Text: John 15:18-21
Those who are opposed to the truth will naturally be opposed to those who speak the truth. Jesus came “to testify to the truth” (John 18:37) and was crucified for it. He warned that we will receive the same kind of treatment. We also see this throughout the book of Acts. We are going to look at the accusations made against truth teachers in Acts. This will hopefully help us prepare for potential accusations that will be made against us today.
“They Are Full of Sweet Wine” (Acts 2:13)
- When the accusation was made – day of Pentecost; apostles received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues (Acts 2:1-4); this drew a crowd (Acts 2:5-6), and they were amazed (Acts 2:7)
- Why the accusation – it is safe to assume that the accusers were focusing on the languages they did NOT understand; they also ignored the sound (Acts 2:2), sight (Acts 2:3), and the crowd’s reaction (Acts 2:6-8); but they were “mocking” (Acts 2:13); they were not serious about considering what was happening
- Answering the accusation – whether fermented or unfermented wine, the charge was absurd (Acts 2:15)
- Give no credibility to the accusation – we are not to be drunk at any time (Ephesians 5:18); Christians are to avoid the casual use of alcohol that could lead to this (1 Peter 4:3-4)
“We Have Heard Him Speak Blasphemous Words…Against God” (Acts 6:11)
- When the accusation was made – Stephen was teaching and performing miracles (Acts 6:8-10); his opponents could not argue with him (Acts 6:9), so they induced some to make this charge
- Why the accusation – it was intended to turn the people against Stephen (Acts 6:12); they wanted to portray Stephen as being against the law, the temple, and the customs of Moses (Acts 6:13-14)
- Answering the accusation – his defense outlined a history of rebellion by God’s people (Acts 7:1-50); he accused them of rejecting God’s messengers just as their forefathers did (Acts 7:51-53)
- Give no credibility to the accusation – the old law may have been nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14), but we must still be clear that the Law of Moses is good (Romans 7:12); we should also point out what the law was intended to do, which was to lead people to Christ (Galatians 3:24; cf. Acts 17:2-3)
They Are “Proclaiming Customs Which [Are] Not Lawful” (Acts 16:21)
- When the accusation was made – in Philippi, Paul cast a spirit out of a slave girl (Acts 16:16-18); this ruined her masters’ hope of profit (Acts 16:16, 19), so they dragged them before the authorities
- Why the accusation – this was meant to turn the Roman authorities against Paul and Silas; they portrayed them as inciting rebellion (Acts 16:20-21), and as Jews (non-Romans)
- Answering the accusation – not given a chance to answer right away (Acts 16:22-24); instead, Paul later called out the authorities for their unlawful actions (Acts 16:35-40)
- Give no credibility to the accusation – there are times to ignore or defy the law (Acts 5:29); but otherwise, we are to be good citizens (1 Peter 2:13-15); live in such a way that accusations like this seem foolish (1 Peter 2:12, 15)
“These Men…Have Upset the World” (Acts 17:6)
- When the accusation was made – Paul and Silas came to Thessalonica to preach (Acts 17:1-3); they converted “some” Jews and “a large number” of the Gentiles (Acts 17:4)
- Why the accusation – the Jews became “jealous” (Acts 17:5); they were losing numbers and influence; they claimed they had “upset the world” or “turned the world upside down” (KJV) and were contrary to Caesar
- Answering the accusation – received a “pledge” from Jason (Acts 17:9) and the brethren sent Paul and Silas away (Acts 17:10); sometimes this is all you can do (cf. Matthew 10:14)
- Give no credibility to the accusation – we are not trying to “upset the world,” we are trying to set things right and restore what was lost by sin (Luke 24:47; Ephesians 2:16-17); there will be times when we need to shake the dust off our feet and move on (Acts 13:50-51)
They Contradict “Undeniable Facts” (Acts 19:36)
- When the accusation was made – in Ephesus, Demetrius stirred up the tradesmen (Acts 19:23-27); this led to the entire city forming a mob and crying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians” (Acts 19:34)
- Why the accusation – the town clerk said this in an attempt to calm the crowd (Acts 19:35); he dismissed the gospel as being contrary to “undeniable facts”
- Answering the accusation – Paul was persuaded not to attempt to answer the mob (Acts 19:30-31); afterward he immediately left (Acts 20:1); when people reach this point, there is little we can do
- Give no credibility to the accusation – our message harmonizes with facts (cf. Hebrews 11:1); however, do not blindly accept “undeniable facts” or the “official narrative”; instead, be skeptical (Matthew 10:16)
He “Preaches to All Men Everywhere Against Our People and the Law” (Acts 21:28)
- When the accusation was made – Paul was in Jerusalem (Acts 21:17); some Jews from Asia saw him in the temple (Acts 21:28); they saw a Gentile with him earlier and assumed he brought him into the temple
- Why the accusation – this was done to stir up the Jews in Jerusalem against Paul; they were provoked and dragged Paul out of the temple and intended to kill him (Acts 21:30-31)
- Answering the accusation – he established common ground (Acts 22:1-5), then built upon it (Acts 22:6-16); when he said he was sent to the Gentiles, they stopped listening (Acts 22:21-22)
- Give no credibility to the accusation – establish common ground in any religious discussion; then attempt to lead them the rest of the way to the truth (cf. Acts 18:24-26)
He “Stirs Up Dissension” (Acts 24:5)
- When the accusation was made – Paul was on trial before Felix, a Roman governor (Acts 24:1-3); Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and transferred to Caesarea because of a conspiracy to kill him (Acts 23:12-35); Tertullus made the case against Paul (Acts 24:5-9)
- Why the accusation – They wanted the governor to rule against Paul; ultimately, they wanted Paul to be brought back to Jerusalem (Acts 25:1-3)
- Answering the accusation – Paul said the charges could not be proven (Acts 24:10-13); he explained what he taught (Acts 24:14-15); because of his message, he tried not to stir up trouble (Acts 24:16)
- Give no credibility to the accusation – if possible, we are to be at peace with others (Romans 12:18), yet this is not always possible; if there is division, let it be over truth (Matthew 10:34-36; Jude 19, 3)
“You Are Out of Your Mind” (Acts 26:24)
- When the accusation was made – when on trial before Festus, Paul appealed to Caesar (Acts 25:11); there were no formal charges, so Festus asked Agrippa to advise him (Acts 25:24-27); while Paul was making his defense, Festus interrupted with this charge
- Why the accusation – Paul’s “defense” was really an opportunity to preach the gospel; Festus could not make sense of the message, so he made the accusation; this came when Paul mentioned the resurrection (Acts 26:23); this also happened before (Acts 17:32)
- Answering the accusation – Paul said he spoke words of “sober truth” (Acts 26:25); he also said that Agrippa knew about these matters (Acts 26:26); Agrippa may not have believed, but he at least knew that Paul was not crazy
- Give no credibility to the accusation – speak “words of sober truth,” speaking as the oracles of God (1 Peter 4:11); avoid matters of uncertainty and speculation (1 Timothy 1:3-7); simply “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2)
“Undoubtedly This Man Is a Murderer” (Acts 28:4)
- When the accusation was made – the boat carrying Paul to Rome was shipwrecked (Acts 27:39-44); everyone onboard made it to the island of Malta where the natives welcomed them (Acts 28:1-2); while gathering wood for a fire, Paul was bitten by a venomous snake (Acts 28:3)
- Why the accusation – the natives assumed that Paul must be a murderer; they had a concept of divine punishment IN THIS LIFE for wrongdoing; many believe something like this today (karma)
- Answering the accusation – Paul shook the snake off into the fire (Acts 28:5), then healed the sick (Acts 28:7-9); he was doing the work Jesus said the apostles would do (Mark 16:17-20)
- Give no credibility to the accusation – obviously, we should not do wrong (1 Peter 4:15); when others make false assumptions about us, we need to keep doing the Lord’s work (cf. Matthew 10:14); we prove by our actions that there is nothing to the false assumptions/accusations (1 Peter 2:12)
Conclusion
- In these examples, false accusations were made for various reasons
- They did not love the truth, but were offended by it – we must love the truth to be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:10)
- Despite any accusations that will be made, we need to keep teaching the truth, following the truth, and encouraging others to believe and obey the truth today
