Acts 17 asks a dangerous question: What if strong faith is willing to check the preacher? Paul opens the Scriptures in Thessalonica and Berea—but the Bereans do something remarkable: they examine the text for themselves.

In this Acts 17 Bible study, Pastor Jim Wilhelm follows Paul and Silas from Thessalonica to Berea and asks what Luke really means when he praises the Bereans for “examining the Scriptures daily.”

This isn’t suspicion dressed up as discernment. And it isn’t blind trust in whoever holds the microphone.

The Bereans receive eagerly and examine carefully. They know the biblical story well enough to test what Paul is preaching—and recognize Jesus when they find him there.

What does “Be a Berean” actually mean? Why does biblical literacy matter? And what responsibility does the c ...