Acts 17:10 ¶ And the
brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither
went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11
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. 12 Therefore many
of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a
few. 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. 14 And then immediately the brethren sent away
Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.
15 And they that conducted Paul brought
him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to
come to him with all speed, they departed.
Here are mentioned the Bereans who are an example of to all of us.
They not only received the word but searched the scriptures every day to make
sure they were being told the truth as opposed to just hearing their favorite
celebrity preacher and taking his word for it. We would do well to do what they
did if we were not so lazy spiritually. And we are commanded to do so.
1John 4:1 ¶ Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because
many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every
spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 And every spirit that confesseth not that
Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of
antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is
it in the world.
There are many warnings given about false teaching and false
prophets and teachers in the New Testament.
Again, women play an important part in moving God’s plan of
reconciliation of mankind forward.
Acts 17:16 ¶ Now while Paul
waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city
wholly given to idolatry. 17 Therefore
disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in
the market daily with them that met with him. 18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans,
and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say?
other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he
preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. 19 And they took him, and brought him unto
Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
20 For thou bringest certain strange
things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. 21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which
were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear
some new thing.)
Epicureanism was a philosophy of ancient Greece and Rome based on
the writings of a philosopher name Epicurus who lived after 300BC. It was a
challenge to the philosophy of Plato and then by Paul’s time was a challenge to
Stoicism. Epicurus taught atheistic materialism so today he would have been one
of those people who insist that the greatest good in life is to seek to be
happy, to enjoy oneself, and also that there is nothing outside of the material
world so any god is a physical being only. As Carl Sagan and Neil deGrasse
Tyson would say in the TV series, Cosmos, that it, the cosmos or universe, “is all that is or was or ever will be..”
The
Stoics, on the other hand, are often mistaken for Christians in that noted
Stoics believed that virtue was real happiness, along with self-control and
fortitude in the face of pain and suffering. Stoicism was founded a little
later than Epicurus’ time by Zeno of Citium. Make no mistake about it, though,
Stoics were far from Christian. Like Epicureans and most so-called
intellectuals today they were humanist who valued human will and the ability to
conquer negative and damaging emotions as the greatest good. To the Stoic the
universe and nature were god but they could consider non-physical entities as
being real so they were not purely limited by the physical. We use Stoic today
for someone who endures pain and misfortune well. Understand that for both of
these philosophies as for all philosophies and religions there would be wide
variations in belief.
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