Stephen is Faithful to Death

October 14, 2012 Background Scripture: Acts 7:1 – 8:1 Lesson Passage: Acts 7:51 – 60; 8:1 Last week’s lesson ended with Stephen in full defense of his faith in Jesus Christ. As noted last week, Stephen’s summary statement inflamed the Jewish council more than the false accusations of blasphemy had initially aroused them. This week’s lesson takes a closer look at the Jewish council’s response to Stephen’s defense. In his closing statement, Stephen laid the blame for the death of Jesus squarely at the feet of the council while at the same time calling them out publically as law breakers. This was more than the council members could bear. Perhaps this caused their usual calm deportment to give way to outright rage. They were so deeply hurt emotionally by Stephen’s words that they started biting Stephen with their teeth. In the midst of this madness, Stephen continued to talk and looked towards heaven. God granted Stephen a vision of the risen Jesus standing at His right hand in heaven. When Stephen described the vision, his tormenters were so tormented by his testimony that they covered their ears and rushed him out of the city. There they stoned Stephen to death as though being outside the wall of Jerusalem made it safe for them to trample the moral Law of God. Stephen’s last words were a prayer for Jesus to receive him and to forgive his murderers for the sin that they were committing. Stephen died while praying. Not only was the Lord on his mind but he was also in his view. Of all of the circumstances and reasons that lead to so many lives being taken at the hands of others, none will ever be nobler than that of Stephen’s. Stephen stood for what he believed in even when it was obvious that it was leading to an unpleasant situation. One can think of many options that would have been available for Stephen to avoid such an outcome. He could have accepted the charges of blasphemy and apologized to the council. He could have held his peace and said nothing and perhaps he would have been released with no more than a whipping or scourging. He could have stopped arguing with the first group once it was clear that he had gotten the upper hand so as to avoid the situation escalating. Perhaps he could have run when they tried to apprehend him in the beginning. He could have stopped working miracles when it was clear that it was agitating the Jews. Any of these would have likely preserved his life. But what kind of life would it have been if he was not free to express his faith in Jesus and allow the gift of the Holy Ghost to work through him? How can one truly cover up the work of God in his life? I don’t believe that the outcome should be accepted merely as being Stephen’s inevitable fate. Indeed, everything that transpired was the result of his faith and not his fate. The end of Stephen’s life was a clear demonstration of his faith and the grace of God upon him. Stephen could count himself as blessed for having suffered for Christ’s sake. He did not exhibit spurts of faith but an undying faith even as his physical body was being put to death. Without doubt he attained to the challenge, Be thou faithful until death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Robert C. Hudson October 4, 2012

Stephen Defends His Faith

October 7, 2012 Background Scripture: Acts 6:1 – 7:53 Lesson Passage: Acts 6:8 – 15; 7:1, 2a, 22, 44a, 45b – 49 The title of our lesson manages to jump to the punch line without taking us through the steps. However, the steps are crucial to understanding the lesson. The main focus of the lesson is on Stephen. Stephen is one of the seven men selected by the Jerusalem congregation to participate in the daily administration of goods to meet the needs of the congregation. The congregation numbered at least three thousand and perhaps over eight thousand depending on how one interprets those who were part of the second infusion into the infant church. The members sold their belongings and brought the money to the apostles for the common good of the congregation. Teaching the word of God and looking after the daily needs of thousands of individuals were more than the apostles could handle. Inconvenience gave way to murmuring that caused a rift to start within the fledgling church. The solution the apostles brought to the church was for the members to make choice of seven men based on qualifications given to the church by the apostles. The congregation was please with the solution and the number of Christians continued to increase. One of the seven men chosen and set aside for the daily work was Stephen. Stephen did more than take care of the daily tasks that met the physical needs of the congregation. He did works of miracles that were a clear demonstration of his faith. And this is where the problem began for Stephen. He was met with great opposition by some of the Jews who disputed with him to no avail. Having loss the argument on philosophical terms, the Jews who were attacking him resorted to false accusations of blasphemy that led to Stephen’s arrest by the Jewish religious authority. When questioned by the Jewish religious leaders concerning the allegations, Stephen, rather than attempt to refute the lies of his accusers, gave a summary of Israel’s history as a precursor to the defense of his faith in Jesus as the anointed of God. Interwoven in Israel’s history is a constant thread composed of God’s promise to send a Messiah to His people Israel. Stephen’s defense was that the appearance of the Christ in Israel was inevitable because it is in accord with the promises of God. Stephen’s summary statement inflamed the Jewish council more than the false accusations of blasphemy had initially aroused them. His summary statement was that the Jewish leaders of his day had repeated the same error as Jewish leaders of the past who had slain the prophets of God because they disagreed with the message. Like their predecessors, they had totally missed the point. Although they had manipulated Pilate to carry out their sinister plot, Stephen reminded them that they were still accountable for slaying Jesus. Furthermore, the Law that they were so proud of representing and defending, they had not obeyed it themselves. Stephen’s defense of his faith in Jesus Christ went well beyond a philosophical argument about religion and religious rites. His defense became the centerpiece of his legal defense before the Jewish council. Stephen was willing to take a stand for the faith he held although it was clear that he was being persecuted for it. Robert C. Hudson September 26, 2012