Speak No Evil

"Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king,
nor in your bedroom curse the rich,
for a bird of the air will carry your voice,
or some winged creature tell the matter."
— Ecclesiastes 10:20 —

The hardest sin to repent of is the one that you do not know you are committing. The hardest sin to see is the one that you are blinded to, maybe by ignorance or maybe because of recalcitrance. But what happens when somebody brings that sin to your attention, and what if they do it in an ungracious way?

In the final chapters of Acts, the apostle Paul endures many hostile trials and interrogations for the gospel, beginning with his arrest in Jerusalem (21:27ff). By chapter 23, Paul had already been unjustly arrested and beaten, threatened with death, conspired against, and interrogated. His Roman citizenship kept him from a flogging but he was not released from his chains until the next day. He was not free, however, to go as he pleased. Uncondemned and without any charges against him, he remained in custody nonetheless. The Roman tribune ordered Paul to be brought before the Jewish council for further questioning.

"And looking intently at the council, Paul said, 'Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.' And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.”  (Acts 23:1-2)

Paul was frustrated. Everything around him was unjust. He was constantly being sinned against! Whether at the hands of the Romans or the Jews, Paul was not being treated according to their respective laws. In his frustration, Paul lashed out. "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck? Those who stood by said, 'Would you revile God's high priest (23:3-4)?'"

Now what? Paul did not know that he was addressing the high priest, but perhaps it was a providential time to engage with evil, like David having Saul delivered to his doorstep (see 1 Sam 24:1-6 where, likewise, "David's heart struck him"). Perhaps it was time for Paul to go to the exact Scripture in order to correct the high priest, to rebuke him further and let him have it. After all, Ananias knows the Word and must submit to it. If God struck down the first high priest's sons, Nadab and Abihu, for breaking the law (Leviticus 10), certainly he would judge this high priest for breaking it. The Scriptures backed him up.

But far from searching his mind for the best Scripture to rebuke the high priest with, Paul's heart is struck by a Scripture which reveals his own sin. His contrition is evident with his next words. "I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people (23:5).'"

Initially, Paul was not aware of his sin. But when he was made aware (from a guy all too willing to punch him in the face), Paul was convicted. At that moment, the most important thing for Paul was not to prove the sin of the high priest but to repent of his own sin immediately and publicly. Do you care more about dealing with your sin or the sin of your rulers? Will you let the world rebuke you at times? The world tells us that the church cares more about the sins of our rulers than the sins of the church. May it not be true!

Here we have one of the boldest preachers this world has ever known turning on a dime. He cannot focus on the sin of another when he has been made aware of his own sin. He must deal with his own sin first. What brought such a swift change? Scripture. Paul recalls Exodus 22:28, "You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people." One verse was enough to bring Paul to contrition and repentance. And its affect was instantaneous. By way of application, it is necessary for Christians to memorize Scripture so that the Word of God can be continually brought to mind, calibrating our thoughts and deeds to ways that are pleasing to Christ. The Word should be constantly directing and redirecting us. When we ignore Scripture for any length of time, our spiritual walk atrophies quickly. Are you memorizing God's Word? Are you quick to apply it? Are you quick to repent?

Another application we can make is the art of applying the Old Testament which has been written for our instruction. While it is true that Christ fulfilled the law, therefore, we are not under its jurisdiction, demands, or penalties, the law still instructs us about who God is and how we should walk with him. Paul applies a law first given to Moses on Mount Sinai in the same context as the giving of the ten commandments, a whole catalog of laws given to instruct the new nation of Israel in how they should live before God—"tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction” (Exodus 24:12). They, too, were not to speak evil of their rulers.

What was first written for their instruction under the old covenant can still instruct us under the new. Paul knew this well. "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom 15:4, also 1 Cor 10:11). Oh, how ready we must be to be instructed from the Word of God, to have it handy by way of memorization, and to apply it quickly, focusing on our own hearts prior to the hearts of others!

While many other applications could be made, I find it imperative to end with this: The church of America has been immersed in a culture that has encouraged us to sin the very sin that Paul repented of, the sin of reviling and cursing our leaders. From pundits to pulpits, Christians have been encouraged to throw their lot in with the rest of 'em and revel in reviling rulers. Reviling is given a degree of acceptability, even respectability. But there are no respectable sins!

We find ourselves able to dismiss our bad behavior because, by comparison, the behavior of our leaders is far worse (or so we have been convinced). Paul was not interested in a sliding scale of morality. He was interested in being holy before the world because he was Christ's spokesman. If anything needed to change for the gospel to advance, it was Paul!

Or maybe we have come to the place where we are recalcitrant and blind. We cannot even see our sin. The hardest sin to repent of is the one you do not know you are committing. But what happens when someone brings it to your attention? What can bring the swift change of repentance? The Scripture of course! "for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people” (23:5).