To Whom Do We Listen?

In Acts 4, Peter and John are arrested by the rulers of the Jews, arrested on account of their preaching about Jesus and the resurrection. The leaders soon find themselves in a quandary. Peter has just healed a 40-something man who was born lame (3:7, 4:22). The rulers cannot deny this miracle, which is widely known. But they cannot abide with Peter and John preaching the resurrection, which the rulers do not believe in. Unable to refute the apostles, the rulers simply “charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” (4:18)

Peter and John’s response was one for the ages: “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” (4:19-20). The rulers responded only with further threats.

Peter and John, along with the rest of the early church, were convinced that it was more important to obey God, to listen to his commands and do them, to hear his voice and both believe and proclaim it, than to listen to humans in authority. Not merely more important, but necessary.

On a whole host of issues, we as Christians find ourselves in a place where we must consider whether we will listen to God, as he has revealed himself in the Bible, or to the culture around us. If we listen to the culture, we will be accepted, perhaps even lauded by society. If we listen instead to God, we will be condemned, called bigots, told we are on “the wrong side of history.”

To whom will we listen? To whom will you listen?

If you decide that you will listen to God, then let me urge you to earnestly and regularly seek to learn what he has said. Read the Bible. Be willing to be corrected by God’s Word.