“The Bereans . . . received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11

The believers at Berea, in Macedonia, are famous among God’s people because of their diligence in searching the Scriptures. They did not just take the word of Paul or Silas without proof. They were a little class, but their faithfulness to God’s word caused them to be known as Berean Bible Students.

They gathered together as children of God, begotten by the holy spirit, to study the message of Jesus that was brought to them. The early church did not meet in splendid churches or temples; their elders and deacons did not wear rich robes of office. There was no showy display of any kind. They simply met together with those of similar faith (2 Peter 1:1) to study and prove the Scriptures under the direction and care of Jesus, the only head of the church.

Bible students today have the advantage of convenient, inexpensive Bibles in many translations and versions, as well as many other helpful books. These include concordances, Bible dictionaries, Scriptural comments, etc. And we can learn from these books in our homes. For hundreds of years there were few Bibles in the world, and most people could not read—even kings and queens! Today most people know how to read and write. And we can turn a light on when the sun goes down!

We are living in the days of Daniel 12:4 when “many will go here and there to increase knowledge.” This applies to our generation more than any other: trains, airplanes, space ships, books, radios, television, computers—all are on a scale never before imagined.

We can go to Bible studies, not just in our own homes, but other places as well. Many can attend conventions of Bible students throughout the world and, more recently, computer assisted attendance. We are blessed at this end of the age, but we must remember there is a great responsibility because of these bounteous blessings.

Many people today deny that the Bible is the word of God, showing that they do not have the faith taught in the Bible. It is time in God’s plan for a fuller, deeper understanding of his word than ever before. Let us be faithful to learn all we can, building up our characters in the most holy faith, and then share our knowledge with others.

We are living in the days when knowledge is increased.