“But this I confess to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything laid down by the Law and written in the Prophets, having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.” (Acts 24:14–15 ESV).
Paul gave this testimony while on trial before the Roman governor Felix, responding to accusations made by the Jewish leaders. He admitted that he followed “the Way,” which his opponents dismissed as a sect. Early Christians were called followers of the Way, likely in reference to Jesus’ words in John 14:6 where He said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” A follower of the Way was a follower of the Lord Jesus. Paul boldly declared that he worshiped the God of their shared ancestors and believed all that was written in the Law and the Prophets. He did not consider his faith a break from Judaism but its fulfillment in Christ. Central to his belief was the hope in the resurrection of the dead, a hope he claimed was also accepted by many among his accusers. His words affirmed both the doctrinal foundation of Christianity and the continuity of his faith with the Old Testament.
We too are called to walk in the Way, embracing both the truth we believe and the life we live in Christ. Like Paul, our faith is rooted in the promises of the Old Testament and centered on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This truth gives us hope for the future and shapes the way we live in the present. Let us be people of conviction and character, holding firm to sound doctrine while living lives that honor the Lord. May we not be ashamed to confess our hope in Christ before others.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank You for the firm foundation of our faith and the hope we have in the resurrection. Help us to follow Jesus as the only Way in both our words and our actions. Teach us to love Your Word, to hold to sound doctrine, and to live with integrity before You and others. May our hope in Christ shape everything we do. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.