Paul the Apostle, in his First Epistle to the Corinthians wrote: “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.” God saves, it seems, a lot of “common people.”

Maybe us “average as vanilla” folks more easily realize we are a bunch of “nobodies,” needing Jesus as Saviour! I’ve never had trouble accepting: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

And yet, when Luke described one group of people, a nucleus of whom had been born-again … he told us in his divinely inspired Travelogue: “The brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto BEREA: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.” (Acts 17:10) Berea being a city, composed mostly gentiles, but with a small Jewish population as well.

And for some Spirit Appointed Reason … Luke continues: “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.” (Acts 17:11)

Here are some extremely “noble” souls who were saved, who submitted to the Grace and Truth of God! Luke reports: “Many of them believed.” That’s atypical! Unusual!

And that adjective “noble” translates the Greek word “eugenes.” A blend meaning “good” (in Greek “eu”) and “genes” (from “ginomai” a verb meaning “to come into being”) … thus “well born,” in a sense anyway. Frankly, they had “good genes!”

Not God hating rebels, as many had been on this second journey. Yes, the Lord can (and does) save some decent folks!

And here He has done so!

But look at what made them so noble, how they proved that quality in Luke’s eyes. “They searched the Scriptures daily!”

The verb is “anakrino,” meaning “examined! They loved God’s Word, studied it diligently! And with “anakrino” here being framed as a “present tense” verb, they examined God’s Word habitually, Luke even adds “daily!”

Is anyone reading here who desires that kind of nobility! Who is that spiritually well-born? Who hungers for God’s Writings (that noun “Scripture”) like that, to that degree?

Remember, “All SCRIPTURE is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16

To all you of the nobility (in Christ Jesus) … invest some time today (as you hopefully do every day) in the precious Word of God!

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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