Acts 7:52-60
If you ever want a snapshot of biblical history, read Acts 7. Stephen gives his defense before the council, showing he has vast knowledge and a deep understanding of Jewish history, starting with Abraham through to their present time. This was necessary because some had accused him of speaking against Moses and the Temple. He was not an ignorant man—rather, he was extremely informed.
As he discusses the time of Abraham, Moses, and all the way to David and Solomon’s building of the Temple, he leads into this passage with the words:
“You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you!”
Yes, that certainly got them upset, as we see in the passage for today. They refused to believe and were acting just as their ancestors did. History repeats itself.
Have you ever been like Peter—who denied the Lord three times—declaring your own loyalty and faithfulness, only to find that in the crunch, you weren’t “that guy”? Life teaches us some hard lessons. I find myself reading the biblical accounts in disbelief sometimes at what people did, only to discover myself guilty of some of the very same things. Our lives may present different circumstances, but the underlying lessons are the same.
Are we willing to die for our faith as Stephen did, or would we shrink back? We believe a lot of things about ourselves, but life’s circumstances have a way of revealing who we truly are—not that God doesn’t already know. Peter really thought he was “that guy” until circumstances proved him wrong. Thankfully, he made up for it by “feeding His sheep.”
Stephen proved he was “that guy” and paid for his faith with his life. I love how he sees the Lord standing at the right hand of God. That undoubtedly gave him the courage to face what he was about to endure. Even more incredible is the fact that Stephen asked the Lord to forgive those who were stoning him.
One of those involved in his stoning was a young man named Saul, later known as Paul. This is our first introduction to the one whose transformation would turn the religious world upside down. More on him in the coming days.
As he discusses the time of Abraham, Moses, and all the way to David and Solomon’s building of the Temple, he leads into this passage with the words:
“You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you!”
Yes, that certainly got them upset, as we see in the passage for today. They refused to believe and were acting just as their ancestors did. History repeats itself.
Have you ever been like Peter—who denied the Lord three times—declaring your own loyalty and faithfulness, only to find that in the crunch, you weren’t “that guy”? Life teaches us some hard lessons. I find myself reading the biblical accounts in disbelief sometimes at what people did, only to discover myself guilty of some of the very same things. Our lives may present different circumstances, but the underlying lessons are the same.
Are we willing to die for our faith as Stephen did, or would we shrink back? We believe a lot of things about ourselves, but life’s circumstances have a way of revealing who we truly are—not that God doesn’t already know. Peter really thought he was “that guy” until circumstances proved him wrong. Thankfully, he made up for it by “feeding His sheep.”
Stephen proved he was “that guy” and paid for his faith with his life. I love how he sees the Lord standing at the right hand of God. That undoubtedly gave him the courage to face what he was about to endure. Even more incredible is the fact that Stephen asked the Lord to forgive those who were stoning him.
One of those involved in his stoning was a young man named Saul, later known as Paul. This is our first introduction to the one whose transformation would turn the religious world upside down. More on him in the coming days.
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