[9-1-10 WT – Be like the noble-minded men and
women whom the apostle Paul preached to in Beroea. They received
the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully
examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so. —Acts 17:11.You have nothing to fear from examining your beliefs in
this way.” The bible encourages you to
“make sure of all things” before accepting them as true. (1 Thess
5:21) Toward the end of the first century C.E., the apostle John urged his
fellow christians: ” Beloved ones, do not
believe every inspired expression, but test the inspired expressions to see
whether they originate with God.” (1 John 4:1) Yes, even though a certain
religious teaching seems to be “inspired” – or to come from God- it is still
the course of wisdom to examine the Scriptures to make sure before accepting it
as true- John 8:31,32. “]
[6-1-86 WT- To acquire a
complete heart, we must be
prepared emotionally to set aside preconceived opinions, willing to let God be found true even if it
does demolish some of our pet ideas or cherished doctrinal views. (Romans 3:4)]
[11-1-11 Awake – Some noble-minded people from
the ancient city of Beroea set a fine example in acquiring proper faith.
Even though these individuals really wanted to believe what Christian
missionaries taught them, they made a point of “carefully
examining the Scriptures daily as to whether these things were so.”—Acts 17:11. What, though, if what you learn seems to
contradict some of your deeply held beliefs? Should you just ignore it? Of course not. There may well be times when it is eminently
reasonable to consider powerful evidence that appears to contradict what you
believe. In the Bible, God promises to reward sincere individuals who
search for truth by granting them knowledge, discernment, and thinking
ability.—Prov 2:1-12. The kind of faith built on what the Bible teaches is
compatible with reason. What kind of faith do
you have? Many people have “inherited” their
religious beliefs and have never seriously examined them in the light of
reason. Yet, it
is not a sign of disrespect to examine what you believe so as to ‘prove to
yourself’ that your thinking is in harmony with God’s Word. (Romans
12:2) The Bible admonishes us to “test the
inspired expressions to see whether they originate with God.” (1 John 4:1) If you do that, you will be in a
position, even when your beliefs are challenged, to “make a defense before everyone
that demands of you a reason for the hope in you.”]
[12-1-00 WT– Whatever
authority people may arrogate to themselves, you do not have to accept their
conclusions if they contradict God, ignore his Word, and violate common sense.
In the final analysis, the wise course is always to
“let God be found true, though every man be found a liar.” —Romans 3:4.]
[9-1-10 WT – To deceive, says one dictionary, means “to
cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid.” It also implies “imposing
a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness.”
The basic idea of the word, along with such other words as “mislead” and “delude,”
is to lead someone astray by underhanded means. Surely, a person who is not
aware that he or she is being kept in a state of “ignorance, bewilderment, or
helplessness” by deliberate misinformation is in serious danger. The really sad fact is that very often the person who is
deceived or deluded tends to hold on to his belief in spite of strong evidence
proving otherwise. Perhaps he gets so emotionally attached to his belief that
he simply shuts his eyes and closes his ears to any evidence that might
challenge it.]
