Being Berean
The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men (Acts 17:10-12 English Standard Version).
Nobility. It’s a word we usually ascribe to royalty, or at least the wealthy class of citizens who seem to swim in aristocratic prestige and power. However, there is a secondary definition that applies to people of any social standing: “dignity of mind and elevation of soul” (Harper). The Bereans were known for their spiritual excellence, and they are commended for both receiving Silas and Paul’s teachings and examining the Scriptures to verify their words. Because the Bereans were committed to knowing truth, they were less likely to fall prey to the false teachers encountered by the churches of Thessalonica, Ephesus, and even Jerusalem.
With so many professing Bible teachers streaming online and teaching on television, how is it possible to determine which ones are telling the truth? To whom should we listen? False teachings are not new; Paul, Peter, and John all clearly spoke about resisting any teaching that distorts the truth (Galatians 1), rejects the authority of Jesus’ teaching (1 John 4; 2 John 1), and brings in secret heretical knowledge (2 Peter 2). Jesus warned the disciples that “many false prophets will arise and lead many astray“ (Matthew 24:11 ESV).
False teachers (ψευδοδιδάσκαλοι/pseudodidaskalos in Greek), from the Gnostics to the prosperity gospel teachers, are condemned by their blasphemies, boasts, and emphases on earthly desires and passions. The things that appeal in this life (specifically sex, money, and power) fail to fulfill and lead to destruction (James 5:1-5; 2 Peter 2:1-22; 1 John 2:15-17).
The best defense, they say, is a good offense. If we study the Word for ourselves, not relying on a myriad of teachers, we can recognize good, solid, Bible teaching. The popularity of the teacher and the size of his or her audience does not ensure faithfulness to the Word. The Bereans in the first-century understood that even Silas and Paul’s teaching needed to be tested against the Scriptures they knew well.
The first-century church was largely made up of Jewish converts who were steeped in the scriptures of the Torah (Law), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings), also called the TaNaK. The TaNaK corresponds to our Old Testament, and it is important to include those writings in regular Bible study. The Bible Project has an excellent overview of the TaNaK that helps explain why all believers need these books. Jesus said that he came, not to abolish the TaNaK, but to be its fulfillment (Matthew 5: 17-20). The Bereans liked what they heard in Silas and Paul’s teachings, but they returned to the Scriptures to verify whether the men spoke truthfully, correctly handling the Word (2 Timothy 2:14-17).
The ancient Jews taught everything using the TaNaK as their primary textbook, memorizing and reciting large passages from early childhood. The practice dated back to the Shema:
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4–9 ESV)
The result was an educated population that not only knew the Scriptures but discussed and argued over them as part of their daily lives. Sutton wrote, “Jewish life is lived according to texts, commentary, and interpretations of those texts” (para 1). Everyone participated, which may be one reason women are so foundational to the early church—another topic for another day.
Clearly knowing the Scriptures did not prevent the ancient Jews from adopting false gods and following false teachings, but the importance of dwelling within the texts is crucial for recognizing hypocrisy and heresy. The Bereans took seriously the ancient texts, and carefully subjected the new teachings to them so they could clearly see the fulfilment of the prophecies in Jesus.
Knowing the ancient texts is one step to recognizing the false teachings of the modern era, but spiritual maturity recognizes other clear signs as well:
False teachers center on the human self, rather than the eternal God.
False teachers often take Scripture out of its context and piecemeal a “theology” out of verses that aren’t connected biblically.
False teachers minimize consequences of sin or magnify rewards of obedience.
False teachers deny foundational truths of the gospel: Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection, and return; the work of the Holy Spirit, the beautiful perfection of God’s goodness, and the authentic authority of the Bible.
False teachers promote controversies, conflict, and secret knowledge.
False teachers seek first all that is in the world instead of the Kingdom of God (1 John 2:15-17; Matthew 6:33).
These signs are less about pointing fingers and condemnation of others and more about protecting what Scripture teaches as true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable (Philippians 4:8). Trustworthy teachers imitate Jesus in humility, living their lives as models for those who learn from them in the same way the apostles did. Good teaching shows us Jesus.
When a new teacher comes to the forefront of Christian media, the wise believer will double check everything he or she says against what the Bible says in context. The next step is to ask:
Does this teacher or teaching point to the Jesus of the Gospels?
Does this teacher or teaching strive for unity in the Church?
Does this teacher or teaching draw me closer to the presence of the Father?
Does this teacher require anything from me to enter the presence of God?
Does this teacher or teaching call out sin and its consequences?
Does this teacher or teaching add or remove anything to Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6) and the only name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12)?
God created us in His image, with intelligence and reason. If we are to follow in the path of the Bereans, we will use our gifts to distinguish between false teachers and teachers who point their hearers to Jesus. False teachings are part of this fallen world, but we are well equipped to stay rooted and grounded in the Word of God, centering our lives on Jesus.
Resources
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Crossway Bibles, 2001.
Blue Letter Bible. Sowing Circle, 1996–2026, www.blueletterbible.org. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
BibleProject. BibleProject, LLC, 2014–2026, www.bibleproject.com. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
BibleProject. TaNaK / Old Testament. BibleProject, 2018, www.bibleproject.com/videos/old-testament-tanak/. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
Harper, Douglas. “Nobility.” Online Etymology Dictionary, www.etymonline.com/word/nobility. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
Lucas, Sean Michael. “False Teaching Out There and In Here.” Tabletalk Magazine, April 2018, tabletalkmagazine.com/article/2018/04/false-teaching-out-there-and-in-here/. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026. (tabletalkmagazine.com)
“The Pathology of False Teachers.” Thinking Biblically, The Master’s University, n.d., https://www.masters.edu/thinking_blog/the-pathology-of-false-teachers/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Sutton, Robert E. “Ancient Jewish Education.” AMIT Children, AMIT Children Inc.,www.amitchildren.org/ancient-jewish-education/. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
