In the council before which Stephen was standing, there was intense bitterness. Reputations are made and unmade, in certain drawing rooms.
In all life, too, there is a disposition to bear false witness.
#Daily bible study devotional full#
The world is full of books which seek to cast doubts upon divine revelation. False witnesses are continually testifying against Christianity, in the effort to prove that it is not a divine religion. If only we remembered this, it would make us brave, resistless, in speaking the truth.įalse witnesses were brought to testify against Stephen, to try to convict him, as the rulers had tried to convict Jesus. If we go out in Christ's name to speak for Him, there will always be One with us whom no man can withstand. He was filled with God, as were the apostles on the day of Pentecost. Stephen was an inspired man when he stood before his opponents and declared to them the words of God. The Spirit in Stephen whom his proponents could not resist - was the Holy Spirit. "They were unable to stand up against the wisdom and the Spirit by whom he spoke." It was not Stephen with whom they had to contend there was an unseen One beside him all the while who helped him. Stephen's opponents were no match for him in argument. But when we assault the evil we see in them and openly condemn it - we shall certainly stir up enmity and antagonism and bring upon ourselves opposition and possibly persecution. So long as we keep quiet about people's sins and connive at their wrongdoings, they may not seriously oppose us. The more we try to honor Christ and build up His kingdom, the more opposition we shall encounter. We must not be surprised if our efforts to do good, awaken opposition. Stephen's fiery eloquence touched many hearts - but it also aroused the members of the Jewish synagogues, who set themselves against him. His work belongs to a few days, and he makes but one speech - but his influence belongs to all after time! He was the first deacon and the first Christian martyr. Put all of this together, and we see how we can meet Jesus.Stephen is one of the most interesting characters in the New Testament. He gave us minds that can think, desires that lead to decisions, and bodies that can be used for service. He has given us information about himself in the Bible. How can we meet a man who lived two thousand years ago? Jesus is alive and he relates to us by his Spirit. John 1 goes on to tell us that Jesus met people, and people actually met him. Jesus is this Word, which became a man and lived among us.
Grand statements about him are made in this chapter. In the opening chapter of John’s Gospel, we learn of the coming of Jesus. To them, Jesus is a figure in history, long dead and irrelevant, or the inspiration for discontent cultural revolutionaries, or the leader of morally uptight Americans. EDITOR'S NOTE: We're happy to announce that, coming soon, this devotional will be available in audio version as the Your Daily Bible Verse Podcast! Stay tuned for updates.īIBLE VERSE OF THE DAY: When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” - John 1:37-39
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