Opening: Are you someone who has an answer for everything or
someone who wishes they could say the perfect thing at a key moment instead of
thinking of it later? Have you ever said something – good and necessary, or bad
and spiteful – that got you in trouble?
Scripture: Read Acts 7:54-8:3.
Insights:
- Wow! If Stephen had ended his speech with Acts 7:50, he probably would not have incensed the Jewish leaders. There was nothing controversial there. But he continued:
- He called them stubborn and heathen (Greek: “uncircumcised”). That was a personal attack on their religious standing.
- He told them they were just like their ancestors, who persecuted and killed the prophets, except they went one step further: they killed God’s Righteous One – the Messiah. (Of course, this accusation had been made in Acts 2:23; 3:14-15; 4:10; and 5:30.) That was an attack on their religious leadership.
- He told them that they deliberately disobeyed God’s law. That was an attack on their religious adherence.
- These things just made them mad. What threw the Jewish leaders over the edge was Stephen saying that Jesus was equal to God. That did it! (See John 8:58-59 and a similar situation with Jesus.)
- Stoning of blasphemers (which they considered Stephen to be) was required in Mosaic Law, but it was illegal in Roman-ruled Palestine. Remember, the Jewish leaders could not legally execute Jesus, but needed Pilate’s signature on the execution order. So, Stephen was illegally stoned by the mob.
- Stephen’s final words echo those of Jesus on the cross. See Luke 23:34,46.
- Luke introduces Saul at the end of chapter 7 and into the first few verses of chapter 8. Saul is clearly liked to this wave of persecution.
- When the persecution begins, believers began to scatter. To this point, the movement was localized only in Jerusalem. But now, believers are spreading out and taking the message of Jesus with them. We will see specific examples of this in Saturday and Monday’s passages.
Life Questions:
- There are Christians today being persecuted and martyred. Some stories are reported through the media, while others are unknown. The “Voice of the Martyrs“ website provides news and stories of Christian persecution.
- We are commanded to “Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies.” Could you add “Christians facing persecution” to your prayer list?
- It is very hard to ask God to forgive those who have hurt you. Is there someone in your life for whom you need to pray “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”?
- Jesus’ last words to his followers were a command to take the gospel everywhere (see Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8), but they seemed reluctant to leave Jerusalem. It took intense persecution to scatter the believers from Jerusalem and into Judea and Samaria, where Jesus had instructed them to go. Could difficult circumstances be leading you to a fuller fulfillment of God’s call on your life?
Prayer Focus: For believers everywhere who are facing
persecution, in a school, in their family, in the neighborhood, or in their
country.
