Dealing with False Accusations

Dealing with False Accusations
Acts 21:15-22:2
- We are walking with Paul in his epic journey, focusing on the details and gleaning wisdom and instruction.
- We gain encouragement as we learn that God is guiding His people in their life journey.
- Paul is in transition in his ministry - from a free man to a prisoner.
- In this leg of his journey, his arrival in Jerusalem, we see him encounter accusations and persecutions

Paul dealt with false accusations that:
1. He was preaching against the law
2. He was defiling the temple
3. He was an Egyptian assassin

Paul dealt with false accusations from believers differently from when false accusations came from unbelievers.

I. When false accusations came from BELIEVERS:
- While he expected false accusations from unbelievers, he would have found accusations from believers to be more painful.
- There were myriads of Jews who embraced Jesus as Messiah. While this was wonderful news to Paul, this great success brought with the problem that some of the zealous Jewish believers accused Paul, saying that he was preaching against the law.
- He certainly taught that circumcision was not required anymore. But he did not teach against all Jewish customs, traditions and missions (e.g. Nazirite vow, feasts, Sabbath, etc.)
- But it would not have been morally or theologically wrong had he taught against those things, because sacrifices, feasts, the temple had all been fulfilled in Christ
- Paul's motivation was to preserve the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace and to preserve the conscience of the weaker brother
- In times of conflict, are we willing to think about how to preserve unity and peace with our brothers?

II. When false accusations came from UNBELIEVERS:
- His response was not to defend himself but to find opportunity to preach the gospel.
- He gave them his testimony - how Christ is Lord and what this Lord had done in his life
- When you look at Christ and what He did for you and how much it was necessary to forgive you of your sins, then the accusations become so irrelevant because you were so much worse than what you are accused of.
- God's saving grace is what matters above all.