How to add substance and balance to your faith?

“As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.” (Acts 17 : 10 – 12)

The Jews in the time of the early church were religious fundamentalists / extremists, believing that the teachings of Jesus Christ and the early Christians were a perversion of their faith. Following the lead of their religious leaders, they persecuted the early Christians without mercy wherever Christians could be found.

In this connection, it is interesting to note that the one city in which the apostle Paul was not roughed up / arrested / imprisoned for his beliefs and teachings about Christianity was Berea. The Bereans were said to have “examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true”.

If, as a Christian, the possibility of misguided “Christian” religious fundamentalism / extremism troubles you today (as it does me), then add to your fervour and prayers and regular church attendance, the regular study of the Scriptures, so that your faith will built on more than just what you hear or observe of the “church culture” of the day.

Written by Melvyn Lim https://www.facebook.com/lim.melvyn14/posts/522605864574968