Thoughts for the Day

The Stoning of Stephen

When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’ But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died. And Saul approved of their killing him.

Saul Persecutes the Church

That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria. Devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off both men and women, he committed them to prison.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Stephen has given a powerful testimony to the work of God in His world, and this passage is the culmination of his defence to the Sanhedrin against the charge of blasphemy. He has boldly rebuked the religious leaders for the way the people of Israel have resisted God’s commands over the centuries. Indeed he has called them a “stiff necked people” and slated their present rejection of Jesus in the same light, accusing them of betraying and murdering the "Righteous One" (Jesus). His sheer courage in stating the truth of the Gospel in such circumstances is breath-taking. But the result is inevitable – the leaders and the crowd of people drag him outside the city and stone him to death.

However, a number of things will result from this terrible incident. First, Stephen’s story was to serves as a powerful example of perseverance, faithfulness, and courage in the face of opposition, and was seen to mirror the death of our Lord, for he too forgave his perpetrators for their actions. Second, his death was to give way to a wave of violence as the enemies of the new church sought out its believers and threw them into prison, but this in itself caused the Gospel to spread as the people fled from the persecution. Third, it introduces us to Saul (whom we know as Paul) and we hear of the absolute depth of his persecution to the new Christians, for he actively seeks out new believers entering their houses to drag them off to prison.

Two men, Stephen and Saul, we see that God takes one to Himself for his work was done - but the other in His magnitude God would forgive and enable him to be the greatest of the evangelists that would spread Christianity to the Gentile world.

Lord Jesus Christ,
You called Your servant Stephen to Yourself,
for His work was completed,
and stirred Saul to rethink his actions
which would result in Your calling him to service.
Forgive our timidity in failing to listen to You,
or being bold enough to stand up for You,
and give us the heart of a Christian warrior.
Amen.