#12 | Take Time to Think
Read: Acts 6:8-8:3
Meditate on your own:
- The accusations against Stephen were that he was rejecting the temple and the law of Moses. How does Stephen talking about God’s acting outside of the temple and Israel’s rejecting God’s appointed leaders address those accusations?
- Compare and contrast Stephen with his opponents, noting that Luke’s description of Stephen’s face as being “like the face of an angel” in Acts 6:15 likely indicates Stephen’s innocence and Luke’s approval of his words and actions.
- What verse/phrase stands out to you?
- What truth about God or mankind do you think you can draw from this?
- Where do you see other parts of the Bible saying the same thing?
- What are the implications of that truth? What would be opposite to that?
- How is this good news, both for you and for others? Who needs to hear it?
- What does this reveal about your own heart? What do you need to repent of? What do you need to ask God for?
Consider
It is easy to read of grown men plugging their ears, grinding their teeth, and screaming at the top of their lungs and distance yourself from them. Their reaction seems reminiscent of a toddler’s temper tantrum and would be comical if it weren’t so tragic. However, they are more like us than we care to admit. The penalty for blasphemy was stoning (Lev. 24:13-16) and to the ears of the Sanhedrin, Stephen was blaspheming by declaring Jesus to be standing at the right hand of God, i.e., declaring him equal with God. They were sincerely following what they believed to be true. Even covering their ears was more a reflection of their piety than anything else. It indicated that they couldn’t stand the sound of their god being slandered by the blasphemous words Stephen uttered.
Like so many people in the world, and like so many of us, they were doing what they thought was right. However, they were wrong. Their sincere faith was misplaced and so this story is rightly read as a tragedy rather than another account of God-honoring zeal (cf. Numbers 25:6-13). By contrast, Stephen is held out as a model of faith. Why the difference? If both Stephen and the Sanhedrin are sincere in their faith, why is one held out as a hero while the other clearly presented as the villain? It’s because Stephen was right about Jesus. Sincere faith means nothing if it is wrong. Just as sincerity counts for nothing when building a bridge, so too it counts for nothing when it comes to saving faith. Salvation does not come by believing sincerely but believing rightly. Stephen believed rightly. He saw that the honor Jesus received was glorious, not blasphemous. Further, he had repented of his sins and trusted in Jesus as the only Savior and submitted to him as the only Lord, and that made all the difference.
How are you tempted to believe that sincere faith is an adequate gauge for religious truth? How does that keep you from praying for non-Christians around you and sharing your faith with them? How does that keep you from seeking to grow in your knowledge of Jesus?
Take time to repent and ask God to help your unbelief, and to pray for the non-Christians around you to know the truth.
Pray:
Use the acronym IOUS, turning the prayers of the Psalmist into your own.
Incline my heart to you and not to prideful gain or any false motive!
Psalm 119:36
Open my eyes to behold wonderous things out of your Word.
Psalm 119:18
Unite my heart to fear your name.
Psalm 86:11
Satisfy me with your steadfast love.
Psalm 90:14
