In Acts Chapter 6 we are told of the necessity and choosing of deacons to do the "grunt" work of the Church, so that the apostles could devote their time to prayer and preaching. Seven men were chosen, ordained, and straightway went to work, taking care of details.
The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith. Acts 6:7
The Word was doing its work throughout Jerusalem, even being believed by some of the priests. One of the deacons, Stephen, in the filling of the Holy Spirit, stood one day and delivered a sermon. His message (Acts 6:8-Ch. 7) included the entire history of Israel, through the death of Jesus:
“You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.” Acts 7:51-53
Peter had been repeatedly telling the religious leaders of Israel this, now Stephen was telling them. They not only neglected their responsibility to God's Word, they had murdered His Son!
But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:57-60.
Having delivered his eloquent, scathing message to the Jewish mob, Stephen's work was done. He prayed for their forgiveness and breathed his last. There was mention of a young man present there who held the coats of the stoning mob. Saul. Of Tarsus. He was a fervent, hyperlegalistic Pharisee who took great pleasure in the death of this Church deacon. There would be much more written by and about Saul in the years following. Jesus had important plans for him. His work for Jesus would begin, though, right here. He would lead the charge of savage persecution against the Church of Jesus. Jesus had told the believers: "you will be witnesses to me...to the ends of the earth." For sure. It started at Jerusalem and fanned out across the world, as these persecuted believers were hounded by the legalists who were as intent upon killing all of them as they had been intent upon killing Jesus.
Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death.
And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Acts 8:1
They were not silenced, however. They were inflamed with Holy Spirit power and determined to tell the world about Jesus, the Savior.
No comments:
Post a Comment