Today’s passage reminds me of an old cartoon called Wacky Races. Contestants come up with more and more dastardly ways of sabotaging each other in order to gain an advantage themselves.

Stephen, ‘full of God’s grace and power’ (v 8), is performing miracles – and not everyone likes it. His opposition have come up with all kinds of dirty tricks to take him down, presumably thinking it would be fairly easy. Arguing with him proves pointless – he has the wisdom of God himself through the Holy Spirit (v 10). So they get some people to lie about him, stir up a mob, get him arrested and plant false witnesses in court.

Sometimes opposition is a sign of how effective we are for the kingdom of God. The world and ‘the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms’ (Ephesians 6:12) are not going to roll over and accept the rule of Jesus. We can expect opposition to our faith, and when it comes we don’t need to be afraid. Stephen’s face was angelic because it reflected the glory of God, in whose presence he stood (v 15). We stand in that same presence, and nothing is more powerful than that.

‘Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’¹

Stephen, ‘a man full of God’s grace and power’ (v 8), was opposed by the members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen, probably a synagogue of a group of Hellenist Jews who, being released from slavery and being foreign Jews, had now come to live in Jerusalem. Since they could not refute his teaching they brought him to the Sanhedrin with false testimonies against his faith. 

Many Christians have faced this problem of an attack on their faith, but Jesus promised that he would give his followers ‘words and wisdom’ which their adversaries would be unable to resist or contradict.² In my work in India in the 1960s I stood for election for the Philips Cooperative Society, which gave loans to staff members. My opponent knew he could not beat me openly, so he went around saying, ‘Don’t vote for Pothan, as he is a Christian’. I refused to withdraw because I was not ashamed of being a Christian. I lost, and my opponent became the chairman, but he was involved in problems and resigned. The Hindu Union leaders approached me and said, ‘We want you to take over, as you are the only one we can trust’. I warned them that I would not practise favouritism and I ran the Society for two years under Christian ethical standards, putting down clear rules. I prayed before the meetings that God would control the other committee members. The next term I was elected unopposed. God is faithful and will protect and guide us. 

Are you under pressure and opposed by others? Ask the Lord Jesus for help and he will provide it. We are his ambassadors wherever he places us. He will use us for his glory.

Pray for God’s help as you face problems or persecution in your situation. 

¹ Rom 12:21  ² Luke 21:15