“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” – Acts 24:14
Early Christians called themselves “The Way” because Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life.” As Paul stood on trial, he didn’t hide his allegiance to Jesus and neither should we. Even as Jewish leaders accused him of various religious crimes, He correctly understood and taught Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of everything the Mosaic Law pointed to and the prophets of Israel had written about.
Jesus isn’t a radical departure from what’s told in the Old Testament. He is the perfect fulfillment of it all! The Old Testament taught and prepared people for the coming of Jesus Messiah, Who is the one and only way to God. There may be a cost to understanding, believing, and teaching this, but whatever that may be, we must be prepared to pay it.
Paul made this speech at the beginning of years spent under arrest and enduring various trials. His journey through the Roman legal system would include great danger, shipwreck, and lengthy travel to Rome. It would also provide opportunity to preach and teach Christ to leaders at many different levels and in many different places. There’s no shame in wherever our journey of faith in Christ takes you, as long as you’re worshiping God according to the Way!