Passage of the Day - January 31, 2011

Acts 23:1-5

 ¹Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, "Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day."

 ²The high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth.

 ³Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?"

 ⁴But the bystanders said, "Do you revile God's high priest?"

 ⁵And Paul said, "I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT SPEAK EVIL OF A RULER OF YOUR PEOPLE.'"

How does the Law of God jive with our American revolutionist patriot traditions? Do we speak evil against our rulers?  Where is that line between our civic duty to question our leaders and our Christian duty to not speak evil of our leaders?  Some things to ponder.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®,
© Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (http://www.lockman.org/)