What can Make you a Lover of the Truth?

Tom: This is our Understanding the Scriptures segment, and we’re in the Book of Acts 6, and, Dave, we’re going to pick up with verse 9. But, you know, we have the privilege every week of going through God’s Word, but I hope even though we’re going through it together, the people listening out there will be Bereans, will search the Scriptures themselves, and be encouraged. But that’s the whole idea of the program: Search the Scriptures Daily.

Dave: Amen.

Tom: Acts6:9: “Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.” This is the Word of God. He was addressing them in truth.

Dave: It says, verse 8, “full of faith and power, he did great wonders and miracles among the people.” And earlier, it says he was one of those who was chosen - verse 3 says, “Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom.” So he was full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom. This is the Spirit of truth; he’s speaking the truth and they don’t want it. We have that same problem today. I find, Tom, as I travel around the world and talk to many people [that] probably the last thing that people want is the truth -not all, because the Lord leads me to many people who are eager for the truth. But most people don’t want the truth, because God said, “You will seek for me and find me when you seek for me with all your heart.” And if people were really seeking God, they would know Him; He would reveal Himself to them, and He will give a strong delusion to believe the lie to those who refuse to receive the love of the truth. 

I mention it often, Tom, one of the most shocking - to me - one of the most shocking indictments of Israel, and, I think, of the whole world, is John:8:44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
See All... or 45 where Jesus says, “Because I tell you the truth, you believe Me not.” 

Wow. Jesus is saying, “You would believe any lie; the one thing you won’t believe is the truth.” Now, that’s the situation with these men here. And I have not studied this to find out - Libertines, it sounds a bit like “libertines.” You’re not tied down to truth, to doctrine…

Tom: Right.

Dave: …but it’s like what we have today and these other ones. And they couldn’t resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which Stephen speaks. It’s like Paul…

Tom: In other words, they couldn’t fight against it.

Dave: No, no, they couldn’t. And later on we’ll find when we get to chapter 9, it says, “Paul is proving from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.” I mean, we can prove it. You can’t deny it. Does that cause all of these people then to immediately, “Oh, well, ok. I guess this is true. I guess we’ll accept Jesus”? No! They go about to kill him, because they don’t want the truth that he is teaching. 

And, in John 8 the Jews took up stones to stone Jesus. 

“Because I tell you the truth, you believe me not.”

Tom: Dave, what about the verse in - is it in Corinthians? - Paul is talking about…they so easily would accept another gospel and another Jesus? 

Dave: Yes, that’s 2 Corinthians 11. And he says, “I’m concerned that as the serpent deceived Eve, you should be seduced also. Someone comes along and preaches another Jesus that you haven’t received, another gospel, and so forth, you will accept them.” That’s the problem that we have today. They want the lie. They want a false Jesus, but they don’t want the real Jesus.

Tom: Verse 11: “Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.” So they resist the truth, and now they’re going to lie about even what Stephen’s presenting.

Dave: “And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council.” 

You know, Tom, an awful lot of what goes on in our world today, and this would be true of the world of politics, is based on lies. I don’t pay much attention to politics, but I know that many political candidates are not above lying about their opposition and spreading false stories, rumors - on that basis, stirring up people against their competition. And this is what they’re doing. I mean, if the people follow the Lord, if the Jews turn to Christ and are delivered, they’re set free, they realize the penalty for their sins has been paid in full, they’re saved, they’re redeemed, they’re on their way to heaven - these guys are going to lose their job. 

And you know, growing up as a Catholic, that’s the same fear of the Catholic Church. If you really believe that Jesus paid the penalty for your sins once and for all upon the cross - He said, “It is finished;” Tetelestai; “paid in full” - the Catholic Church is out of business. You couldn’t then believe that the priest has the power to turn this little wafer into Jesus again, so that Jesus could be offered again and again and again on thousands of different altars, millions of times a day.

Tom: Dave, isn’t this another Jesus?

Dave: It is another Jesus. Exactly. So this is the problem, Tom: they’re going to lose their position. In fact, when we were studying John’s gospel, well, we read in John 11 where the Rabbis came together and they said, “What are we going to do? People are following this Man. And if we let Him go, the Romans will come and take away our place, our position.” That was what they were concerned about. Wow, it speaks to my heart! Am I willing to speak the truth, no matter what it’s going to cost me? 

But these men, they’re out to control the people. They’re out to protect their positions, their status, their salaries. And so, verse 12, “They stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council.” And he is not going to get a fair trial.

Tom: Right. Verse 13: “And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.” 

Dave: Well, there’s always a sort of a half truth, partial truth, in it. Jesus didn’t say He was going to destroy this place, but He said it would be destroyed. He said, “Look at this temple. I tell you, there won’t be one stone left upon another because you did not know the day of your visitation. You have rejected the Messiah. The Messiah has come and presented Himself. You’ve rejected Him. And Jerusalem will be compassed with armies, and they’re going to lay siege and they’re going to lay this place low, and there won’t be one stone left upon another in the temple, because the temple is going to be deserted by God.” He didn’t go into those details. We know when Jesus said, “It is finished,” on the cross, He paid the penalty. The veil of the temple was torn from the top to the bottom. The finger of God tore that temple, signifying that the way into the presence of God, which had been closed and only the High Priest could enter once a year, this is now open, and we have the way into God’s presence through Christ. We’re all priests now. We don’t have to look to some other priest. Of course - so there’s a partial truth of what they’re saying, but they’ve twisted it to their own use.

Tom: Verse 15: “And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.” Wow. You’ve mentioned earlier he’s filled with the Holy Spirit. Dave, is that available for us today?

Dave: Well, the Scripture says, “Be ye filled, not with wine, drunk with wine, [but] be filled with the Spirit of God.” And we’ve read here several times that the disciples have been filled with the Holy Spirit. We should desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit and trust God for the filling and empowering of the Holy Spirit. 

Now, how often our faces are going to shine like angels, that’s something else. This was a special situation, and I believe that it was allowed of God in order to further - not just condemn these men, but to give them an opportunity to repent. Look at this guy. This is God speaking through him like when Moses came down from the mount and his face was shining. So I think is was an opportunity from God to repent, and instead of that, they’re going to kill him.