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When we meet together, we take some time to share our joys and concerns. If you have any prayer requests, please add them as comments to this post. When you are ready, use the prayer below (source) to get started.
Holy Father, you who are all knowing and wise, teach me all-knowing and wise, teach me your ways. I seek your wisdom and insight, I want to have knowledge and understanding. I seek your wisdom , so I can walk in the path you lay before me, knowing right from wrong, protecting against temptation and deceit. Fill me with your knowledge, O Lord, so I may walk in the straight and narrow path, in faithfulness to follow you in Jesus' name I pray. Amen
Today's lesson is on Acts 6:7-15.
After Jesus' ascension, the number of believers increased and were added to the numbers in Jerusalem. The expanding number of believers led them to develop habits for their gatherings and expectations for how they would treat each other.
During this time, almost all the believers were ethnically Jewish. However, not all had the same cultural upbringing. Some had lived in the Greek speaking portions of the “Hellenists”of the Roman Empire, while others lived in Jewish regions of Palestine. The difference between these groups of first century Jews led to conflict regarding the treatment of widows. The Hellenist were saying their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. To ease the load for the apostles they selected seven men to handle specific tasks. The book of Acts mentions two of these seven men in further detail: Philip and Stephen. In some ways, the role of the seven were similar to the position of deacon. For first-century Judaism, the temple in Jerusalem serves as the faith's physical and spiritual center. The temple complex was the focus of the people's worship and served as the headquarters for religious leadership. Several versions of the Jewish temple existed. Construction on the first began in 966 BC during the reign of Solomon. During his reign, the temple became a place to worship God and store valuable artifacts. As such, it was a notable place for enemy forces to plunder. In 597 BC, the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem, took the people into exile and looted Solomon's temple. In 586 BC the Babylonians destroyed Solomon's temple and took the remaining artifacts. There would be attempts to rebuild this place of worship. In 538 BC, the Persian King Cyrus allowed Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. It was smaller and less impressive than Solomon's temple. In 63 BC, Roman general Pompey desecrated the temple and its sacred artifacts. It was in shambles but no completely demolished The temple mentioned in the Gospels was the one renovated by Herod the Great. Work on that temple began in around 20 BC. Construction on the temple complex was completed in about AD 64. The first-century Jewish leaders were not about to let anyone else again defile their holy place. They were especially not going to allow anyone to speak harshly against the building and its associated customs.
Disciples and Priest
This verse reveals two important growths of the first-century church. First, the church's development was caused by the dramatic spread of the word of God. As the influence of the gospel message spread among the people, so did the number of disciples. When the gospel falls on willing hearts, spiritual fruit will result. Second, that their number increased rapidly implies that the Jerusalem church underwent quick numerical growth. Counted among these believers were priests. These men served in the temple when their lot was chosen. They differed from the elite religious ruling class of the Sanhedrin. Instead, these priests would have been relatively poor. They would not have profited much from the wealth created by the temple. Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. Great wonders and signs had been attributed to Jesus and the apostles. When the apostles did these things, it confirmed the presence of God's grace and empowerment of his servants. Although Stephen was not an apostle , he had been chosen by God to give witness to salvation. His life demonstrated the spiritual power that had been promised by Jesus. After the exile that began in 586 BC, the need arose for synagogues among the Jewish people. These were locations for prayer and teaching. We are not sure how many there were. The Synagogue of the Freeman and the Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria and the provinces of Cilicia and Asia began to argue with Stephen. If he only gave these groups miracles and served food, it is unlikely these groups would have any dispute. However, what led to conflict with the synagogue members were his words. Stephen undoubtedly followed Peter and John in proclaiming God's salvation in Jesus the Messiah. However, the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem did not want anyone to preach that message. Jesus' promises to his followers regarding opposition were coming true. Since they could not win against the wisdom of the Spirit, they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen spread blasphemous words against God and the leaders of Israel. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin, which was a 70 member supreme court for matters regarding Jewish Law. The group consisted of chief priests, elders and teachers of the law. The group carried significant influence in first-century Judaism. They had the power to level consequences for offenders of the law. Any claim that would have stirred up the people and the leaders would have been significant. The Sanhedrin met in a chamber connected to the temple. The charge that they heard was that Stephen was preaching threats against this holy place. In view of the Sanhedrin, this was a blasphemous act by Stephen. Blasphemy was a severe offense with serious consequences. A similar accusation was brought against the prophet Jeremiah. These claims had a grain of truth. Jesus had indeed prophesied regarding the destruction of the temple. “Destroy the temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” The apostle John interpreted this statement as a metaphor for Jesus' body. They also accused Stephen for the change of customs Moses handed down to us including circumcision and dietary practices. These things were a way for the Jewish people to separate themselves from Gentiles. Therefore, any teachings regarding a change to these things would affect their unique identity as a people. Jesus' teaching transformed or set aside these customs. One way is found in his teaching on food and spiritual defilement. The Law of Moses indicates that consuming certain foods makes a person unclean. However, Jesus taught that what a person eats does not lead to defilement. Jesus did not seek to abolish the Law of Moses. Instead, his teachings and entire ministry fulfilled the law and the other writings of scripture. All parts of Hebrew Scripture – the writing of Moses, the prophets, the psalms and the wisdom literature – served as guideposts that point people to Jesus. Rather than nullify these Scriptures, Jesus fulfilled them through his life, death and resurrection. The charges regarding Stephen's teachings were intended to unify the factions of the Sanhedrin against him. The temple was the primary economic engine of Jerusalem. It provided wealth for many people. Because the Sadducees were elite members of the priesthood, they benefited from the wealth created by the temple. The Pharisee, however, were on board for different reasons. Their interpretations of the law depended on their traditions. The prospect of the temple's destruction and the law's annulment threatened the power and influence of these parties. This threat to vested interests was what motivated the arrest of Jesus as well. The phrase they saw Stephen's face was like the face of an angel highlights the supernatural nature of the expression on his face. His facial expression should have been a clue to the divine approval of his teaching. The description also reveals the intimacy that Stephen had with God. Other people in Scriptures experienced a change in their countenance after they had a personal experience with the glory of God. For example: Moses when he came down with the ten commandments and Jesus at the Transfiguration. Stephen begins his speech to the Sanhedrin by referring to “the God of Glory”. As he concluded, Stephen's first view of heaven would be to see “the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” That vision was the final straw for the Sanhedrin as he was stoned to death by mob action.
Conclusion
What should the Christian's response be to attacks and insults to faith? Such attacks might include name calling, harsh remarks, or judgment regarding our use of time, energy and resources. These abuses might even come from coworkers, friends or family members. The verbal attacks on Stephen led to a physical attack that resulted in his death. It is unlikely that we will experience the same end as Stephen. However, his manner of living can inform our behavior - whether or not attacks on our faith result. Stephen was a student of Scripture, demonstrated by his speech before the Sanhedrin. (Acts 7:2-54). Not only did he know the facts of Scripture, but he also knew how Jesus fulfilled all of Scripture. This knowledge led him to display confidence and hope during his interaction with the Sanhedrin. He proclaimed the Gospel with the hope that they would believe in Jesus as the long awaited Messiah. Most of all, Stephen faced his final crisis with peace and poise. He displayed a sense of peace that comes from a knowledge of God's will and power. The false accusations did not deter Stephen; he trusted that it was all a part of God's plan. Consider the example of Stephen the next time you pray. Ask the Lord for wisdom, power and peace. When we practice and display these attributes, we can better serve the Lord, especially in the face of criticism or attacks from the world.
Prayer
Lord, you are the God of wisdom, power and peace. Give us the wisdom to know how to navigate a world that increasingly despises you. Show us the power of your Spirit at work in and through us. Fill us with peace to face whatever circumstances we might face. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen
Questions for Discussions
Benediction
Today's benediction is from the New International Version.
Next Sunday will be Easter! Our lesson will be on Mark 16:1-8.
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