To Tell the Truth

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

TO TELL THE TRUTH

Acts 22:23-25

23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and questioned in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?"

NIV

The mob may not have been able to do what it wanted to do with Paul, but nevertheless they surely showed their vexation, their frustration, their anger and rage. Now since Paul had mentioned that he stood guard over the clothes of those who stoned Steven, perhaps their throwing off their cloaks was a sign they wanted to stone Paul, or at least giving him that image. In addition they threw dust in the air which was a custom of showing how displeased they were. It was certainly a crowd the was out for blood, and the Roman commander really needed to get control of the situation so flogging Paul might settle the mod and even cause them to disperse. What has happened to justice? What has happened to law and order when mobs can dictate the behavior of those who are supposed to be governing them? There has always been uprisings, mutinies, revolts or insurrections against those who lead, or govern, but this is about one man who teaches about Jesus. The Word of God declares some men prefer to live in darkness so their sins can be hidden, at least they think they are hidden. These men were living in the darkness of the law. They did not understand the truth of the law but were in fact opposed to the truth. We cannot be like that. We cannot be so entrenched in our own interpretation that we end up opposing the truth and throw off our cloaks and fling dust in the air out of our frustration over hearing the truth. The Jews had initiated many of their interpretations of the law into a set of rules that govern every aspect of their lives, to the point as to how many steps they were allowed to take on the Sabbath. God simple said not to work on that day, six day labor and the seventh, the Sabbath rest, no work was to be done. They took it to extreme based on their own interpretation as to what that meant. We cannot be like that. We cannot live in the shadow of tradition, in the darkness of man-made rules and regulations. We must be as Paul and live in the light, live in the truth no matter if that causes those who only know the traditions of their making to be upset with us. Now that was not Paul’s intent, he wanted them to know the truth, he felt compelled to tell them, because of the love of Christ, yet he could not control their reactions. It was certainly not his desire to create such an outburst of anger toward him, but that they hear the truth. This is our calling, this is our burden, and this is our task, to tell the truth, to reveal the truth at whatever the cost. Certainly not with the intent of creating an insurrection, but with the desire to release those imprisoned by the traditions of men.