"These men began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke." (Acts 6:9b-10)
The Holy Spirit had been given to the church and was moving mightily through the early church believers. The Jews were becoming very envious of the rapidly growing group of followers of Jesus Christ. The power of the Holy Spirit was too much for them so instead of yielding their lives to God, they continued to plot for ways to kill and destroy. This is a natural by-product of legalism, when it loses control it quickly rationalizes evil actions like murder in order to regain its control.
Questions to Ponder...
1.) What caused the "law abiding" Jews to hate Stephen so much?
2.) Why was the message that Stephen was preaching so threatening?
3.) Why would God allow such a good man like Stephen to be murdered? What good came of it?
Ways to Pray...
Lord help me to trust in you today and not my own works of righteousness.
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