Berea reads:

“The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore, many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.”

Acts 17:10-12 NASB1995

One important aspect of the Bereans in this passage describes them as being “more noble-minded”. What made these people more noble-minded? I believe there are two main points outlined in this passage that made them more distinctively noble:

1. They received the word with great eagerness. Eagerness means great excitement, zeal, enthusiasm, and readiness. They were willing to receive the word of God spoken to them and appeared to be eager to hear from Paul and Silas. They could have rejected them right away and turned a deaf ear to them. Unlike the unbelieving Thessalonian Jews did earlier in the chapter by forming a mob (verse 5) against Paul and Silas, which tells you how closed-minded the Thessalonians were.
2. They examined the scriptures daily to see if what was being spoken was true. The Bereans not only received the word, but they tested what Paul and Silas said. They didn’t just believe the first thing they heard from Paul and Silas but went to the scriptures daily to confirm. They cross-examined what was taught with what was seen in the scriptures! I can imagine the scriptures they went to, passages in Genesis, Isaiah, Psalms, and all through the Old Testament that talk about Christ. They could have altogether rejected what was said, but they confirmed what was taught to them in the scriptures. They didn’t reject or even believe blindly. They examined and tested, and that is what led to their belief. The Bereans were not the type of people that would be swayed by the latest fad or doctrine.

So, what are some steps we can take to be ready to examine the scriptures for truth? 

Read & Enjoy the Bible: I’m sure you all have heard at some point that we should read our Bible daily; however, I would encourage you not just to read it but to enjoy your time in the scriptures. You are reading the inspired word of God! I am personally reading through the gospels again, and I have been enjoying reading how Jesus interacts with the religious leaders of His time. When reading for enjoyment, if you stumble across a question or something that you do not understand, I recommend writing the question down and continuing with reading. Go back to your questions when you have time to study the text deeper. The best way to sum this up is to look at scripture reading not as something you “have to do” but something you “get to do.”

I once heard someone say that even the dust of the book (Bible) is gold. The person who said this was trying to convey treating the scriptures as treasure. Imagine finding a sapphire or rare stone in your backyard, how would you treat it? Would you care for it, admire it, research it, look for more? 

Of course, we would. We would clean it, store it and treasure it! What more should we do with God’s word?  Not sure where to start? Try reading the chapter we are studying that week in church. It will bring a new meaning to that passage because it will be expounded on that week. You could try a Bible plan as they could help with a schedule if you are unsure where to start. There are also topical reading plans that may be helpful when looking into a particular issue.

Study the Bible: This may sound a bit nuanced, but studying is taking a topic or a section of scripture and doing a deep dive into it. This could be in the form of cross-references, examining the original language, multiple translations, commentaries, blog posts, and other biblical sources. This requires more time, and you may be on a single verse for a long time trying to extract the meaning from the text. Whether you are reading for enjoyment or studying, I would recommend praying and asking our Lord to go before you and to bring clarity. We serve the true and living God, and He can bring clarity and understanding to His word!

In conclusion, I’ll leave you all with one final exhortation from Ephesians 4:14. Paul says, “…we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.” Unfortunately, there are a lot of crazy and false teachings in the secular and religious spaces. We all have unique backgrounds and experiences, and we have had our worldview shaped through those experiences. Let’s take a step back and ask, why do I believe that? Why do I vote the way I do? Let the scriptures be the foundation of our beliefs. We have so many media outlets and opinions going into our ears, but let us ask, what does God say on the matter? Is every cultural issue in the scriptures? Probably not, but how we should think through many of the issues of the culture can be found in the scriptures. Is every theological topic 100% clear? Probably not, but let us be Berean and with a noble mind, eagerly hear others and look into the scriptures to shape our worldview. Let’s be Berean!