The next hindrance then to our acquiring Divine knowledge is laziness, or being so

cumbered about with lesser things that we have no time to check with the Word of God

all that we hear and read. As one person once said to the writer, `why should I search the

Bible? We pay our minister to do that!'.

Thirdly, at Berea, there was no spasmodic searching of the Old Testament. They did it

daily. It was a continual and daily habit which showed in practice how spiritually keen

and hungry they were for Truth. Spasmodic Bible Study accomplishes little or nothing!

Furthermore, this Berean attitude gives the death-blow to anything approaching

priestcraft or the domination of men, however clever or gifted they may be. Every

believer is entitled to search the Scriptures and with the guidance and illumination of the

Holy Spirit, can discover what God wants to teach him. This does not mean there is no

place for leaders and teachers. God raises these up and they should be respected as such,

but not regarded as infallible. They will in all cases be men of the Word, and base all

their teaching on the Word of God and not on their personal opinions or the opinions of

Let us be sure of one thing. The Word of God is the very foundation of Christianity. It

is the text book of the Christian profession. Every profession has its necessary text

books. Imagine anyone attempting to be proficient in any profession and ignoring its text

books! Yet this is precisely what so many Christians do. What a different picture we

should see today in Christendom and the world around us, if in every church the Word of

God was honoured as such and given its rightful place, and those in the pew were like the

Bereans of old, daily reading, searching it and making wonderful spiritual discoveries!

What is there as a substitute for God's Word? Nothing except the confusion of human

opinion! Why is it that today we see the terrible drift from truth and upright standards?

Why do so many deceptive cults flourish? Largely because God's book of truth is

unknown, or is rejected and set at naught. The Lord Jesus said `Thy Word is truth' (John

17:17) and to His opposers He said `Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures ... ' (Matt.

22:29) and if He was present today, He would have to say this many times, even to

professing Christians.

In order to appreciate afresh how fundamental the Bible is to Christianity let us

consider that it is the basis of :

`The Word of God is living and powerful (literally)' (Heb. 4:12).

`Being born again ... by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever' (1 Pet.

`These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God;

that ye may know that ye have eternal life ... ' (1 John 5:13).