In Fear of Truth

by David Gibson

In Acts 24, Paul spoke the truth to power, and power got scared. Felix, Paul's audience, chose to ignore the truth in spite of its obvious effects on him, and was worse off for it.

Sometimes the truth hurts the hearer, and sometimes it hurts the truth-teller. Felix, the frightened one, left Paul, the courageous one, in prison.

Sometimes we build our own "prison walls" that keep us from saying what's most needed at the right time. Instead of proclaiming Christ, we think, "They probably wouldn't be interested." Instead of pointing out sin, we say to ourselves, "What if they get angry at me?"

There's a cost to being a truth-teller.

Ask any of the apostles.

Ask Jesus Himself.

But there's a higher cost for ignoring it. Ask Felix.

"But as Paul was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, 'Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you'" (Acts 24:25).