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 (Acts 17:11, NIV)

Some people think that faith has nothing to do with  careful thought and examination. They assume that faith is something you feel, or something you simply choose without critical examination or careful thought. One can, of course, choose to define “faith” in such a way. But the type of “faith” that the Bible encourages is not at all incompatible with critical examination and careful thought. Indeed, careful thought and critical examination are positively encouraged.

Take the example provided by the Bereans in Acts 17:11. We are told that they “examined” the Scriptures every day to see if the kind of faith or message that Paul was presenting was “true” or not. The Greek word translated “examined” in that verse is related to our word for exercising “critical judgment”. The Bereans exercised critical, careful thought in relation to considering whether what Paul said was consistent with the truth of Scripture.

“What? What gives them the audacity to exercise critical and careful examination of the great apostle Paul’s teaching? Shouldn’t they have just humbly and submissively accepted the authority of the apostle’s teaching without question or thought?”

Whilst some might be hesitant to affirm such critical examination and careful thought, the inspired biblical writer St Luke positively encourages it. He describes the Berean Jews as being of “more noble character” precisely because, unlike some others, they were prepared to exercise careful thought and critical examination in the nurturing of true faith. Theirs was a faith that was inspired and nurtured through careful thought and examination.

Many people assume that critical thinking is synonymous with a dry and boring discourse or demeanour. But this cannot be said of these “noble” Bereans. We are told that they combined their critical examination of what is true with a “great eagerness” of spirit. We might say that they were both reasonable and enthusiastic in their faith. This is how a modern historian of Methodism describes Wesley. (Reasonable Enthusiast: John Wesley and the Rise of Methodism by Henry D Rack.)

Would that Methodists today might also be described, like the noble Bereans and John Wesley, as “reasonable enthusiasts”.

 

On TRAC Together for God’s Word, Worship, Welcome, Witness and Wonder

Rev Dr Gordon Wong
TRAC President

 

This article has been edited from the original which first appeared in Methodist Message July  2018. Used with permission.