Be Fair in the Administration of Justice
- Baptist Daily Devotional
- Mar 20
- 3 min read
Rev. Tse Amable | March 20 2025 | Acts 7:1-2
KEY VERSE: Then the high priest asked him, “ARE THESE CHARGES TRUE?” Acts 7:1 (NIV)
MESSAGE: Stephen, one of the seven men chosen by the church to supervise the distribution of food, proved to be too much for the leaders of the Jews. Consequently, he was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin on false charges, as he was alleged to have never stopped “speaking against this holy place and against the law (Acts 6:12-13).
After listening to the false charges brought by false witnesses, the High Priest did the right thing – he allowed Stephen to respond. What the High Priest agreed with was the basic principle of natural justice, the core of which is rooted in fairness and ensures a just process. On this occasion, the High Priest practised “THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD” (“AUDI ALTERAM PARTEM”) rule, which says that before a decision is made that affects someone, they must be given an opportunity to present their case and be heard.
Whether you are a magistrate, a judge presiding over a case, or an arbitrator handling a dispute between two church members, as Jesus Christ taught in Matthew 18:15-17, be fair and just to everyone in your administration of justice. Do not condemn anyone without first giving them the opportunity to state their own case. Remember that a PERSON is presumed innocent until proven GUILTY by a competent court of jurisdiction after hearing that person, AND THE PERSON is BEING GIVEN the OPPORTUNITY to respond to the charges brought against THEM. In the Garden of Eden, the Lord did not pass judgment on Adam, Eve and the serpent without first giving ADAM the right to be heard.
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
How are you treating allegations made against people in the home, at work, or in the church? Determine to give people a right to be heard and treat them fairly.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the opportunity to assist in resolving conflicts and disputes within the environments in which you place me. I pray and ask that you grant me wisdom, understanding, and discernment to enable me to be a just and fair judge in the discharge of this duty. May I have the discernment to avoid prejudging people under the influence of others. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING Day 79: Numbers 21-22 — The Bronze Snake and Balaam’s Donkey
DAILY word study: CHARGES
The Greek word used for charges in Acts 7:1 is κατηγορία (katēgoria), which means an accusation, a formal complaint, or a public charge against someone. It conveys the idea of a prosecutorial claim brought against an individual, often unjustly.
Stephen was falsely accused of blasphemy and speaking against the law (Acts 6:13-14). The high priest's question in Acts 7:1, ‘Are these charges true?’ mirrors the trial of Jesus (Matthew 26:59-62), where He was also falsely accused.
The word katēgoria is also used in:
Revelation 12:10—Satan is called the "accuser" of believers.
John 8:6—The Pharisees sought to trap Jesus with accusations.
This reminds us that false charges are often a tactic of the enemy, but God upholds the righteous.
Reflection: How do we respond to accusations? Do we seek justice with fairness, or do we rush to judgment? True justice requires hearing all sides before passing judgment.
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