Welcome to The Berean Test! My name is Chris Mellon. I have been following Jesus most of my life and my love for Christ grows each passing day, I have a passion for worship, music, football, reading, and of course, Jesus Christ! My beautiful wife and I have three children and are seeking to raise them to follow the Lord. I have been a worship pastor for over 12 years.
What Is This Website About?
The Berean Test is about applying critical thinking skills to compare lyrical content from popular Christian artists against the Bible for accuracy. The name “Berean Test” comes from the book of Acts, describing the care in which the Bereans handled the Gospel message preached by the Apostle Paul.
“Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11, NASB, emphasis mine)
With the Bible as my reliable source of objective truth, I intend to thoroughly analyze every jot and tittle, read things in context, and become a student of each song I review. Through this rigorous process, and using my evaluation criteria, I will analyze the Biblical accuracy of Christian music or secular music that might have Christian significance.
I also provide resources on sites I frequent to research Scripture for reviews, similar websites to The Berean Test, and links to make an informed decision about artist theology.
My reviews are my own opinion and should not be taken as Gospel, but thoughts worth considering. I recognize that God can use anything, but that doesn’t absolve my duty to think critically about the music we listen to. I aim to remain objective, but acknowledge that I have biases that alter my objectivity.
Why Does This Website Exist?
This website exists for one main purpose: to glorify God in everything I write on this website. I hope that through my critical examination of lyrical content, this site may be a blessing to those who wish to be good Bereans, rebuking unbiblical content and uplifting Godly music.
My Testimony
Growing up in a Christian household, I spent much of my life in and around the church. My grandfather was in ministry for almost 60 years and played a significant role in shaping my understanding of the calling the Lord placed on my life to serve Him through ministry. As a child, I attended services with my family because it was a requirement, but I distinctly remember being deeply impressed by the wealth of knowledge my grandfather possessed and how closely he was connected to the Bible. From my perspective, he lived a life that pursued God in everything he did and served as an example of what it looks like to be a godly husband, father, and grandfather.
The calling placed on my life was not of my choosing. While I’ve had a passion for music from a young age, I never had a desire to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps and serve the Lord in the church. I enjoyed being part of the worship team in our church youth group and carried that enthusiasm into my early college years, but I never saw myself becoming a pastor, as I felt I lacked the knowledge and understanding of the Bible. Even though my degree was in Worship and Biblical Arts, I envisioned using the training in the arts to pursue a career in theater or another production-related field.
I was given the role and responsibilities of Worship Pastor, and I later earned my Master of Arts in Worship and Leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University and just recently my Mdiv from Kairos University. As I began to preach on Sunday mornings, I took a preaching cohort with The Gospel Coalition, studying Preaching Christ in a Post-Christian World. For more than twelve years, I’ve had the privilege of leading a team of 40+ volunteers as we strive to create worship services that honor and glorify the Lord. Walking alongside and caring for many of these team members through their highs and lows in life has helped me develop a heart of compassion and care.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or contact me.
In Christ,
-Chris Mellon
Statement of Faith
THE WORD OF GOD: I believe, according to 2 Timothy 3:16, that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” I believe that the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, as Psalm 119:160 states, “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever,” are inerrant, infallible, and complete written revelation to mankind. I believe that the Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit and not produced by the will of man, according to 2 Peter 1:21, which says, “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” I believe that the Bible teaches man how we should live so that we might bring glory to God, “that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:17). I believe the Bible is supreme and sufficient and should be the final authority in our lives, because as Hebrews 4:12 states, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
THE TRINITY: I believe in one God, as stated in Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one,” who is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. While I believe each serves a very distinct role, I also believe that they work in harmony with each other. Just as a basic chord is made up of three separate voices, they also function together to create one unified sound. Ephesians 4:4-6 puts it this way: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
THE FATHER: I believe God the Father is the Creator of all things, as seen in Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” I believe God is all-powerful (Colossians 1:16), all-present (Psalm 139:7), all-knowing (Romans 11:33), all-loving (1 John 4:16), and perfect in holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16).
THE SON: I believe that Jesus Christ is God’s eternal Son. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). While I cannot fully comprehend it, I believe that Jesus was both divine and human in His nature when He was born on this earth. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). I believe that He lived a sinless life, was crucified, died, was buried, and on the third day rose again. He then ascended into heaven, all for the propitiation of our sins (Isaiah 53:5).
THE SPIRIT: I believe the Holy Spirit is equal to the Father and the Son. I believe the Holy Spirit is sent by the Father to convict and empower us, and dwells within us when we accept the gift of salvation, according to 1 Corinthians 6:19: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.” I believe the Holy Spirit gives us freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17), intercedes on our behalf (Romans 8:26), and provides wisdom and understanding (Isaiah 11:2), as well as joy, peace, and hope (Romans 15:13). I believe that the Holy Spirit’s presence can be seen in the fruit of the Spirit in a believer’s life: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
THE FALL OF MAN:I believe that God created humans, male and female, from Adam and Eve, in His image, as stated in Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” I believe that by nature and by choir, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and the punishment for sin according to Romans 6:23 is death. I believe that marriage is a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman and is the only permissible context for intimate sexual expression. I believe that marriage is the foundation of a healthy human family (1 Corinthians 7:1-9). I believe that all life is sacred and should be protected from fertilization until death, as expressed in Psalm 139:13: “For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb.”
THE SAVIOR: I believe salvation is offered to sinners by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). I believe Jesus Christ took the punishment for our sins upon Himself through the cross, and because He was without sin, our salvation is eternally secured by the shedding of His blood. John 10:28 says, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” While I believe that faith is the only requirement for salvation, this results in repentance (2 Chronicles 7:14), good works (James 2:18), and righteous living (Romans 10:9-10, NASB). I believe that while it is not our place to judge (Matthew 7:1), those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior are guaranteed salvation and can never lose it (Romans 8:38-39).
THE CHURCH: I believe Jesus Christ is the head and the foundation of the Church (Ephesians 5:23). I believe the Church is comprised of all persons who have been saved by Jesus Christ through faith and, therefore, is a diverse group of individuals who have the freedom to practice different styles of worship, fellowship, instruction, and service. However, as Ephesians 4:4-6 states: “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all,” I believe the Church must be unified together under Christ. I believe those who have been saved by Christ should have a desire to serve in and support the local church in unity and loving one another with pure hearts. I believe that the Church is self-governing, free from any political authority, and directly responsible to obey God in matters of faith (Romans 13:1-7).
THE ORDINANCES: I believe that baptism by immersion in water (Matthew 28:19) and the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:19) are the primary ordinances of the church. While I believe there is flexibility in the form, the function of each is essential in declaring one’s commitment to Christ and the gospel. I believe that an individual should be a believer in Christ before being baptized or partaking of the Lord’s Supper. I also believe there are other practices that can declare one’s commitment to Christ, but baptism and communion were given as examples by Jesus and are essential to partake in. Both baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper represent God’s work in an individual’s life. As 1 Corinthians 11:24 says, “And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’”
THE END TIMES: I believe that Jesus Christ will return to the earth and will bring about the bodily resurrection which is the final goal and hope of our salvation. 1 Corinthians 15:21 says, “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.” I believe all people will exist eternally in either heaven or hell. I believe that Jesus Christ is the final judge of where we will spend eternity. (2 Corinthians 5:10) Isaiah 55:8-9 states, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” I believe the details of the end times are not for us to fully understand, but I believe that we can trust God because He knows all and is always faithful.