Discerning Wheat from Chaff: Paul’s Transformation and the Call to Faithful Witness
Acts 22:14-16
And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
Paul (formerly Saul) is retelling his conversion experience while defending himself before a crowd in Jerusalem. Paul is a Jew, educated at the feet of Gamaliel, zealous for God, persecuted Jesus' Way to the death, binding and delivering them to prison, both men and women. While journeying toward Damascus to take those Christians who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished. On his way a great light from heaven, a blinding light knocked him to the ground, a supernatural intervention that symbolized the overwhelming power of God’s presence. He fell to the ground and heard a voice. The voice he heard wasn’t just any voice; it was Jesus Himself, identifying personally with His persecuted followers.
Acts 22:7-10
"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me. And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do."
Paul’s companions saw the light but couldn’t make out the words, emphasizing that this was a personal call to Paul. Blinded and humbled, Paul asks, "What shall I do, Lord?", a surrender that marked the shift from persecutor to disciple. Paul experienced a miraculous awakening and healing and a radical transformation of his spirit and purpose. And then in verse 17...
Acts 22:17-18
"When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’"
Paul has been chosen to know God’s will, see the "Righteous One" (Jesus), and hear His voice. His new role? To be a witness, to testify about what he’s seen and heard to "everyone," starting with Jews and extending to Gentiles.
Paul is dramatically called to be a faithful witness to Jesus, speaking truthfully about what he’s seen and heard. Paul’s transformation equips him to deliver God’s genuine word, much like the true prophets described in the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah 23 provides a vivid metaphor involving wheat and chaff (or straw, depending on the translation), emphasizing the substance and value of God’s authentic word versus empty deceptive visions.
In Jeremiah 23:25-32, God rebukes the false prophets of Judah who mislead the people with lies, dreams, and stolen words, claiming divine authority. It was from these false prophecies that many of the traditions of men would develop.
But what is this about?
What's the significance of Paul's story of redemption and his visions, and the cautions about false prophecies in Jeremiah?
At its core, this connection highlights themes of authentic divine calling versus deceptive human invention, emphasizing how God’s true word transforms lives and societies, while falsehoods lead to spiritual ruin. Paul’s story serves as a New Testament fulfillment and illustration of Old Testament principles, showing that genuine encounters with God produce lasting fruit (like wheat), whereas false claims are worthless and fleeting (like chaff).
Paul experienced prophetic visions: The Damascus vision (confirming Jesus as the "Righteous One" Acts 22:14). And the temple trance (Acts 22:17-18) extending his calling. These weren’t self-generated dreams but direct, verifiable encounters (corroborated by companions who saw the light). They equipped Paul as a credible witness, much like Old Testament prophets who "stood in the council of the Lord" (Jeremiah 23:18). Paul's visions here signify divine authentication, empowering Paul to testify "to everyone" (Acts 22:15), bridging Jew and Gentile in Jesus' salvation history.
The prophet Jeremiah 23:25-32 condemns Judah’s false prophets during a time of national crisis (pre-Babylonian exile). These "prophets" claimed dreams and visions from God but peddled lies, stolen ideas, and self-serving messages, promising peace when judgment loomed (Jeremiah 23:16-17).
And the Lord proclaimed:
Jeremiah 23:28
"Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw (chaff) in common with wheat? declares the Lord"
What is chaff?
Chaff is the dry, protective outer layer of cereal grains such as wheat or barley. It is lightweight, a worthless husk separated from the wheat grain during the "winnowing" process, essentially agricultural waste, tough, fibrous, and indigestible. It's nutritionally empty, and easily scattered by wind. If you've ever chewed on a wheat grain you'd know that the chaff is not edible, the chaff clings, and irritates the mouth. And that's a good point regarding the nature of false prophets and teachers, and their "visions".
The traditions of men evolve from such empty visions, prioritizing human ideas over divine truth. Jesus echoes this in Matthew 15:9, quoting Isaiah:
"In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."
And in the New Testament, John the Baptist uses the same imagery for judgment: Jesus will gather the wheat (the righteous) but burn the chaff (the unrepentant) with fire (Matthew 3:12).
The "hard to swallow" aspect mentioned earlier fits perfectly, chaff isn’t just inedible; it’s counterproductive. Swallowing it metaphorically means accepting lies that choke spiritual growth, much like how false teachers’ words "stick" in the mind but provide no real nourishment.
Modern and Practical Parallels:
Today, chaff might remind us of "fake news," viral misinformation, or superficial self-help gurus, lightweight ideas that scatter attention without building character. And some might see a connection to many of the various faith expressions and traditions seen throughout the world of Christian denominations as well as other religious beliefs.
These images warn against superficiality in faith, rituals without repentance, words without action, much like Paul’s transformation in Acts 22, where genuine encounter replaced empty zeal. This can manifest as chaff-like elements: sacramental traditions, dogmatic practices, or leaders that prioritize appearance, power, or cultural norms over authentic spirituality.
Syncretic or New Age blends often get labeled as chaff for diluting traditions into feel-good superficiality without commitment. We can see chaff as well in the prosperity gospel, where faith is marketed as a path to wealth rather than holiness, resembling chaff by offering "lightweight ideas" without biblical depth. Likewise, hypocritical leadership or nominal attendance (dogmatic Sunday rituals without life change born again transformation) is another example, echoing Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees as "whitewashed tombs" (Matthew 23:27).
Modern biblical scholarship exposes chaff-like myths in traditional interpretations, refining faith but challenging false claims. Many extra-biblical traditions are viewed as distractions or deceptions that scatter rather than nourish our faith. For instance, Catholicism places significant emphasis on Sacred Tradition (capital "T" ) alongside Scripture, viewing it as apostolic teachings passed down from the early church. However, critics, often from Protestant traditions, argue that many Catholic dogmas evolved as "traditions of men," human inventions layered over time that contradict or add to the Bible, making them like chaff, appealing to many on the surface but nutritionally empty or even misleading. Critically claiming this stem from medieval traditions influenced by philosophy (Aristotle via Aquinas) or cultural practices, rather than direct divine revelation, they don't pass the smell test for chaff, echoing Jesus’ rebuke:
Mark 7:8
"You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men".
Doctrines like papal infallibility, purgatory, indulgences, transubstantiation, or the veneration of saints and Mary. Take for instance, the sale of indulgences in the 16th century (sparking the Reformation). These dogmas create a "fence around the law" similar to Pharisaic rules, and add unnecessary burdens (mandatory celibacy for priests, not biblically mandated). In this view, they’re chaff because they don’t "break the rock" like God’s word (Jeremiah 23:29) but instead build up and help to maintain human institutions for the sake of those institutions.
Likewise, from a Christian perspective, Islam is often viewed as a post-biblical "invention", a human-constructed religion emerging in the 7th century AD, blending elements from Judaism, Christianity, and Arabian paganism, but diverging in ways that mark it as false prophecy. Muhammad is seen as a self-proclaimed prophet whose revelations contradict core Christian doctrines, fitting the warnings of "false prophets" in Matthew 7:15-20 or 1 John 4:1-3 (testing spirits that deny Jesus as God incarnate).
Ultimately, applying the chaff metaphor to any of these beliefs is subjective and depends on one’s starting point, whether it's Scripture alone, church tradition, or the Quran and sharia law, defining the "wheat", and the "chaff" is subject to interpretation that comes from a place of personal preference. Which is why the Scriptures alone should be the authority.
In wrapping up this exploration, from Paul’s authentic witness in Acts 22 to Jeremiah’s wheat-and-chaff metaphor applied across religious traditions, we’re reminded that discerning spiritual truth isn’t merely subjective preference but guided by timeless biblical "rules of engagement."
Scripture calls us to test every claim rigorously:
Does it align with God’s revealed word, as in Deuteronomy 13:1-5 and 18:20-22, where false prophets are exposed by unfulfilled predictions or contradictions to prior revelation? Does it bear good fruit, turning people from evil (Jeremiah 23:22; Matthew 7:15-20), or does it scatter like chaff through deception? Like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, we’re urged to search the Scriptures daily for verification, while 1 John 4:1-3 instructs testing spirits by their confession of Christ.
Ultimately, these rules anchor discernment in divine authority rather than personal bias, empowering us to separate nourishing wheat from worthless husks in any faith expression, fostering a pursuit of truth that transforms rather than misleads.
Caution:
While we must remain vigilant in our understanding of the Scriptural truths, Jesus in the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (or Weeds) in Matthew 13:24-30, 36-4, gave us a profound reminder of patience and divine sovereignty in a mixed-up world of philosophy and religion. The key directive, "allow the weeds to grow among the wheat", emphasizes restraint.
Premature weeding risks damaging the good crop. Tares and wheat look alike until maturity, when wheat heads bend with grain while tares stand stiff and empty. This mirrors how false teachings or people can mimic truth early on, but time reveals their fruit (or lack thereof). This parable aligns with the wheat-chaff imagery from Jeremiah 23 and Matthew 3:12, where chaff is the worthless husk winnowed away at harvest. But while chaff is separated from wheat post-harvest (a refining process), the weeds parable addresses coexistence pre-harvest. For instance, in applying this to Catholic dogma or Islamic lies, the parable cautions against blanket condemnation or forced "weeding" of entire groups, which might uproot genuine believers amid the mix. Instead, we discern teachings as chaff-like if they contradict God’s word but leave the final separation to the harvest (judgment day).
In essence, Jesus’ parable promotes a balanced kingdom ethic:
Vigilant discernment without destructive zealotry. It encourages us to foster growth in mixed fields, sharing truth lovingly, while awaiting the Harvester’s perfect justice. Something Paul knew all too well and faced while in Jerusalem.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for Paul’s radical encounter that calls us to know Your will and witness boldly. Help us discern Your true word from deceptive chaff, bearing fruit in our lives while patiently awaiting Your harvest. Guide us in love and truth, as we call on Jesus’ Holy name. Amen.