Seek Spiritual Wisdom And Not Human Wisdom

The true follower of Christ needs to grow spiritually to walk as Jesus walked. By example, Jesus trusted the leading of the Spirit in everything He did here on earth even to the point of death. He did not do His will while serving the kingdom of heaven, but instead always sought to do the will of the Father in heaven. We who claim to seek to be like Christ (Christians) are called to do the same. As a young Christian I was instructed by many so-called mature Christians that I must be as the Bereans when it comes to my walk with Christ. Therefore, I set out to become a Berean. However, the first step in doing so was to understand what it means to be a Berean. I discovered that the Bereans were residents of the city of Berea in Macedonia. Paul and Silas preached to them during Paul’s second missionary journey. The Bereans are considered a positive example of how a Christian should devote themselves to biblical teaching. However, this all stems from just two bible verses: “Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true. As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men.” (Acts 17:11-12).

At present, based on much research, prayer, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I no longer have any desire to become a “Berean.” Just because the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians (who it sounds like did not receive the message of the gospel with great eagerness) does not make them any greater. Additionally, stating that the Bereans examined the Scriptures to see if the gospel message was true is noble, but this was not done through bible studies (the bible did not even exist) as many believe. This was looking at what the prophets foretold to validate Paul’s gospel message. This examination helped the Bereans to validate the good news they were hearing and in turn many of them surrendered their lives to Christ. However, in today’s world many who claim to be modern Bereans do nothing more than fill their heads with bible trivia, and yet they have no true spiritual walk with Christ. “If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him: Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.” (1 John 2:4-6). By the way, Jesus nor any of His disciples were bible scholars.

In many circles, to become a Berean today is misrepresented to mean one should actually become a bible scholar. Study, study, study! If you study long enough you can become just like the Scribes! Who were the Scribes? The scribes were scholars of the Old Testament Law. They figured prominently in the ministry of Jesus. They persecuted Him and were responsible for bringing Him to trial. Their persecution of Christians continued after the ascension of Jesus. We find the scribes persecuting Peter and John as well as being directly involved in the death of Stephen. “And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away and brought him before the Council” (Acts 6:12). Today’s version of a Scribe would simply replace the Old Testament Law with the books of the New Testament. Jesus said, “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.” (Matthew 23:2-3). This is not unlike the teachings found in countless so-called Christian churches around the globe.

Thus, we who are called according to His purpose need to fill ourselves with spiritual wisdom and not intellectual human wisdom. “Among the mature, however, we speak a message of wisdom—but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him? So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment. “For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:6-16).

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