Acts 7:51-60
Read Acts 7:51-60
Helpful Background Information:
In Daniel 3, we see Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stand contra mundum, or against the world, in their refusal to bow down to the golden statue of Nebuchadnezzar. In Daniel 3:7, it says "people of every nation and tongue fell down and worshiped the gold statue.” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego took a heroic, courageous stand to worship the LORD God alone and to hate the obvious, repulsive sinfulness in their midst. Even though they were threatened with what seemed to be certain death, they remained resolute in their desire to please God and managed to do so in a respectful manner.
Throughout Scripture, we see multiple pictures of the saints of God standing against the world, and in Acts 7, we see perhaps the most prominent example: Stephen, the first martyr. But first, some context. In Acts 6, Stephen is chosen by the apostles to be one of seven men responsible for distributing food to widows in the early church. He is then described to be “full of grace and power” and engaged in debate with the Jews in the Jerusalem region. This landed him a court date in front of the Sanhedrin (the high court of the Jews), for Stephen was falsely accused of being a blasphemer.
In front of this judicial body, Stephen is forced to defend himself. And what follows is one of the most beautiful sermons ever recorded in the pages of Scripture. With a sentence of death for blasphemy likely to follow, Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, perfectly summarizes the history of the Old Testament. He spoke boldly, showing from the Old Testament the promised Messiah, rightly accusing Israel of their failure to recognize Jesus, rejecting and murdering Him, as they had murdered other prophets and faithful men throughout their generations. And in our section today, the death sentence did follow. Stephen stood alone against the world in faithfulness to the Lord who purchased him. He saw the glory of Christ and was stoned to death for his bold proclamation of the truth. However, Stephen showed no bitterness as he took this stand, as he asked the Lord to be merciful to those who murdered him.
Reflection Questions:
What are some ways in which our culture pressures us to bow down to idols? What does taking a courageous yet respectable stand look like?
What other biblical figures or figures in church history stood alone in obedience to God? What can we learn from them?
It can feel like the majority of people in our culture are bowing down to falsehood. Yet, both the stories of Daniel and Stephen showed that God preserves faithful believers alongside us in our stand against the world. How can you support fellow believers to remain faithful and stand firm in biblical conviction?
Sometimes, our stand for the truth and Christ’s name can be costly. For Stephen and thousands of faithful Christians throughout history, this meant death. How does Stephen’s testimony, and other martyrs, encourage you?