Even with sound teachers, you still have to be a Berean

And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
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 17:10-11

70 years ago today, on September 7, 1947, Pastor Perry F. Rockwood made his first broadcast of The Peoples Gospel Hour on CKCL in Truro, Nova Scotia. Pastor Rockwood went to be with the Lord in March 9, 2008, a few days before his 91st birthday, but the Halifax-based ministry and internationally-broadcast radio programs continue today.

I've long appreciated the ministry of The Peoples Gospel Hour--especially in my early years as a Christian--and I once had the pleasure, while on a visit to Halifax , of attending Missionary Bible Church and meeting Pastor Rockwood. Pastor Rockwood not only produced radio programs, but was a prolific writer of Bible study booklets, which are available from the ministry.

I recently reread one of those booklets that I originally read years ago, and I noticed a couple of things that show that even with a sound teacher such as Perry F. Rockwood, the reader still needs to be a Berean. The booklet in question is The Preacher Who Ran from God, an examination of the book of Jonah, and a booklet that contains a couple of passages that are biblically wrong and/or lacking in scriptural warrant, even though the point being made may be good (bold in original).

Jonah's message was like a thunderbolt from heaven. Let us read [chapter 3], verse 5, "So all the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them."

There was never a sermon preached with such results--over half a million people brought to their knees through the preaching of one sermon." (pp. 10-11)

The figure of "over half a million" is just plain wrong. The last verse of Jonah says:

And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle? Jonah 4:11

Over 120,000--and I think it may reasonably be inferred that it wasn't too much over 120,000, or a greater figure would have been mentioned--was a good size for those days, but considerably less than over 500,000. Why not just stick to what the text says?

A more dramatic example of a statement for which there is no scriptural warrant--although a good point is being made--is found on page 16:

The second truth about God's love is this, God loves the sinner and has made provision for every sinner. God loves you and He loves me. His love was so great that He sent His only Son into the world to die in every sinner's place.

Remember Barabbas. He had been waiting in his cell for many months, waiting to die on the cross. Then one day Pilate said unto the people, "Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?" (Matthew 27:17)

"They said, Barabbas" (verse 21)

The guard quickly hastened to tell Barabbas the good news. Barabbas was sure this was his last day to live. The guard cried to him, "Barabbas, you're free, You don't have to die. Another has died in your place." Barabbas did not understand but he hurried from the prison to Golgotha's hill. There the guard pointed to the One on the centre cross. "He's the one who died in your stead."

Beloved, in exactly the same way, Christ died in your stead. You must believe God and receive the pardon...

Where does Pastor Rockwood get that from? The complete text of Matthew 27:21-26 reads:

The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.
Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

This passage, taken together with Mark 15:6-15, Luke 23:18-25, and John 18:38-19:1 indicate that Pontius Pilate released Barabbas to the crowd before Jesus was flogged and taken to be crucified.

And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. Mark 15:15

And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will. Luke 23:25

But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.
Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. John 18:39-19:1

The gospels make no mention of a guard informing Barabbas that he had been freed, nor do the gospels state that the Lord Jesus Christ had already been crucified and was dead before Barabbas was freed. We don't read anything in the Bible of Barabbas after his release; certainly no one could have acknowledged that Christ had died in his place the way Barabbas could have, and for all we know, Barabbas might have been among the crowd leading the cheers for His death.

I don't believe that any of us have the right to take liberties with the Bible, even to make a Biblically correct point. Let us be Bereans, and stick to what the scripture actually says.