Douglas Wilson

Lying is What They Do (Acts of the Apostles) (Christ Church)

Christ Church on January 16, 2026

INTRODUCTION

Lying is not just something that people do when they are little boys getting into the cookie jar. We sometimes naively assume that greater responsibility means that there must be greater levels of integrity. But it is often the case that the higher up you go—whether in civil or ecclesiastical government—the greater the incentives and pressures to give way to deceit. The cookie jar is much bigger, and deception rises to an art form.

THE TEXT

“And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul. And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence, We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words. For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes . . .” (Acts 24:1–27).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Five days later, Ananias the high priest came down with the elders along with a spokesman named Tertullus (v. 1). Called upon, Tertullus began to attack Paul, beginning with flattering Felix (vv. 2-3). Not to be tedious, please bear with me (v. 4). They have found Paul a perfect pest, a seditious fellow among Jews worldwide, and a ringleader of the Nazarenes (v. 5). He even profaned the Temple, and the Jews were dealing with it according to Jewish law (v. 6), but were rudely interrupted by that violent soldier Claudius Lysias. (v. 7). Lysias commanded us to come here, which is why we are bothering you now (v. 8). Check it out, it is all documented. The Jews with him agreed with all of this (v. 9). Paul was given permission to speak, and began graciously but not with unctuous flattery (v. 10). Paul retraced his steps—twelve days before he had gone to Jerusalem to worship (p. 11). He was found in the Temple, being disruptive in no way (v. 12). Paul then adds a crucial element—they cannot prove their accusations (v. 13). But he did acknowledge part of what they said. He follows the Way, what they consider sectarian, but he worships God according to the law and prophets (v. 14). And he has the same hope that they do, which is that there will be a resurrection of the dead, of the just and unjust both (v. 15). Paul had labored to keep his conscience clear—both Godward and toward man (v. 16). After years gone, he had brought alms and offerings to his nation (v. 17). Certain Jews from Asia were his initial accusers, and they jumped him in the Temple, and by the way, why aren’t they here? (vv. 18-19). The men standing here can only testify to what they saw, and the worst they could say is that Paul cried out in the Sanhedrin that he believed in the resurrection (vv. 20-21). Felix knew about Christianity and put them all off until Lysias was able to come down (v. 22). A centurion was given responsibility for Paul, not chained up, with his friends able to come and go (v. 23). After a while, when his wife Drusilla was there, he gave Paul an audience to present the gospel of Christ to them (v. 24). As Paul reasoned about righteousness, temperance and coming judgment, Felix was rattled and dismissed him (v. 25). Showing his continued carnality, he was hoping for a bribe, and would talk with Paul with that hope in mind (v. 26). After two years of this, Felix was replaced by Festus (v. 27). Felix left Paul a prisoner for political reasons.

EVIDENCE AND LIES

Notice that Paul insists upon biblical standards of justice and evidence. He says that his accusers cannot independently confirm what they are saying (v. 13). He says that certain key witnesses are missing (vv. 18-19), meaning they cannot be cross-examined. He simply assumes that the accusers have the burden of proof—Paul doesn’t have to prove that he didn’t do it. “Innocent until proven guilty” is a biblical standard.

The reason liars need to “free themselves” from the biblical standards of evidence is that they need the additional room to maneuver. Liars need to be creative, and facts tie them down. Facts are too confining.

LIARS AND THE LAKE OF FIRE

Lying is no trifle. It is one of those things that clearly identify a misbegotten paternity. The devil is the father of lies. When the devil speaks lies, he is a native speaker. The devil has no truth in him (John 8:44). Those who speak lies are betraying their spiritual ancestry. Look, he “has his father’s lies.” “Ye are of your father the devil.”

Lying belongs to the old way of life. Put it off. “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds” (Col. 3:9). When tempted to continue to cover up those lies, remember to fear God. All liars will have their part in the lake of fire (Rev. 21:8).

You are members of one of the most lied-about churches in the country. Your pastor, if the Internet is to be believed, is in similar straits. But our response to this must not be bitterness or a spirit of complaining. Servants are not greater than masters, and they lied about Jesus too. Our response must be to cultivate a spirit of hatred toward every form of ungodly deceit in our own lives. “Through thy precepts I get understanding: Therefore I hate every false way” (Psalm 119:104). But it is never safe to begin by hating the false ways of others.

DECEPTION AN ACT OF WAR

Bearing false witness against your neighbor is an act of violence against the public good. Perjury is forbidden for this reason (Ex. 20:16). Depending on the stakes, such perjury could even be a capital offense (Dt. 19:16-21). Lying is a declaration of war. Remember—one another (Col. 3:9), against your neighbor (Ex. 20:16).

This explains why it is not a problem to deceive the enemy in time of war. It is an act of war. Think of the Hebrew midwives (Ex. 1:19-20), or Rahab the harlot (Josh. 2:4-5), or David escaping from Achish, king of Gath (1 Sam. 21:13). It is striking that David celebrates this escape with Psalm 34, which includes a blessing for those who keep their “lips from speaking guile” (v. 13). So those of you who are fastidious in all the wrong ways and places should see yourselves clear to lying to the Gestapo about the Jews in your attic. Lying to your boss about your expense account is a different thing altogether.

CHRIST OUR TRUTH

Grace and truth come through Jesus Christ (John 1:17). We are saved through the word of the truth of the gospel (Col. 1:5). Jesus tells us plainly that He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). If He is the way, then truth and life are characteristics of that road. Are you walking on that road? We serve an honest Christ, and this can only be done faithfully by honest Christians.

Within Cupped Hands (Acts of the Apostles) (Christ Church)

Christ Church on January 7, 2026

INTRODUCTION

We see in this passage how the sovereign God moves all things in accordance with His purpose and will, and He turns the machinations of the wicked back upon them. God had told Paul that he was going to bear witness to Christ in Rome; he need not worry. All plots against him would misfire.

THE TEXT

“And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul . . .” (Acts 23:11–35).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The Lord encouraged Paul that night, assuring him that he would witness in Rome, just as he had in Jerusalem (v. 11). The next day more than forty Jews bound themselves with an oath, saying they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul (vv. 12-13). They came to the Council and told them this, and suggested a plan—the Council should ask for another opportunity to question Paul, and they would kill him on the way (vv. 14-15). Paul’s nephew heard of it and came to warn Paul (v. 16). Paul called one of the centurions and asked him to take the boy to the Captain, which the centurion did (vv. 17-18). The Captain took him aside privately by the hand and asked for the message (v. 19), which the boy delivered (vv. 20-21). So the Captain sent the boy away with a charge to tell no one (v. 22). The Captain then ordered a force of 470 men to escort Paul to Caesarea at three in the morning (vv. 23-24), and provided a mount for Paul (v. 24).

The Captain sent an accompanying letter to Felix the governor, a letter designed to fudge the details just a bit. To the most excellent governor Felix, greetings (v. 26). This prisoner had been taken by the Jews, who would have killed him if not for the prompt action of the Captain who, having discovered that Paul was a Roman, came and rescued him (v. 27). You should recall that he actually discovered Paul was a Roman when he was on the verge of having him flogged. Everything after this bit was accurate enough though. He wanted to know more and brought him before the Jewish Council (v. 28). It was there he learned that Paul had done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment, but it was just a Jewish wrangle (v. 29). He then mentions the fact that he was made aware of a plot against Paul, and so he sent Paul to Felix. He told Paul’s accusers to take their complaint to Felix (v. 30).

And so the soldiers, as commanded, took Paul to Antipatris that night (v. 31), a city halfway between Jerusalem and Caesarea. The next day the foot soldiers returned to Jerusalem, leaving Paul to go on to Caesarea with the 70 cavalrymen (v. 32). They came to Caesarea, delivered the Captain’s letter, and presented Paul to Felix (v. 33). Felix read the letter and asked Paul was province he was from, and learned it was from Cilicia (v. 34). He said that he would hear Paul out after his accusers had arrived. Until then, Paul was to be kept there in Herod’s judgment hall (v. 35).

PAUL’S NEPHEW AND JERUSALEM INTRIGUES

Agabus had predicted that Paul would be seized in Jerusalem, and turned over to the Gentiles (Acts 21:11). This came to pass, but the Gentiles wound up serving as Paul’s guards and protectors.

We are given a tantalizing glimpse of Paul’s extended family. Paul’s nephew (his sister’s son) heard of the plot against Paul (v. 16). We are told that he is a young man (neanias), and we can see that he is very young in the fact that the Captain takes him aside, leading him by the hand (v. 19). The conspiracy against Paul was organized at the highest levels, involving forty men and the Council, which means that Paul’s family was close enough to the corridors of power (still) to become aware of the plot. We don’t know that they were Christians, but we do know that there was still familial sympathy for Paul. I remember how much this story delighted me as a young boy. The conspirators were not going to eat and drink until they had killed Paul, and I thought “I bet they are pretty hungry by now.” They were going to be conducting this murder on the stairs leading down from the fortress, most likely—defiling the Temple with a murder.

We can see that this was a very serious situation—the Captain was concerned about the security of Jerusalem, in that the 400 foot soldiers returned to Jerusalem as soon as Paul was safely out of harm’s way. The Captain wanted those troops back.

But instead of a successful assassination, what happens? Paul was brought out of Jerusalem with an escort fit for a prince.

A NOTE ABOUT FELIX

Felix, the Roman governor at the time, was a brutal man. He had originally been a slave, and had been emancipated by the emperor Claudius, or possibly the mother of Claudius (who was the daughter of Mark Anthony). Felix’s tenure was marked by all kinds of societal disturbances (terrorists, messiahs, false prophets, sicarii), which Felix responded to with real brutality in kind. The Roman historian Tacitus noted that he “practiced every kind of cruelty and lust, wielding the power of king with all the instincts of a slave” (Histories 5.9). All of this makes the comment made by Tertullus in the next chapter (24:2)—that “by thee we enjoy great quietness”—pretty funny.

WATCHING OUT FOR PAUL

Now it is quite true that the Captain wrote his letter to Felix in a way that covered up for his earlier blunder in ordering that Paul be flogged. He did streamline the truth a bit, watching out for himself. But notice also how this Roman soldier, not a believer, goes out of his way to protect Paul. He gives Felix his opinion that Paul did not deserve death and he did not deserve chains (v. 29). In addition, he tells the story in such a way as to make it clear that he was sending Paul to Felix because his accusers were not acting in good faith, planning murder as they were (v. 30).

THE INVISIBLE HAND

In the book of Esther, God is not mentioned by name once—but at the same time, His protecting and providential hand can be seen throughout the entire narrative. It is the same kind of thing here. God said that Paul needed to testify in Rome (v. 11), and with that end in view, without mentioning God again, we can see how seamlessly all the chess pieces were moved to their necessary places—including the would-be assassins.

So always remember how the doctrine of God’s sovereignty is such a comforting doctrine. Whatever your challenges, whatever afflictions beset you, the cupped hands of your everlasting Father are around you. You must not ever think of yourself as somehow just caught in the machinery.

State of the Church: Music and Reformation (Christ Church)

Christ Church on January 7, 2026

Joy to the World (Advent 2025) (Christ Church)

Christ Church on January 7, 2026

INTRODUCTION

In this world, joy is a bedrock sort of thing—and not the froth at the top of a wave. Joy is deep satisfaction in the will of God, and this must be coupled with a recognition of the reality that God’s will is everywhere and in everything. There is no place where we may go and be allowed to murmur or despair in that place because God’s will is somehow “not there.” In the carol we sing about joy to the world, we are dealing with the reality of sins and sorrows that grow, of thorns that infest the ground, and nations that need to have the glories of His righteousness proved. That proof will be found in our faith—a faith that spills over into joy.

THE TEXT

“Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” (1 Pet. 1:6-9).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The apostle Peter is exhorting believers who are facing significant trials. We still live in a world filled with troubles, and so what he says to them will apply to us also. When confronted with the weight of manifold temptations, our response should be that of “greatly” rejoicing (v. 6). When we are tried, our faith is tried (v. 7). Our faith is tried because God is a goldsmith. When the goldsmith plunges gold into the fire, it is not because he hates the gold, but because he loves the gold enough to want to purify it of all its dross (v. 7). When the goldsmith beats the gold, it is not because he has contempt for the gold. He has a crown in mind. We feel the hammer blows; He sees the point of the hammer blows. This analogy applies more to your faith than to gold (which ultimately perishes), and the goal is to have a faith that praises, honors, and glories at the coming of Jesus Christ (v. 7). You have not seen Him, Peter says, but you love Him (v. 8). You have not seen Him, but you nonetheless believe, and you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory (v. 8). You are striving to obtain the end of your faith (which is constantly being purified by troubles), and that final purpose is the salvation of your souls (v. 9).

THE PROBLEM

Christmas should not be treated by us as the “denial season.” One of the reasons why so many families have so many tangles and scenes during the “holidays” is that everybody expects sentimentalism to fix everything magically. But Christmas is not a “trouble-free” season. We want the scrooges and grinches in our lives to be transformed by gentle snowfall, silver bells, beautifully arranged evergreens, hot cider, and carols being sung in the middle distance. But what happens when you gather together with a bunch of other sinners, and all of them have artificially inflated expectations also? What could go wrong? When confronted with the message of sentimentalism, we really do need somebody who will say, “Bah, humbug.”

JOY UNSPEAKABLE

Peter is not referring to someone living in the back of a cave, having mystic fits. That is not what is meant by “joy unspeakable.” This is not “cloud of unknowing,” or an orgy of kaleidoscopic-enlightenment in the back of your eyeballs. These words are written to believers in the midst of persecution and trial. Pain concentrates the mind. Pain tethers you to this world, and the rope is a stout one. But at the same time, the grace of God enables you to look along the pain, to look down the entire length of the trial, and to see the purpose and point of it all. For the unbelieving observer off to the side, watching you, there is no explanation that can make sense of it.

This is how God works. This is His way. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). The peace of God is an invisible shield, one which others around you cannot see. This is why it passes their understanding. They see that your hearts and minds are protected, but they cannot see how.

Note that your hearts and minds are not the shield, and they are not set up to protect the peace of God. The peace of God is no frail thing, needing your help to keep it from being smashed. The peace of God is an impenetrable helmet, and your contentment is your head. It protects you, not the other way around.

FAITH LIKE REFINED GOLD

Faith can do this, even though it may do it imperfectly. Gold is gold, even with dross in it. The first round purifies the faith, so that you can see and understand the process. That faith thus purified is prepared for the next round—even if the fire is more intense, or the difficulties more severe. The point is not to avoid the process.

JOY TO THE WORLD

So the message of Christmas is not a delusional message. We are not pretending that we live in a world that is not struggling under a curse. The doctor who applies medicine to a wound is not pretending the wound is non-existent. The craftsman who repairs a smashed piece of expensive furniture is not denying the damage. His presence presupposes the damage. The refiner’s fire does not exclude the reality of dross—it is excluding the dross in another way. The Incarnation is God’s opening salvo in His war on our sins. The presence of sin should no more be astonishing than the presence of Nazis fighting back at Normandy.

View the world with the eye of a Christian realism. The turning of seasons makes no one better. The gentle fall of snow removes no sin. The hanging of decorations only makes a living room full of sin sadder. As Jesus once put it, “Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? (Matt. 23:17). Which is more important, the hat or the cattle? The foam or the beer? The gift or the altar? The gold paper stamp on the Christmas card or the gold coin of your faith?

If our hearts are decorated with the refined gold of a true faith, we may therefore decorate everything else. If they are not, then what’s the point? Joy is fundamentally realistic—which is why unbelief thinks of it as insane.

A Star Out of Jacob (Advent 2025) (Christ Church)

Christ Church on January 7, 2026

INTRODUCTION

One of the most familiar elements of the Christmas story is the star of Bethlehem. But at the same time, it remains one of the most unknown features of the story—because unlike the wise men, we don’t really look straight at it.

THE TEXT

“I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth” (Num. 24:17).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

As you know, the prophet Balaam was a covetous and sinful man (Jude 11; 2 Pet. 2:15). But at the same time, even though he was not of the nation of Israel, he was a true prophet. The Spirit of the Lord really did come upon him (e.g. Num. 24:2). Balak, king of Moab, had Balaam summoned in order to put a curse on Israel. In spite of everything, the Spirit of the Lord refused to let Balaam prophesy disaster for Israel—it kept coming out as blessing (Micah 6:5). Three times this happened. Balak was understandably peeved with Balaam (Num. 24:10), but Balaam calmed him down by giving him some very practical and carnal advice . . . for a fee (Rev. 2:14). The women of Moab adopted the honeypot strategy and enticed the Israelite men into idolatry and fornication, and God dealt with them very severely (Num. 25:1-3). Balaam was eventually killed by the Israelites when they invaded the land (Josh. 13:22). Judging from the number of times it is referred to explicitly, both in the Old Testament and the New, this is a very important story. And in the Christmas story, we most likely have an implicit reference to it.

At the end of his exchanges with Balak, Balaam gave the words of our text above, and as a prophecy of blessing for Israel, we should be careful to ask what it means. The first fulfillment of these words came with the reign of King David four hundred years later. He was the one who struck Moab (v. 17), not to mention Edom (v. 18). David was the king who was a type of the great king, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus—so Jesus is the antitype, the final and complete fulfillment of this word. A star shall come out of Jacob and a scepter out of Israel, and He will establish his reign. The scepter would stay with Judah until Shiloh came, and He would be the one who would gather all the people to Himself (Gen. 49:10).

THE WISE MEN

Balaam was a prophet, but he was not a prophet of Israel. He was from the east, and was of the heathen nations there. The wise men who came to search for Jesus because of the star were also from the east. It is likely that Balaam’s words had been preserved outside of the Hebrew Scriptures—and note how the wise men speak of this (Matt. 2:2). They appear to have much more information than could be gleaned from just looking at a star in the sky, even if they were serious astrologers. Balaam had prophesied of a king, one with a scepter. The wise men asked about a king. Balaam had specified that this king would be from Jacob, and the wise men asked about a king of the Jews. Herod, the man they asked about it, was an Edomite (Idumean), one of the peoples that this prophecy described as being conquered by the coming king. And, most noticeably, Balaam spoke of a star, and the wise men came in response to a star. Incidentally, we don’t know for certain that there were three wise men—that is simply an inference from the three types of gifts they brought (Matt. 2:11).

LED BY A STAR

One of the reasons we don’t look too closely at what the text says about our star is that it might mess with our modernist cosmology too much. The text says that the star, the same one which they had seen in the east, led them from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, a distance of about six miles, and that the star then stood still over the house where Mary and Jesus were (Matt. 2:9, 11). And the text tells us explicitly which one it was—“it came and stood over where the young child was.” Picture a star leading you to Pullman, and then pointing out a particular house.

Either the wise men were being “led by” the star in some astrological sense, meaning that they were doing some serious math on the back of their camels (also unmentioned in the text, by the way), or a star actually came down into our atmosphere and did some very un-starlike things. But why should this be a surprise? A whole host of stars did the same thing for the shepherds (Luke 2:13).

NOT WHAT WE WERE EXPECTING

Now if we don’t accept the astrological math option, then that means the star came down into our sky, and stood over a particular house—fifty feet up, say. Does faithfulness to Scripture require us to accept absurdities? That a flaming ball of gas, many times larger than our entire earth, came down into Palestine in order to provide first century GPS services? And that it did so without incinerating the globe?

So we need to take a lesson here from our medieval fathers in the faith, brought to us via Narnia. “In our world,” said Eustace, “a star is a huge ball of flaming gas.” “Even in your world, my son, that is not what a star is but only what it is made of.” If we can leave our bodies behind when we go to heaven, why cannot a star leave its body behind to come to earth? So any way you take it, the Christian faith flat contradicts the truncated cosmology of moderns. Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.

REMEMBER WHAT THE STAR MEANT

Balaam is talking about what will happen to all the tinpot monarchies when the real kingdom arrives, when the true scepter is established. In the book of Revelation, Jesus identifies Himself with His ancestor and subject, King David. He is the root and offspring of David, and He is the bright and morning star (Rev. 22:16). Balaam was talking about what was going to happen in “the latter days” (v. 14), and he is very clear about the rise and fall of nations before the Messiah would come. First, the Amalekites would perish forever (v. 20). After them, the Kenites would go down (v. 22). They would be followed by invaders from Kittim (the Greeks, under Alexander), which is what verse 24 is talking about. But then the power of the Greeks would fade away (v. 24), which is what happened with Rome in the ascendancy. And thus it was that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed (Luke 2:1).

So Caesar gave the command in order to tax the whole world (v. Luke 2:1). The star gave the command that magi from the east would voluntarily come, bearing gifts (Matt. 2:11). Augustus won his throne through a great deal of killing at the battle of Actium. The Lord Jesus won His throne at the battle of Golgotha, where He conquered and crushed the devil by dying. The star in the east, the one the wise men followed, was a star that declared a coming kingdom, a kingdom that will never end. This is the kingdom of the true king, before whom the most magnificent kings in the history of the world were but flickering types and shadows.

The star of Bethlehem is therefore the regal emblem of a scepter, a scepter of never-ending glory.