by David Gibson<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Sometimes the truth hurts the hearer, and sometimes it hurts the truth-teller. Felix, the frightened one, left Paul, the courageous one, in prison.<\/p>\n
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?”<\/p>\n
There’s a cost to being a truth-teller.<\/p>\n
Ask any of the apostles.<\/p>\n
Ask Jesus Himself.<\/p>\n
But there’s a higher cost for ignoring it. Ask Felix.<\/p>\n
“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’<\/em>” (Acts 24:25).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[352,441],"class_list":["post-90001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-fear","tag-truth"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":91062,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/because-i-tell-you-the-truth\/","url_meta":{"origin":90001,"position":0},"title":"Because I Tell You the Truth","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton Paul had no desire to be the enemy of anyone. He had every right to expect that people should and must appreciate truth, even if it hurts at first. The truth teller is telling the truth because that is what love demands. Love demands that people\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":67699,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/painful-truths\/","url_meta":{"origin":90001,"position":1},"title":"Painful Truths","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 19, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Zeke Flores Sometimes, the truth hurts. You're losing your hair. (Ouch!) You're a little overweight. (Double ouch!) You're in sin. (OOOWWW!) We've heard it said, \"The truth hurts.\" Who hasn't been stung when the truth is critical to us personally or contradicts us in some way? The truth can\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":30981,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-wrong-for-a-church-to-give-out-a-form-letter-to-its-members-to-send-to-their-representatives\/","url_meta":{"origin":90001,"position":2},"title":"Is it wrong for a church to give out a form letter to its members to send to their representatives?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 16, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I received a church bulletin with a sample letter to be sent to Senators and Representatives demanding the defeat of the Respect for Marriage Act since it broadens the definition of marriage beyond one man and one woman.\u00a0 Although I agree with the content of it, I am of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":54173,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-wrong-to-give-a-bribe-in-a-country-where-bribery-is-prevalent-and-demanded\/","url_meta":{"origin":90001,"position":3},"title":"Is it wrong to give a bribe in a country where bribery is prevalent and demanded?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Please, is paying a bribe to someone who demands it before justice is practiced a sin? The public sector and almost every institution in my country are choked with extortioners and people expecting bribes. Employment in the public sector is found by paying something to politicians and \"middlemen\" before\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":91008,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/truth\/","url_meta":{"origin":90001,"position":4},"title":"Truth","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 3, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Zeke Flores There it stands in all its unvarnished, audacious boldness. It dares us to grasp it, to apprehend and understand it, to obey it. Truth tells us what we don't want to hear (turn from sin!) and urges us to do what we don't want to do (be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":89679,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-place-of-preaching\/","url_meta":{"origin":90001,"position":5},"title":"The Place of Preaching","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by David Gibson Why some won't listen Have you ever heard someone say, \"Don't preach to me!\" Preaching is not always appreciated. The rebellious inner self, the Bible says, must be put aside. In its place, there must be childlike humility. 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