All of It

“But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:” (Ac 24:14 AV)

This is Paul’s confession before Felix.  He has been brought from Jerusalem to Caesarea to stand trial before Felix the governor.  Having been accused of insurrection, which is interesting in and of itself, he is harbored to Felix because Felix is the next in line of authority.  The accusers also threatened to have Paul killed on his way to Lysias, chief captain of Jerusalem.  They were feigning a false trial and then planned to have him killed as he was being brought to Lysias.  Knowing this, Lysias arranges a force of 480 men to escort Paul to Felix.  It is the details of Paul’s remarks that stand out this morning.  Note here the definition of heresy.  Paul states that any deviation from the entire word of God that causes division among God’s people is considered heresy.  Now the definition of heresy does not necessarily make a belief heresy.  Paul believed the truth.  Those accusing him of heresy did not.  Because they made the accusations, then they define what is and is not heresy according to their system of belief.  Being labeled a heretic is only bad when considering who it is that is labeling you!  Second, note exactly what it is that Paul is accused of.  He believes everything written in the law.  And there is the rub.  Any time a saint strives to believe it all, there are those even of their own stripe who will not agree.  To be clear of conscience before God, this cannot matter.

It amazes me how those who choose to believe God in all things are ridiculed by those who do not.  And I am not writing about the lost versus the saved.  The word of God is relevant from the first word to the last.  The word of God is perfect.  It was inspired perfectly and without error.  It was and is preserved perfect and without error.  And since we have many instances of active translation occurring within the pages of scripture itself, we can say with certainty that God can and does provide His word perfect and without error even in the process of translation.  Yet the scholars will ridicule those who hold to these scriptural and self-evident truths.  The same is also true of other tenants of the faith.  Separation is perhaps one of the major stumbling blocks for the uncommitted saint.  Scripture itself teaches separation from day one!  Adam and Eve were told to separate from the one tree they were forbidden to eat.  They failed, and all of mankind fell with them.  The dietary laws of the Old Testament speak loudly of separation.  The production of clothing, the sowing of fields, and the alignment of the twelve tribes of Israel all show a separation and distinction between things.  Yet if today’s believer chooses to teach and live according to these standards of separation, he or she will be labeled with unkind titles.

Paul chooses to believe all the Bible.  Not just those parts important to his accusers.  All of it.  Like us, he did not always live it.  He made one of the biggest blunders of his life toward the end of it.  But success in living according to the Bible is related, but not fatally so.  One can believe all the Bible and still fail to live it from time to time.  However, if we do not believe it, then we definitely will not live it.  I admire old Paul.  He has a lot of courage.  He had nothing to lose.  He was willing to stick his neck out for those truths of the Bible that his colleagues refused to embrace.  If you’re going to believe the Bible, you may as well believe it all!