What is a “Berean”?

Can you tell me what does it mean to be a Berean? Is this some sort of false teaching?

The term "Berean" comes from Acts 17:

Acts 17:10 The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
Acts 17:11 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 17:12 Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.

Berea was a town in Ancient Greece, and when Paul arrived in this town to deliver the Gospel to Jews living in the town, they responded in a particularly noble fashion. Instead of rejecting what Paul taught them out of hand or accepting it unquestioningly, they compared it to the teaching of Scripture to see if what Paul said lined up with God's word. After they verified that the Scriptures confirmed Paul's testimony, they were persuaded to believe.

Ever since that time, the term "Berean" has come to mean someone who examines new teaching in a thoughtful and diligent manner by comparing it to Scripture. Every believer should strive to be like the Bereans. For more information on the Bereans, we recommend you listen to our Acts Bible study found here: Acts of the Apostles