Noble Bereans: Generic Page

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1)

Thy Testimonies

also are my delight and my counselors

(Psalm 119: 24)

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God's revelation of Himself to mankind is surely the delight of every sincere Christian who walks in the good of the message found in His Word.

During his second missionary journey the apostle Paul discovered a group of people in the city of Berea who delighted in the Holy Scriptures. Of them we are told:

"And these [Bereans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica, receiving the word with all readiness of mind, daily searching the scriptures if these things were so.

"Therefore many of them believed, including many distinguished Greek women and men.” (Acts 17:10-12)

This website is for all who delight in God's testimonies, and who have a "more noble" "Berean" attitude. Having a "Berean" attitude means that you desire to walk in love in the light of His holy word, and to worship the Author and Finisher of faith. (Heb. 12:2)

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Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth

In one of his prison epistles Paul the apostle encouraged his son in the faith Timothy:

"Study (strive diligently) to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (cutting in a straight line) the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15)

Sincere Christians intend to "rightly divide" God's word, knowing that only by doing so will its true meaning emerge. But as we prayerfully study the Scriptures we soon realize we cannot cut "in a straight line the word of truth" unless we pay close attention to dispensational truth.

What is a dispensation? The Greek word oikonomia occurs 8 times, and is translated "stewardship" 4 times, "dispensation" 4 times, and once it is translated "edifying." Oikonomia describes the administrative activity of the owner or steward of a household, or that which he has administered and dispensed. The word refers to the duties the steward has carried out. So how does that relate to the study of the Scriptures?

God has dispensed various features of truth to mankind at different periods in our history. For example, when Israel's Messiah was on earth He instructed His disciples:

"Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Mat. 10:5)

At the close of His earthly ministry, however, the Lord gave entirely different marching orders to His disciples:

"Go and make disciples of all the nations." (Mat. 28:19)

Why the change in instructions? Simply stated; God, in His sovereignty, chose to dispense different features of truth at different times. This is dispensational truth. If the disciples had attempted to "make disciples of ALL the nations" at the particular time when the Lord was telling them, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles," they would not have been "rightly dividing" the word of truth. The result would have been confusion as to God's program.

On this web site we propose to present studies on many topics, including dispensational truth, and on the importance of Acts 28:28 in understanding what God is dispensing to us today. Other topics will discuss God's way of gathering together as a local church to worship Him, His sovereignty in election and predestination, and especially the importance of everyone making sure he or she has a right relationship with God.

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We have "Nothing to sell," —

eternal life is a free gift (Romans 6:23).

We have "Nothing to join," because

Christ's church already embodies all who have placed their full God-given faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior, regardless of any local church affiliation.