Acts 3-5
As we saw in the Gospels, Jesus warned His followers that they would face opposition, that since the world hated Jesus, the world would hate them (us), too. (John 15:18-19) Today we see that opposition rising against the Apostles, and — surprise, surprise — it comes from the same source, the religious leadership that stood against Jesus. When questioned by these leaders, Peter pulls no punches:
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Whom you crucified, Whom God raised from the dead—by Him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:8-12
Peter is as direct as can be. He does not hem and haw about Who is responsible for healing the lame man. He does not shy away from proclaiming that Jesus is the only Way to salvation. He does not beat around the bush as to whether or not God raised Jesus from the dead. And he does not hesitate to remind his audience of their sin, that it is they who crucified Jesus, that they are the builders that rejected the Cornerstone. He does not try to soften the blow with some namby-pamby “I’m OK — You’re OK” blather.
Today it seems that much of the western Church (or what purports to be the Church) seems more concerned with not ruffling feathers, and thereby avoiding persecution, than with speaking the truth. Maybe we should take a few notes from Peter instead.
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