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Acts 17:11
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Every preacher longs to meet people like the Bereans. They were really open to the Christian message, but they didn’t simply accept everything that Paul and Silas had to say. They looked carefully at the Old Testament scriptures to make sure what they had been taught was right. Having been a preacher for many years, I can’t tell you how much I love it when people question what I’ve said. Although I will always seek to write and teach carefully, I’m far from perfect, and I need to be kept on my toes.
I encourage you to get to grips with the Bible. If these daily notes help you to get into God’s word, that’s great, but don’t leave it there. I would always encourage you to do more digging. It is particularly valuable to get to grips with the whole Bible. Some parts are easy to understand and bring immediate encouragement. Others are harder work and you will need to spend much more time to understand their meaning. But it is all the word of God, and you will gain enormous blessing from getting to know it better.
We are all different, and there isn’t one right way of studying the Bible. What matters is that, like the Bereans, we are open-minded and always eager to learn more.
Question
What are you doing to get to grips with the Bible?
Prayer
Lord God, thank you for the gift of the Bible. Help me to appreciate it more and more. Amen
Released on 30 Aug 2026
Acts 17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. We have no reason to think that Paul intended to spend time in Athens. He was merely there for a few days while he waited for...
Acts 17:17-18 [Paul] reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. We have much...
Acts 17:22-23 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this i...