The Representation Of Misrepresentation
Notes
Transcript
Grad 2022/2023
During this portion of the service, we have a special recognition of those in our church family who graduated from high school.
We get to celebrate a milestone in the lives of the young people at our church.
This morning is a special occasion where we get to recognize, honour, and dedicate the students who have graduated from high school.
COVID-19 did not make it easy. Sadly, we had missed those opportunities. This year, however, we will celebrate those who graduated in the year 2023, and also 2022 because high school was just last year for them.
So, I want to invite Ariel Lum who graduated this year.
I also want to invite Jesse and Mahaliah who graduated in 2022.
Jesse and Mahaliah are already in UBC, and Ariel plans to study in UBC in the upcoming school year.
On behalf of the church leadership and church family, I want to say congratulations on completing your high school diploma.
We love you. We are happy for you. We are proud of you. We wish you the Lord’s blessing as you move onto the next chapter of your life.
Katina prepared some flowers for you to receive.
Heavenly Father, we praise You for your goodness and love. We thank you for Ariel, Jesse, and Mahaliah (and others who weren’t able to make it)
In Your plan, You prepared them and brought them to this church for a reason. We thank You that You have given them the strength finish high school.
Please give them direction, purpose, and perseverance as they enter the next chapter of their lives. Keep watch over them, sanctify them and bless them.
Grant them godly wisdom and discernment for proper behavior. Let no evil of this day stain their thoughts, words and hands.
May they travel the path of life without blemish. When dealing with the trials of life, may they commit themselves, souls, bodies, friends and families to Your care.
May they put on the whole armour of God that they may stand against the schemes of the devil. May they stand boldly for their faith and stand firm for what is right and true in the midst of a crooked and confused world.
We pray that they would not neglect knowing You and meeting together with Christians on a regular basis. May they be eager to do good and not evil all the days of their lives. In Jesus name, Amen.
Announcement
Youth Retreat Registration Is Open 青少年退修會開始登記報名
Registration for the youth retreat at Capernwray Habour Bible Centre on Thetis Island from Monday, August 21st to Thursday, August 24th is open. Students entering grade seven this fall through to grade twelve and students who graduate this June are welcome to attend. This will be a precious time for students to reflect on God's Word and enjoy fellowship and activities.
If you are interested in learning more about the youth retreat, please contact Pastor Tommy and/or Leo Xie at obcyouth.vancouver@gmail.com.
Mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15b). Our dearest brother Yung-Fu Yu rested from his labour on earth on June 21st, 2023, and was with his Lord. Please keep his wife Yueh-Hsia Wei and the family in your prayers that they may receive comfort, peace, and strength from our heavenly Father in this time of grief. Both them are members and they attend the Mandarin service.
There will be no Sunday School on July 2nd as all the teachers and assistants will be away that weekend. Please keep your child with you during worship services.
[SLIDE 1] Introduction
If you have your Bible, then please turn to Acts 21:17-36
17 When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they glorified God. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, 21 and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. 22 What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. 23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law. 25 But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have sent a letter with our judgment that they should abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.” 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day he purified himself along with them and went into the temple, giving notice when the days of purification would be fulfilled and the offering presented for each one of them. 27 When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. 31 And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another. And as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. 35 And when he came to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, 36 for the mob of the people followed, crying out, “Away with him!”
Illustration
The title for this morning’s message is “The Representation Of Misrepresentation.”
It’s perhaps a bit of a tongue twister.
But when you think about it, representation simply means describing or portraying something or someone.
And the passage that we have read describes a misrepresentation where false or misleading information was supplied whether intentionally or accidentally by the spreading of rumours.
When one is misrepresented, that individual gets charged or accused of something that he or she has not done or said.
Thus, this person is then slandered or defamed.
In this situation, the Apostle Paul was misrepresented twice.
In the 1st half of this passage (vv.17-26), he was accused of teaching something that he did not say.
In the 2nd half of this passage (vv.27-36), he was accused of acting on something that he did not do.
Biblical Theology
Such misrepresentation is deadly and harmful. It can be rooted back to the Garden of Eden whereby the serpent deceived Eve into taking the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.
The serpent’s underlying motive is to deceive and manipulate Eve by twisting and misrepresenting what God said.
[SLIDE 2] God said:
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
But the serpent twisted God’s word:
4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
However, Eve was also guilty of misrepresenting God’s word. She did not do so with ill-intent. She did so out of ignorance.
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”
Eve did not fully know God’s word. She didn’t make sure if she had accurate information and get all her facts checked.
Instead, she misunderstood and also added things that God did not say.
Then, it led to the Fall, where sin entered into the world.
Sadly, misrepresentation happens all too often in the world, and the church is not exempt from such behaviour, as we will see in the life of the Apostle Paul.
Context
We have been following Paul’s 3rd missionary journey from Acts 19 until now.
After his ministry in various locations in the Roman Empire, his final destination would be Jerusalem.
[SLIDE 3] In verses 17-20a, Paul, Luke, and his companions arrived in Jerusalem.
And then the brothers in the Jerusalem church welcomed and received them gladly.
Think about this. The Apostle Paul hasn’t been back in Jerusalem for a long long time.
One source that I use to track Paul’s timeline would indicate that the last time he was back in Jerusalem was around 8 years ago in Acts 15.
For Paul, this would be his homecoming.
Although he was born in Tarsus, he certainly grew up in Jerusalem and learning the ways of Judaism.
He may have seen the brothers who saved him back in Acts 9. They were glad to see him back alive.
The next day, Paul, Luke, and the companions met with James and the elders of Jerusalem.
Just like the church of Ephesus and other churches that Paul planted, the spiritual leaders in Jerusalem comprised of the plurality of elders.
They were godly and biblically qualified men who are given the responsibility to pastor the church and give oversight to the church.
These men had a duty to teach sound doctrine and rebuke false teachings.
James was the lead elder of the church in Jerusalem. He was one of the men who brought forth a solution to the Gentile controversy at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15.
Furthermore, he was a half-brother of Jesus.
Now, we’re not told that Paul met up with the apostles, like Peter and John, who were with Jesus for 3 years.
If you recall the 1st half of Acts, Peter played a prominent role in proclaiming the gospel to the Jews and bridged the ethnic and cultural gap between Jews and Gentiles.
Could they have been included as elders of the church because Peter does say - in 1 Peter - that he’s a fellow elder?
While I cannot say for certain what happened to them, it does teach us that God has given elders to lead and govern the life of the church.
In verse 19, after Paul greeted the elders in Jerusalem, he explained or reported to them “one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.”
So, this may have been a long report from Paul.
God has been doing marvelous things through Paul’s ministry.
[SLIDE 4] This was the same report given to the church in Antioch in Acts 14:27 after Paul and Barnabas completed their 1st missionary journey.
27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.
Certainly, the Jerusalem church already knew about what God has done in Paul’s 1st missionary journey (Acts 15:4, 12).
Paul may have given the 2nd and 3rd missionary journey report.
Indeed, it would have been a long one since Paul was a missionary for many years.
He travelled through modern Turkey, sailed to Macedonia and travelled through Greece, and sailing from one place to another, and travelled and spent 3 years in Ephesus.
[SLIDE 5] How did James and the elders respond to Paul’s report?
In verse 20, they glorified God.
They praised Him for His work of salvation. (Acts 11:18)
God is glorified in the salvation of the Gentiles because He’s the who grants sinners repentance that leads to life.
However, there seem to be concerns.
This is where the drama and tension begins for the Apostle Paul.
When he was returning to Jerusalem, he was already expecting to suffer imprisonment and affliction as the Holy Spirit has revealed to him.
However, I don’t think he was expecting to be accused and misrepresented about something at his homecoming.
So, as a church, what can we learn from this passage?
I would say that Paul was demonstrating what it looks like to be a servant of God.
Paul not only was willing to serve, but it seems like Paul was expressing a level of humility or humbleness.
In this text, we observe four acts or scenes in this tension and drama regarding God’s servant.
Exposition
[SLIDE 6] 1. The Accusation of God’s Servant (vv.20b-25)
There are Jewish believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who have deep respect and zeal for the law (of Moses), particularly in circumcision or the customs of Judaism.
In verses 21,James says to Paul that these Jews “have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walking according to our customs.”
It seems that rumour was spreading to the Jewish believers in Jerusalem that Paul was repeatedly teaching the Jews to forsake Moses.
That’s a cause of great concern for James and the elders.
Now, notice that the Jewish believers have been told, which is a passive term. The word told could also be translated as instructed, taught, or reported.
In other words, someone or some people were spreading rumours.
We don’t know who exactly.
Some would suggest that the non-believing Jews - also known as the Judaizers - were the ones spreading this false rumour as it states later in verses 27-28.
When Paul was teaching the Gentiles that they’re not obligated to keep the law of Moses, it is possible that the Jewish believers were told to do the same thing.
Therefore, the believing Jews assumed that they also do not need to keep the Jewish customs.
It was as if Paul was downplaying the importance of the law in the Jewish context.
But, that’s not the case, especially with Timothy who was half Greek and half Jew. Paul wanted Timothy to be circumcised in Acts 16.
In the book of Acts, Paul always observed Jewish customs.
He only refused to impose those practices on Gentile believers.
Now, “why are so many believing Jews so zealous for the law and still clinging to the law of Moses?”
It’s a fair question.
If you know your NT well enough, you may know that the letter of Romans and Galatians teaches us that we no longer need to abide to the Law to be justified (cf. Galatians 3:23-26, 5:1-4).
However, it is most likely that these Jews in Jerusalem did not read Romans and Galatians (yet).
Nonetheless, here’s the best reason why I think these Jews still practice the customs and rituals of the Old Covenant.
It doesn’t seem like the leaders of the Jerusalem church, which is predominantly Jewish, did not forbid nor condemn this practice.
Nowhere in the New Testament are Jewish believers commanded to forbid from following those ceremonies.
There is no evidence that the Apostle Paul forbid the Jewish believers from performing circumcision.
He only said that circumcision cannot add to your salvation.
Even though these Jewish believers trusted in Christ as their Lord and Saviour for their justification/salvation and recognizing that works cannot save them, it would be hard to break away from their old customs.
We may know this old saying, “You can't teach an old dog new tricks.”
In other words, a person who is old or is used to doing things in a certain way cannot learn or does not want to learn a new way.
But the danger for these Jewish believers is that they would be tempted to return and be dependent upon their Old Covenant customs.
They would be tempted to abandon their relationship with Christ and return to Judaism.
Therefore, it’s not until a lot later that someone would write the letter of Hebrews to address this issue to the Jews.
In the letter to the Hebrews, the author would explain that Jesus is better than the angels, better than Joshua, better than David, better than Moses, better than the OT sacrifices, better than the temple.
So, in verse 22, James and the elders express a concern for Paul’s safety. The non-believing Jews will know that Paul is in Jerusalem and take issues with him.
This seems to assume that Paul should rectify the misunderstanding and rumour.
So, what should Paul do about the rumours and the accusation?
[SLIDE 7] Well, James and the elders give a commandment to Paul.
“Do therefore what we tell you.”
They tell Paul that there are four men who are under a vow. We don’t know their names, but they are certainly Jews.
They’re under what you would call the Nazarite vow according to Numbers 6.
The Israelites who partake in the Nazarite vow are under a special commitment.
They would abstain from certain things, such as cutting their hair, consuming alcohol or grape products, and avoiding contact with the dead.
It was a way for people to demonstrate their dedication and devotion to God.
The vow was temporary and had a specific duration, after which the individual would complete the vow by offering sacrifices.
Paul was to take these men and purify himself along with them.
Paul was also to pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads after the completion of their vow.
What’s the goal or result that the James and elders are hoping to achieve for Paul?
It says in the latter half of verse 24, “Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.”
I think James and elders know that Paul is being misrepresented here.
However, they think that action speaks louder than words.
It seems that the concern in the Jerusalem church would be calm if Paul would demonstrate or prove his loyalty to the law of Moses and the Jewish customs.
Now, verse 25, what their commandment to Paul doesn’t nullify what was decided back in Acts 15.
Lest there’s confusion to backtrack from the decision at the Jerusalem Council, James wants to reaffirm that they still hold to theological decision and position that the Gentiles do not need to follow the law of Moses (i.e circumcision) to be justified and saved.
The only thing that James ask the Gentiles believers - in their Christian liberty - is not to cause unnecessary offense to the Jewish believers who still hold to the practice of the law.
This is perhaps to create a distinction between the Gentile believers and Jewish believers.
So, knowing all the accusation and mispresentation that happened, what would you have done if you were in Paul’s shoes?
We may at least try to explain and defend ourselves and clarify any sort of misunderstanding to the rumours.
We may tell James and the elders, “Hey, you know those Jews who misrepresented what I said? Yeah, go tell them that they’re wrong and get this matter off my case.”
Perhaps we may tell James and the elders, “I don’t need to prove myself to anyone. I know my own heart and conscience better than those Jews. God knows me.”
But how did Paul respond? This leads us to the 2nd act.
[SLIDE 8] 2. The Balance of God’s Servant (v.26)
In verse 26, Paul did not refuse nor object to the elders request. He did exactly what they told him.
The next day, Paul and the men purified themselves, and committed themselves to the day of purification, which would be 7 days.
Afterwards, they went into the temple.
They gave notice of the length of the vow.
And offerings (or sacrifices) would be paid by Paul.
According to the Nazarite vow in Numbers 6, the offerings would involve a male and female lamb, a ram, and cerea and drink offerings.
Now, why did Paul follow the customs? Why did Paul go through purification?
The best way to address it is because he went through Gentile territory. So, Paul would be considered ceremonially unclean in the eyes of the Jews.
So, it’s not appropriate for Paul to go into the temple (with the four men) without going through some form of cleansing.
However, some theologians argue that while Paul may have done it with a good intention, they think he made a tragic mistake and that he compromised his theological conviction and the gospel by following the Old Covenant customs.
But I don’t believe that Paul compromised on the truth. Rather, as one commentary would state, it’s “an act of self sacrificial humility to promote unity and understanding.”
So, while I believe that Paul had the Christian liberty not to follow the custom, out of his consideration for his kinsmen, Paul was culturally sensitive to the Jewish context and environment.
That’s what it looks like to be balance.
If Paul were to be effective in his gospel ministry, he should not cause unnecessary offense. He was flexible and willing to accommodate.
Paul had the liberty to follow with his own conviction and conscience to do what is right.
But he was willing to sacrifice his liberty so as not to cause an offense to non-believers.
He did so with the goal of reaching them with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
[SLIDE 9]
19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
While we will learn that the desired results did not occur (as the Jews still wanted to kill Paul), it did not necessary mean that Paul made a mistake in his choice to listen to the elders.
Plus, it may have alleviated the wrong impressions that the Jewish Christians had of Paul.
Another commentary states that this kind of accommodation is an indication of strength, not weakness. It is a wise concession, not a foolish compromise.
For the sake of humility and unity, he listened to the elders.
And now, we come to the 3rd act.
[SLIDE 10] 3. The Charge Of God’s Servant (vv.27-30)
Now, this section in the story is a huge shift in the book of Acts.
This passage and onward is Luke’s way of shifting or transitioning the story from the conclusion of Paul’s 3rd missionary journey to his arrest from this verse all the way until the conclusion of Acts.
In verse 27-28, just before Paul completes his days of purification, the non-believing Jews from Asia saw him in the temple.
They recognized the Apostle Paul. And this is where Paul is being misrepresented for the 2nd time.
So, they stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him.
And these Jews are acusing Paul of what James and the elders in Jerusalem have mentioned in verse 21.
Paul was teaching everyone (Jews and Gentiles) everywhere (all places that Paul travelled) against three things:
The people. Perhaps in reference to the Jews.
The law. In reference to the law of Moses regarding circumcision and other Jewish customs.
This place. In reference to the temple.
To further the accusation and make matters worse, the Jews believed that Paul brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.
In verse 29, they allegedly saw one of Paul’s companions, Trophimus.
He’s mentioned back in Acts 20:4.
He’s a Greek and non-Jew.
He’s Asian. Not referring to Chinese, Korean, Japanese, or those living in the continent of Asia.
He’s Asian in a sense that he lived in Asia Minor, which is modern Turkey.
Certainly, Paul’s companions were in Jerusalem, but they wrongly accused and assumed that Paul brought him into the temple.
Perhaps, they either mistakenly thought that one of the four men was Trophimus or they intentionally accused Paul wrongly.
Now, it’s not that Trophimus isn’t allowed to be in the temple. He’s allowed to be in the outer court of the temple known as the Court of the Gentiles.
However, Gentiles were not allowed to be in the main temple area. Namely, the inner courts that were designated for the Jews to enter.
If they did, then they would face the risk of death.
So, it is highly unlikely that Paul would have deliberately violated the sanctity of the temple.
So, the charge was a lie.
In verse 30, Luke, in his rather hyperbolic language, says that all the city was stirred up (or agitated), and the people ran together.
Together, they seized Paul (Acts 16:19, 18:17) and dragged him out of the temple in an attempt to kill him, and at once the gates (of the temple) were shut so as to prevent the temple from being defiled by the killing of Paul.
Now, we come to the 4th act.
[SLIDE 11] 4. The Deliverers Of God’s Servant (vv.31-36)
These were the unlikely or unexpected rescuers of Paul.
However, we have already learn in Acts 18 and Acts 19 that the Roman government defended and protected the Apostle Paul.
So, in God’s providence, it shouldn’t surprise us anymore that the soldiers are here to arrest Paul as a providential way to protect him.
In verse 31, as the Jews were about to kill Paul, the word spread to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.
A tribune would be the leader of a thousand soldiers (cohort) in the Roman world.
This tribune would most likely be an important character.
We learn that he is called Claudius Lysias according to Acts 23:26.
This word, “tribune,” is mentioned 17 times in Acts 21-25.
So, in verse 32-33, the tribune took soliders and centurions (captain of the Roman Soldiers).
After they arrived to the scene, there appears to be a sense of calm among the crowds as they stopped beating Paul and arrested him.
As we can possibly imagine, Paul must have been badly beaten with bruise and scars all around his body and head and face.
The tribune came to the scene not primarily to save the Apostle Paul, but to stop the riot and uproar.
You may remember in the past sermons that I mentioned that the Romans upheld and valued law and order, and that they despised chaos and disorder.
So, he arrested Paul and bounded him with two chains, fulfilling the prophecy of Agabus in Acts 21:11.
To investigate the matter, Lysias asked the crowd who Paul was and what he had done.
[SLIDE 12] Unfortunately, the tribune wasn’t able to get much of answer to his questions.
In verse 34, you notice that the crowd was shouting to him one after another to the point that it became an uproar. So, Lysias couldn’t even register and learn the facts.
So, Paul was brought into the barracks.
A barrack would be the Roman headquarter in Jerusalem.
From the temple, Paul and the others had to walk to the barrack.
The soldiers escorted him through the crowd. It may have been 1/2 kilometer or 500 meter. So, it’s still a bit of a walk.
Imagine Paul walking as a beaten man.
When Paul came to the steps of the barrack, the soldiers carried him up because the crowd got more violent.
They may have been pushing and shoving.
There’s again a mob mentality.
Ultimately, they cried out, “Away with him!”
Not that the crowd wanted to get rid of Paul from Jerusalem, but that expression is wanting him dead.
GOSPEL
When you read the accusation of Paul, Luke intentionally wants to connect this story to Stephen in Acts 6.
Stephen, if you remember, was one of the deacons of the early church.
However, the Jewish leaders set up false witnesses to testify against Stephen and misrepresent him.
They accused Stephen of blaspheming against the temple and the law of Moses.
And when the Apostle Paul heard how he’s accused, I’m sure that he’s reminded of Stephen’s situation because Paul (who used to be a Pharisee, a religious leader) was responsible for supporting the death of Stephen.
I’m sure that Paul was prepared to die just like Stephen.
Furthermore, Luke also wants to connect the life of the Apostle Paul to our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Jewish leaders set up false witnesses to accuse Jesus of saying that He will destroy the temple.
Just like the Jews who shouted to Paul, “Away with him,” so they said the same thing to Jesus before he went to the cross:
18 But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”—
Certainly, while the Jews wanted Christ crucified, Christ had the authority to give up His life to save His chosen people who repent and place their faith in Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
For those of us are followers of Jesus, we are also servants of Christ because we imitate Jesus, just like Paul imitated Jesus and shared in Christ’s suffering.
Being a Christian is sometimes like that.
We suffer for Christ even at the face of being accused and misrepresented.
Application/Conclusion
[SLIDE 13] So, we have covered four acts in this story.
The Accusation of God’s servant.
The Balance of God’s servant.
The Charge of God’s servant.
The Deliverers of God’s servant.
So, for applications, I want to address two question.
[SLIDE 14] First, how should Christians respond when they are being misrepresented and accused?
If you have lived long enough, I’m sure you may have experienced some form of accusation or mispresentation.
You may have communicated an idea. But someone can take that idea and twist it to mean something that you did not actually say or mean.
Hopefully, it’s a relatively minor issue that was caused by miscommunication and misunderstanding.
And what you experienced was an accident, and it wasn’t done with a malicious and ill intent.
But experiencing it can certainly be hurtful and offensive at a personal level.
It can tarnish your reputation.
It can ruin relationships and errode trust.
It can lead to emotional distress, such as harbouring feelings of frustration, anger, sadness, or helplessness.
[SLIDE 15] So, I think as Christians, we hold to the words of Peter.
12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
You could also try to speak to this individual and clarify the issue. Perhaps, there’s a misunderstanding.
Sadly, sometimes, people only choose to believe that which is false even when we defend ourselves.
So, we cannot always address all the accusations and mispresentations.
Sometimes, the best thing we can do is to out live our critics by living faithfully to our Lord.
[SLIDE 16] In the book of Proverbs, which is a wisdom literature, it teaches us a lot about patience and when to speak and not to speak.
27 Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. 28 Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
[SLIDE 17] Second, how should Christians prevent themselves from misrepresenting someone?
Perhaps, the simplest way to prevent this from happening to understand all sides of the story.
Sadly, we live in a world where we sometimes are lazy and choose not to do the hard work.
Politically speaking, it’s easy to believe in one side of the story, but don’t bother taking the time to read and listen to the other side of the story.
It’s easy to speculate someone’s intention and motivation without knowing the facts.
So, we may take that kind of partisan attitude into our relationships with family members, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ.
So, it’s important to do due diligence in making sure that what you say or hear about others is in fact true.
Have you talked to that individual personally?
Have you verified the information to see if it’s factual or not?
If you’re spreading information that’s not true, then you’re guilty of the sin of gossiping and slander. You’re guilty of speaking evil against one another.
Slandering and defaming someone actually undermines the very commandment that Jesus gave to us, which is to love our neighbours.
If that’s you, then know that you’re in sin. You’re not good. You’re not righteous. You have fall short of the glory of God.
And you will stand before the Righteous Judge who will judge you accurately of things you have done and said.
However, the good news of Jesus Christ is that that sin can be forgiven by our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ.
Although he was arrested and crucified by those who misrepresented him and accused him, in His grace, He died so that sin (including gossiping and slandering) can be atoned for by His blood and He was raised on the 3rd day.
Christ died so that you don’t live in your own ways, but that you live for Him as your Lord and Saviour.
So, I plead with you to examine your heart and repent of that sin, confess that before Christ. Come to Christ for forgiveness of sins. Be reconciled to him.
Furthermore, if someone is spreading rumours or gossips about another person, then don’t fall into the fleshly temptation of being nosy and curious.
Avoid adding fuel to the fire by refraining from spreading or entertaining the information.
Instead, if you have the courage, you should stop the gossip from spreading.
For the sake of Christ’s church and for the sake of your neighbour whom you’re called to love.
[SLIDE 17] Conclusion
