Serious About Scripture

Author: Pastor Michael Reece

Acts 17:10-12 (NLT)—That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.

I keep many things in the forefront of my mind when preparing a message for one of our CPC Young Adults worship experiences. One of those things is this: Even though we may understand the importance of what needs to be done, we still need to understand how to do that thing. For example, as a high school freshman, I knew it was important for me to get a good grade in my algebra class. I needed a good grade to move on to another math class the following year and to keep myself from being grounded by my parents. However, just because I knew why doesn’t mean I knew how. I was still horrible at algebra and needed all the help I could get to figure it out.

I keep that thought accessible in my mind because I believe that spiritual disciplines can feel the same way. We know why those things are important but still need help to carry them out. Studying the Word of God can feel intimidating. It can cause many of us to wonder how we can study in the most effective way. To help with that, I want to bring your attention to the seventeenth chapter of Acts.

Here, we find Paul and his traveling companion, Silas, arriving at a place called Thessalonica. Paul spent many days in the Synagogue teaching others about Jesus. Many listeners grasped these teachings and joined Paul and Silas in their efforts. Some rejected the teachings and set out in a group to harm Paul and Silas. After avoiding that danger, they find themselves in Berea and at another Synagogue. This is where we find our key text. The attitude described here by the Bereans is the one we should have as we approach the Word.

Instead of taking Paul’s words at face value, the Bereans diligently study Scripture to gain a better understanding. They searched for several days and were strengthened in their faith. As believers, we must commit to truly studying the Word to deepen our understanding of the things of God. For us, that can look as simple as a practical commitment to reading the Bible daily. It doesn’t have to be for an entire hour. It can be ten or fifteen minutes. It’s about keeping it consistent and reminding ourselves that personal time with God is important. Another important aspect of studying Scripture is ensuring we keep things in context. When we take a singular scripture from the Bible without concern for its context, we can miss critical details in what the message is trying to convey.

We can help keep ourselves from falling into these traps by reading what comes before and what comes after a particular scripture. We can pay attention to headings in our Bibles, which may clue us into central ideas. I also encourage you to find resources that can help you find information like who wrote a specific book, when it was written, and who it was written to. Those are all important things to know because they can help us grasp the message of that writing even more. Many different cultures and time periods are represented in the sixty-six books of the Bible. The more we can understand those surrounding details, the more diligently we will be able to study.

My prayer for you this year is that you will be able to identify those things that make it harder for you to study the Word of God and ways to deal with those complications. Whether committing to schedule time during your day or talking to a trusted friend to find resources to help, you can do it. Like the Bereans of Acts, let this year be the year you genuinely search the Scriptures.

Reflection

What steps do you need to take this year to ensure that you are studying the Bible effectively?