“Expect False Witnesses”
[Acts 6:8-15]
September 13, 2009 Second Reformed Church
Stephen was elected to be one of the first deacons. And we remember that the office of the deacon was instituted to make sure the physical needs of the Church are being met. In this first instance, there were widows who qualified for Church provision, and they were not all being provided for. If a member of this church is in need and has no way of having that need met, the deacons of this church are to step in to find or provide an answer for that need.
Stephen was caring for the widows who qualified for Church assistance. He was full of grace and power from God the Holy Spirit, and God did great signs and wonders through him. We would think that he would be the type of person that Christian and non-Christian alike would want to have around. But they didn’t.
Some of those from the synagogue of the Freedmen – probably a synagogue that was largely made of up slaves who had become free – of the Cyrenians, of Alexandria, of Cilicia, and of Asia – people were coming from all around the Roman Empire to challenge the things that Stephen was teaching. And if the Lord is willing, we will look at what Stephen was teaching over the next few weeks. But they sent their best debaters to refute his preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and salvation in Jesus Alone.
“But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.” Stephen knew the Word of God and was indwelt by God the Holy Spirit Who helped him to be able to defend the Gospel against those who challenged it. Jesus said, “I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict” (Luke 21:15, ESV).
The first implication of this text for us is we ought to be able to give an answer to those who object to the Gospel or be able to direct them to someone who can. If someone challenges your belief in Jesus and in Him Alone for your salvation, what would you say?
Peter wrote, “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer from doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil” (I Peter 3:13-17, ESV).
We ought to be able to give an answer to those who object to the Gospel or be able to direct them to someone who can. Yet, we ought to understand that even if we are able to give an answer or direct them to someone who can, they may still reject what we have to say. That is why we need to remember that it is not our preparation or our ability to argue that convinces a person to believe, but the intercession of God Himself. We could be the best debater in the world, but unless God intercedes and causes a person to believe, he will not believe. Yet, that does not excuse us from preparing; it just shows us why we may be rejected or persecuted and why we ought to be trusting Jesus and asking Him to intercede when we speak.
Since the debaters from the synagogues were defeated by the Wisdom of God coming through the mouth of Stephen, they chose another tact: they instigated men, they stirred up the people, and they set up false witnesses against him. They brought Stephen before the council – the Sanhedrin – and accused him of three things:
They accused him of blaspheming against Moses – that is, God’s Law – and God Himself. They accused him of berating God and how God has called us to live.
They accused him of speaking against the holy places – that is, the temple – and the Law of God. They accused him of not reverencing the temple and God’s Law.
And, they accused him of saying that “this Jesus of Nazareth” – and we can hear the venom in their voices as they said this – “this Jesus of Nazareth” will destroy the temple and change the Law of Moses – that is, God’s Law.
Since Stephen was preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he likely would have quoted Jesus, and the Jews, in their rage, could have twisted Jesus’ Words again, as they had before His crucifixion.
Remember what Jesus said:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law and the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, your will never enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-20, ESV).
“Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, ‘You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down’” (Matthew 24:1-2, ESV).
“Now the chief priests and the whole Council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward and said, ‘This man said, “I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.”’ And the high priest stood up and said, ‘Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?’ But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, ‘I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.’ Jesus said to him, ‘You have said so. But I tell you from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ Then the high priest tore his robes and said, ‘He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?’ They answered, ‘He deserves death.’ Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, saying, ‘Prophesy to us, you Christ Who is it that struck you?’” (Matthew 26:59-66, ESV).
Jesus said, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If you keep my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates the Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause’” (John 15:18-25, ESV).
So, the second implication we should draw from this text is that we ought to expect that if we stand for the Truth of the Gospel, people will tell lies about us – they will bear false witness against us.
The devil and his angels don’t want the Gospel spread. They are still so deluded to think that they can stop God’s Plan or keep Him from saving all those He intends to save. The devil delights to see us fall into sin. He wants our good works to result in our being condemned and spoken falsely of. But the devil is a fool. He has lost and though we may have to endure false witnesses coming against us, Jesus has won and we shall be received into His Kingdom.
Jesus promises us that if we live for Him and speak the Truth of His Gospel, people will tells lies about us. It may happen to us as individuals, it may happen to us as Second Reformed Church, and it may happen to us as Christians generally. I have experienced false witness against me in all three of these areas, perhaps you have, too.
A popular example today is the lie that conservative, evangelical, biblical Christians – use one of more of those descriptors – Christians hate practicing homosexuals. That’s a lie. Christians are not to hate anyone. I don’t hate practicing homosexuals. No one in this church should hate practicing homosexuals. In fact, I would love it if this sanctuary were filled with practicing homosexuals who want to hear and learn God’s Word.
Understand, I believe the Bible – all of it – and the Bible says that homosexual acts are sinful. However, God calls all people to repentance and belief in Jesus – and so must I – and so must you. The unrepentant homosexual is a sinner, and so are you, and so am I. If we were to exclude sinners from the Church, we would have to hate everyone, including ourselves, and no one would be admitted to the sanctuary.
True Christians do not hate practicing homosexuals, because they are sinners just like you and just like me – sinners who need forgiveness and salvation from Jesus Alone.
That’s only one example. Our church or individuals in this church may and have been accused of various things. We should expect that. And we should prepare for it by living holy lives to the greatest extent that we are able, relying on and trusting in God to help us and to make us useful and to use us. And we ought to be quick to confess our sins and to ask for forgiveness.
So let us not be surprised: we ought to expect that if we stand for the Truth of the Gospel, people will tell lies about us – they will bear false witness against us.
After all these lies and accusations and twistings of Jesus’ Word are leveled against Stephen, we read this, “And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”
What is this about?
Remember what happened when Moses came down with the Ten Commandments: “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God” (Exodus 34:29, ESV).
We remember that God allowed Moses to see a reflection of the “back parts” of God’s Glory, and God’s Glory remained on his face as he came down among the people again, and they were frightened of him and made him wear a veil until the glory faded.
Something similar happened to Stephen – as Stephen faced the false witnesses, he witnessed something of the Glory of God, like Moses did, such that his face shown and made him look more heavenly than human.
That does not mean that every time we are confronted and lied about that our faces will start to glow with the Glory of God. What it means, and this is the third implication of the text for us: we ought to trust that God will make Himself known through us, in some way, no matter what happens to us.
God does not usually make people’s faces glow – but it does happen. However, we ought to understand that if we are abiding in God’s Will and bringing His Truth before others, God will make Himself known to them, in some way, at some time, as it pleases Him – whether our message is believed or rejected or if the false witnesses manage to get something worse done against us. So let us trust God – that He knows what is best and that He will do what is best for us and for the Gospel. For we don’t just have the promise that false witnesses will come against us, but God has also promised, as Paul writes, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV).
Let us learn how to give an answer to those who object to the Gospel or be able to direct them to someone who can. Let us expect that if we stand for the Truth of the Gospel, people will tell lies about us – they will bear false witness against us. And let us trust that God will make Himself known through us, in some way, no matter what happens to us.
Let us pray:
Almighty God and Father, we thank You for calling us to be witnesses to Your Gospel – to the salvation that is only through Jesus Alone. We thank You for indwelling us in the Person of God the Holy Spirit. And we thank You for being honest about the false witnesses that will come and for the promise to bring even false witness against us together for our good according to Your Plan. We thank You for Your Love and Care, for it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
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