The scene of our text in Acts 23 has Paul coming face-to-face with his accusers at the command of a Roman chief captain. The display is like that of what the world must see when it sometimes look at religion. When the situation gets out of hand a second time, the chief captain returned Paul to protective custody. The main point is that Jesus appeared to Paul to say he will continue bearing the witness even with all the danger and confusion that he would experience. Through Paul’s circumstances we can discover the qualifications for bearing a witness further for Christ.
Anyone who is going to bear the witness for God must have a good conscience. He cannot display mixed messages to the world. He cannot say positive things went deep in his heart he has reservations. Frequently Paul confronted people who did what they thought was right. In our world, there are many people who measure the quality of their life by what they think is right. That gives them a sense of success and pleasure. On the contrary, the people of the world need someone to tell them the truth. This does not mean we beat them over the head with the Bible. It does not mean we are propagating our own understanding about the Bible. Perhaps even in subtle ways it would be our obligation to explain right from wrong to sinners. That means that there must be someone who is able to show people God’s Word so that they can recognize what is truly right.
Anyone who bears a witness for God must have good theology. That doesn’t mean that they are a super brain in spiritual matters. It does mean that the basis of their own belief is sound relying on the Bible. No one can effectively witness when they don’t have buried in their hearts the teaching of the Holy Spirit. A person who is going to stand up for God must first do it on their knees before God. Therefore, the person with good theology is able to divide faith from the fainthearted ways that most people view Scripture. The problem in understanding the Bible is that most people put their own spin on its wording. They become critical if what they read in the Bible is not according to their preconceptions. When a person has sound theology, he is able to unite men under a reconciliation with God. There is no question or hesitation about the meaning of Scripture. Of course, we all have our own ideas of certain passages. Still, there must be a common denominator among all those who profess Christ. The person who is witnessing in behalf of God with good theology, with a strong spiritual base, is able to help others conform to the known and obvious will of God.
He who is bearing a witness for God to the lost world must be courageous. I’m not talking about courageous enough to be able to offer a testimony. I am saying that it takes courage to experience the consequences of bearing a witness. Not everyone will be pleased to hear a witness. There are many people who will be hostile to it. The main reason for this is that there has become a corrupted form of religion in the world. Now when we speak of religion, we could be referring to hundreds and hundreds of denominations that call themselves Christian. There is a basic truth in the Bible that is predominant among all believers. Any divergence for that is not Christian nor is it witnessing. When you and I are trying to bear a witness courageously to the world, we must see that we are doing so as a result of a conviction for a cause that no one goes to hell in our own world environment. In fact, courage is so important that if it is tolerated by the world then there is a cancellation of its feature. There can be no union between God’s word and the world’s reception of a witness. The world’s thinking, the world’s way of life is completely opposite of the devout person who has a burden for souls.
There are many people in church pews who say they are concerned about the lost. However, if you press them to admit what they’ve done in the last week to win the lost, many professing Christians cannot give a justifiable answer. We must put a stop to our vacillation. We have an obligation before God and man to bear that witness wholeheartedly without reservation.
Christian Writer 