Experience: S2 - Day 1

The risk of standing up for what you believe in

Acts 6: 8 Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. 9 But one day, some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia. 10 None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.

11 So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, “We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.” 12 This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council.

13 The lying witnesses said, “This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses. 14 We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”

15 At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.

Luke introduced us to Stephen at the beginning of chapter 6 as a man chosen by the twelve apostles to help care for the widows that some thought were being overlooked.  In that introduction, Stephen is mentioned as a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit.  Verse 8 says he was full of God’s grace and power.

Stephen must have been quite the individual to receive such accolades from Luke, and I’m drawn to the apparent contrast between the words “grace” and “power.” Grace often elicits a sense of calm, generosity, and sweetness, whereas power evokes imagery of strength and even forthrightness.  To be seen as holding both of these qualities must have made for quite a charismatic character.

Nevertheless, the Jews from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves chose to pick a fight with Stephen.  Likely, they had been slaves in the areas mentioned, and once freed, they came home to Jerusalem and were more than excited to hold tightly to a more rigid understanding of the Torah.  They also obviously did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah or that he had been raised from the dead.

The only problem was they couldn’t stand against Stephen.  For Stephen, this was a fulfillment of what Jesus had told them would happen, “So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!” Luke 21:14-15 NLT

I’m guessing that Stephen’s graciousness infuriated the Jews all the more.  So, much like what had happened to Jesus at his trial, the Jews get people to lie about Stephen.

Notice the contrast between Stephen and these Jews.  When the Jews debate Stephen (v 9), are against Stephen (v 10), rouse the people against Stephen, and arrest him (v 12), Stephen's face becomes as bright as an angel’s.

I believe Stephen was reflecting on the One who held his countenance.  He wasn’t focused on the people, their reactions, or the potential risks involved in standing up for what you believe in.  He fixed his gaze upon his Rabbi, and as we’ll see in this passage, his Rabbi was looking back at him.

Questions:

1. Stephen was well thought of by the people as someone gracious, full of the Spirit and the Spirit’s power, and a person of faith. Do you now know, or have you known, someone with some of these same qualities?  What about how they live their life gives them these attributes?
2. Have you ever been in a situation where you were being attacked for what you believed in?  How did you respond?
3. How can you be reminded to keep your gaze on Jesus even in difficult circumstances?