Acts 17:11
- “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that
they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched
the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
Looking at various translations, the expression is “give serious
attention to”; “welcomed”; “with all eagerness”. This involves:
“FAIRNESS”
– objectively accept ALL the information, trust in the effect of
the entire body of truth, be willing to acknowledge difficulties
in our thinking, and the obligation to properly resolve them
according to God’s word.
“FOCUS”–
concentrate on the reasoning, exclude distractions, and accept
the logical conclusions the passage points us to (or, which can
be deduced from our initial position)
(Mt 6:19-24; Jas 1:5-8)
“FLEXIBILITY”
–
have the integrity to adjust, and bring your thinking into line
with the further truth as it is learned. Arrogance and
stubbornness are not part of the ‘READY MIND’
The
result: “therefore...many believed”. The gospel is perfectly
designed to convince the “ready mind”, and ONLY the ready mind –
it can thrive only in “GOOD SOIL” –
Mt 13:19ff
It is illustrated by the difference between the way the
Thessalonians received it, and those in Berea.
So
many things degrade the quality of it: prejudice, emotional
barriers (bitterness, arrogance, partiality), undue confidence
in sources, etc.
Our
doctrinal stands and relationships are dependent on it, and our
troubles come where there is a lack of it.
Other Articles by Aubrey Belue
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Evil
Comes With Little Steps
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Two Visions of the Church
The Exculpatory Rule