Slices
Prepare
Sing a song of praise to God.
Bible passage
Stephen seized
8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called) – Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia – who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.
11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, ‘We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.’
12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, ‘This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.’
15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
Explore
There are two conflicting narratives in this passage: two different ways of seeing Stephen. On the one hand, there is the voice of Stephen’s opponents (v 9) and those they influence (v 11). They are set on destroying Stephen’s good reputation.
The second narrative is that of Luke, the writer of Acts. Having introduced us to Stephen in verse 5, Luke now tells us something of Stephen’s ministry of miracles and healing (v 8). As opposition grows, Luke reminds us of Stephen’s devotion to God (v 10). And as Stephen is brought before the religious council (the Sanhedrin), Luke tells us that his face is like an angel’s (v 15). He is so steeped in God’s presence that he glows! The mention of Moses in the previous verse serves as a reminder of another time when a servant of God had a face that shone (Exodus 34:29).
Have you ever felt as if your words or motives are misconstrued and misinterpreted to be used against you (vs 13,14)? It’s unpleasant and you can feel helpless. People quickly jump on the bandwagon when criticism is being hurled at someone, without stopping to listen to what was actually said and done. Let’s be those who care more about how God sees us than what people say.
Respond
Pray that you might be filled with ‘the Spirit of wisdom and revelation’ (Ephesians 1:17) in your interactions with those around you. Pray too for any high-profile Christians currently in the spotlight because of their views and beliefs.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Ezra 7,8; Luke 4
Pray for Scripture Union
Mission Partner Brentwood Schools Christian Worker Trust is thankful for opportunities to support local Year 6 pupils in their transition to secondary school through their It’s Your Move lessons. Please also pray for their LifeSpace project helping Year 10 pupils to reflect on their future.
