In this moment of increased civic unrest and social activism across the globe, one of the key phrases you hear circulating in culture is the idea of “speaking truth to power.” It is so often invoked by Christian leaders these days that one would be forgiven for assuming that they were quoting scripture.
While the phrase is not found in scripture (it actually originates with an African American Civil Rights leader in the 1940s), the concept and practice can be found in scripture. In the Bible, we find numerous examples of this practice—Moses, Nathan, Elijah, John the Baptist, etc.—examples that can provide us with a template for how to engage culture in a productive and God-honoring way.