Joshua 1:8
"...[B]ut you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:8).
"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me." (John 5:39).
"And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13).
Stephen, being brought before the council, uses the origin and history of the Jewish people to show them their hardness of heart toward the things of God. While his method may seem harsh, it is important to remember that every Jew was well rehearsed with their history. What's more is he was addressing the experts of the Law. These were not men ignorant of what God had done or the Jewish poeple - quite the opposite. And Stephen, being led by the Spirit, declares their refusal to accept that which God had revealed to them time and time again.
ReplyDeleteNaturally, they didn't take this too well. I like where it says they gnashed their teeth at him - I envision the group grinding their teeth and burning with hatred.
Interestingly, this man's stoning was carried out by Saul (soon to be Paul). I'm sure his experience with Stephen was a huge reason for Paul's conversion. My bible's note on this portion reads, "Augustine wrote that the church owes Paul to the prayer of Stephen". I would agree and would even go so far as to say Paul's conversion would have been virtually impossible without the witness of Stephen.
Stephen was brutally honest - and even though the Jewish were well versed in their history, that is not received well by most people. It's always hard to have the truth pointed out. In my Bib trad class we also discussed this conversion of Paul as St. Augustine saw it.
ReplyDeleteWhat was discussed? Do you think Augustine was correct?
ReplyDelete