To all, there are few heroes in the Bible that equal the apostle Paul. Stephen was a great deacon St. Paul was not only one of the greatest apostles like the twelve whom Jesus said would sit on thrones with him ruling the nation of Israel in the millennium Matt. 19:28 KJV though Judas fell, but Paul also wrote over half of the New Testament. Praise God!
Michael C. touched on it lightly; has anyone REALLY noticed Stephen's speech? It was all by rote!! This man KNEW the O.T. scriptures!! How GLORIOUS! To love the Lord Jesus so much, that from his youth he learned them. And you know it was from his youth - Deut. 6:7; 2 Tim. 3:15 Little is said of Stephen, but - he was as great as Paul.
Stephen was still showing love by praying for his persecutors even though they were stoning him to death. He imitated Jesus when he prayed for those persecuting him.
Ch. 7-8:4 Reading this that Stephen did, fills my heart with joy and fire for the Lord. Stephen, by his understanding and knowledge of the truth through the scriptures, became a bright and shining light, that all the haters of the Lord could not stand. How true it is on every level of life, that goodness and truth; (esp. when it testifies of Jesus); the whole world gathers together to resist it!
Verse 51. To the mainstream Gentile church: YE STIFF NECKED AND UNCIRCUMCISED IN HEART AND EARS, YE ALWAYS DO RESIST THE HOLY GHOST AS YOUR FATHERS DID, SO DO YE !
As much as we want to resist, we must go like lambs to the slaughter soon. Stephen was a great example of how we are to be when the time comes; and it is coming soon.
i can relate to Mikes comment about dealing with the flesh and daily feeding our spirit with the word of God it is key in upholding a holy standard of living
It is amazing what god has in store for us but we as being in the flesh tend to ingnor and war aginst the things of the spirit but the spirit is the truth and only trew being in prayer and reading gods word will the spirit live within just as the flesh can not live without phisical food we must also feed the spirit man so he can be strong if not he will weaking and dry up the spirit is life and true life is in jesus. Literally in jesus that 's why we say In the name of jesus its not just words it is power because were in him and he is in us who belive in the name of jesus.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, it is high time for us to ACT like the apostles, Do the work of God never mind the Prize that God Promise to to you...Just do what is right in the sight of God.....God Bless.....
it was written and the scriptures had to be fulfilled.The sovereign Lord blinde them so that the getiles can can enter the kingdom.But when time comes they will be restored. Roman11:25-26
Man is a creation of God, forgetting this man try to draw lines around God. I mean man try to see and understand God in human ways, and claim and sell his ideas with others. This is really building a house and locking God in it. God prefer to enter in our hearts and make that his dwelling place if we allow him freedom. God is so much ahead of us, who has the wisdom to build his home.
Sir the Bible says, Known unto God are all His works form the beginning of the world in Acts 15:18. Also, God is sovereign but remember that is not a Bible word. It might be in the modern perversions but not so in God 's word the King James Bible. Man has a free will see Lev 1:4 for an example. God knew the Jews would turn the Kingdom down but that doesn 't deny a legitimate offer. In the same way that He knows that most people are on the broad road and will turn down the offer of salvation but the offer still remains. That is what is happening in Chapter 7. The offer was there and was real and God would have came back had they accepted but it didn 't take Him by surprise. I hope this helps. John Calvin 's teachings can cloud the mind.
In response to Jacob 's comment That Jesus was standing because he would 've come right then had the Jews repented received Stephen 's message. This is commonly taught and of necessity means God had plan A and plan B, that He took up plan B after Stephen 's martyrdom. This is theological hogwash. ALL that ever comes to pass is according to His eternal purpose - God is sovereign. Never forget that, and works all things after the counsel of His will.
The Holy spirit made me to understand that whatever we are passing through, the moment we take our eyes off the problems and fix our eyes on God heaven divine assistance or connection comes in.see also in john 11 vs 41. Thanks
In early Acts the gospel of the Kingdom is being preached just like John the baptist preached Matt 3:2 because it was at hand. It was wihtin reach. If they would have received it Matt 11:14 John the Baptist would have been Elijah and the Lord would have set up His literal physical visible Kingdom but they rejected Him. Matt 12 records the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost vs 31 and He begins to speak in parables in Ch 13. They crucify Him and He prays from the cross that they will be forgiven in Lk 23:34. Then they are getting a second chance to receive their King in early Acts see ch 2. The house of Israel is being spoken to see vs 36,22, 14,5, which are Jews. The gospel is to the Jew first. The nation as a whole rejects Him again and Stephen preaches this sermon and if the nation as a whole would have received the message Jesus would have come back then. That 's why He was STANDING. Compare vs 55 with Mark 14:62 and 16:19. The church age wasn 't revealed until Paul got saved and all the prophecies could have still came to pass without any contradictions. But since they rejected Him the Gentiles were grafted in, Thank the Lord.
It is a rare pastor that lets his flock know that Stephen is said to have "gone to sleep " upon death rather than allegedly being whisked off to heaven!
7 56 "And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. " Stephen is at the point of death and see 's Jesus Standing at the right hand of the Father. We are told that Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father. The Bible tells us that there is a crown for those who are killed for the gospel sake. Does Jesus stand every time someone who is killed for the gospel to welcome them home?
It is important to look back on paul 's letter to the ephesians 2.19 20 where paul reveals that now the gentiles are no more strangers but fellowcitizens of the saints, and are being built in the foundation of the apostles and of the prophets in which Jesus Christ is the corner stone...We see that God Himself is building this temple using christians as the raw material to build his own dwelling.
Howbeit God does not dwell in houses made by hands..John Says that " But all them that received Jesus were made sons of God..whom they were not born by the will of man but by the will of God. so Being God a Spirit He might dwell in our new born spirit..
I am suspicious of verse 60 and believe that it was tacked on at a later date, especially when Stephen had already given up his spirit to The Lord in verse 59. Luke 23 34 is also dodgy, as written, so that adds to the conspiracy. Beware of the Freemason KJV translation.
We are the mobile church of Jesus Christ,just as he was never stationed at one place. He also said go ye unto the ends of the world and proclaim my name. We are the gathering of Christ, Genesis 1: 9' God said, Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place. Malachi's Murunwa Tharaga
“Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,”
King James Version (KJV)