Open Minded Scripture Search

Acts 16

13 On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. 14 One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. 15 She was baptized along with other members of her household, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed.

30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 32 And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. 33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34 He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.

Acts 17

10 That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. 12 As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.

Okay these three passages from today’s reading strike me because the two passages from chapter 16 are generally ignored by the “faith only” folks. If only they were like the Bereans who are described as “open minded” and are commended for “searching the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.” I have heard “faith only” preachers tell read the story of Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail only to stop at verse 31, completely ignoring the rest of the passage! That is not just ignorance, that is arrogance! That is deliberate misleading of people. I was so angry it was all I could do to keep from storming out of the assembly (and only out of respect for family members did I keep my seat and hold my tongue at that time…I DID express my dismay at the teaching with family later). My prayer is that the “faith only” false doctrine will be shown to be what it is: false doctrine. May folks who hear God’s Word be given the Whole Gospel so they may properly respond in faith through baptism for salvation.