Institutions can feel like little kingdoms unto their own. They’ve got their own sovereigns and scribes who enforce and expound customs and creeds for their subjects, keeping everyone and everything in line. However, an institution’s integrity is tested when one of the faithful acts out of turn with doubt and purportedly good intentions. What should leaders do when someone in their ranks is accused of wrongdoing? How should long-held beliefs be reassessed when their very foundations are shaken?
The language used within the Bible to describe this sort of opposition is complex. While the Hebrew word “satan” is often translated as “diabolos” or “false accuser” in the Septuagint, both David and the Angel of the Lord were labeled “satan,” that is, those who “stand against” or “resist.” In the New Testament, Paul used the Greek word “anthistēmi” to describe his Godly opposition to Peter. This same word, however, is also used to describe Jannes and…
