In fact there are probably very few of us who have not asked a question phrased something like the question I have just posed.

Why do we humans look for direction?

I guess the obvious answer is we just don’t know everything there is to know about life.

Back in the first century, a bloke called Paul who wrote many of the New Testament letters visited the cities of Berea and Athens.

You can read the account in Acts 17:10-34.

Now the Athenians were a pretty switched on bunch and loved to sit around and talk about the latest ideas so naturally when Paul visited the city and started talking about Jesus and his resurrection they wanted to know about this “new and strange teaching” about someone coming back to life after being killed.

So Paul explained this new teaching to them.

As a consequence of this explanation, some dismissed him outright while others wanted to hear more.

So, what should we do when we hear or read of the Bible making some incredulous claim like Jesus rising from the dead?

Well here in the same chapter we are given an excellent example by the people of Berea.

We are told the Bereans eagerly received this teaching from Paul and examined the scriptures to make sure what they were hearing from Paul was true.

So, what do we do when we hear people talk about Christian things which might sound “strange” or “new” to us?

Could I suggest that we, like the people from Berea, should examine and investigate what the bible has to say.

Dr John Dickson, an Australian author, speaker and historian has written many books to assist people who decide to examine the scriptures.

His books such as “Investigating Jesus”, “The Christ Files” and the “Life of Jesus” can assist us greatly if we were to undertake this examining of the scriptures.

To conclude: there is not one of us who knows it all, but with each day that passes we all have the opportunity to know more than we did the day before.