Lesson 289 - Senior
Memory Verse
"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (II Timothy 3:12).
Cross References
I Called and Chosen
1. Stephen, full of faith and the Holy Ghost, performed many miracles and wonders, [ACT:6:8];[ACT:2:17-18];[ACT:4:29-31]; [ACT:8:5-8].
II Persecutions
1. Stephen's ministry aroused great antagonism, [ACT:6:9-15]; [ACT:24:5-9]; [ACT:25:7]; [MAK:14:55-59].
III Stephen's Defence
1. Stephen confuted his enemies by his defence from the Scripture, [ACT:7:1-53]; [ACT:2:14-36]; [ACT:17:22-32]; [ACT:24:25]; [ACT:26:28]; [LUK:21:12-15].
2. Stephen, in his hour of trial, was encouraged and strengthened by a vision of Christ, [ACT:7:55-56]; [REV:1:10-16]; [2CO:12:1].
IV Martyrdom
1. Haters of God killed Stephen in satanically provoked anger, [ACT:7:54-60]; [ACT:12:2]; [REV:6:9]; [REV:20:4]; [REV:11:9-10].
2. Stephen followed his Master's example by praying for his enemies, [ACT:7:59-60]; [LUK:23:34]; [ISA:53:7].
Notes
Righteous Testimony
Both sacred history and the Bible inform us that persecutions and bloodshed continued for the Church after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. The persistent preaching of the disciples that Jesus was the Christ of God stirred up new violence against them. Stephen, who had been chosen as one of the first deacons of the Church, became the first casualty of the Church Militant. Stephen had performed great miracles and wonders among the people, but his success caused some Judaizers to seek him out to vent their hatred of God upon him as a follower of Christ.
Unable to find any fault with Stephen, these enemies of God fell back on the old Pharisaical stratagem of false witnesses and false accusations. It is obvious they were of the same mind and fellowship as those in Jerusalem who had crucified the Lord, for they did not hesitate to follow such a pattern themselves.
Not being able to resist the spirit and wisdom by which Stephen spoke, the accusers took Stephen before the council. Stephen had to defend himself without the aid of friends or council, but he was not actually alone. Jesus, prior to His death, had instructed His disciples regarding these coming persecutions and had advised them what to do. A part of those instructions was: "They shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. . . . Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist” [LUK:21:12-15]). How mightily did Jesus carry out this promise in Stephen's behalf as he made his defence before these cruel enemies of God!
The Scripture says that Jesus "before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession” [1TM:6:13]), and God enabled Stephen to do the same. All those who sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
Stephen's Defence
Stephen's defence before the council is a sermon, which all Christians would do well to read often. Stephen evidently had a great understanding of God's plan for Israel, and he seems to have been well educated in the Scriptures. Although his accusers were men who prided themselves on the keeping of the law of God, Stephen so ably expounded the Scripture to them that he convicted them of being derelict in their duties and obligations to God and His law. Stephen brought an indictment against all Israel for their crimes of many generations, climaxed with their crucifixion of Christ, which was the most monstrous evil act ever perpetrated. Through the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Ghost, Stephen emphasized their individual guilt by this indictment of their crimes. The tables were turned on Stephen's accusers, and they found themselves accused before God.
This being more than the accusers could endure, they rushed upon Stephen to stone him to death; whereupon God granted to His noble saint a glimpse into Heaven that possibly has never been granted to a mortal soul before or since. Looking up steadfastly into Heaven, Stephen saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God -– an exceptional and remarkable vision! The Scriptures record no other instance of Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
As a co-ruler and an equal with God the Father, Jesus would be sitting on the right hand of God, even as He told the high priest He would be. (See [MAT:26:64].) Majesty sits enthroned while all others stand before Him to pay worship and homage. The implication in this passage of Scripture is that Jesus was standing in respect and honour to this saint of God who was valiantly defending the truth in the face of these God-haters and who was about to lose his life for his testimony.
Stephen's death and martyrdom caused a great stir in the early Church. The fortitude of Stephen, coupled with his unwavering faith in Christ, also left its influence on a man called Saul of Tarsus. Saul was consenting to Stephen's death, and seems to have been one of the chief agitators of the crowd, which stoned Stephen. The ability of Stephen to pray for those who were taking his life seemed to inflame Saul's hatred against the disciples of Jesus even more. He was soon to instigate still more persecutions against the Christians, but, finally, become converted to the faith of Christ.
As we think of Stephen in this trying hour, we are reminded of the prayer of the Psalmist: "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands” [PS:138:7-8]). We know that God did not forsake this saint of God.
Blood of the Saints
Stephen was the first martyr of the Christian dispensation. He joined the ranks of those faithful ones of all ages who have dared to give their testimonies to a God-hating and a Christ-rejecting world at the cost of their earthly lives. The men who rose up with satanic anger to murder Stephen were not the first to use such methods. Satan has been a murderer from the beginning, and he does not hesitate to attempt to murder those who oppose him today.
In the very first family upon earth, Cain, full of jealous hatred toward Abel, his own brother, slew him, because Abel was accepted of God and he was not. Cain thought he would silence forever the voice of God that spoke to him of his wrongdoing, by killing his brother. Abel was the example of God's righteousness, so far as Cain was concerned; and Cain thought that by getting rid of Abel he would be rid of a guilty conscience.
"Out of sight, out of mind” is an old principle with men, but God is not so easily put out of mind. Cain had no sooner killed his brother than he heard the voice of God questioning in an even louder tone, "Where is Abel thy brother?” Cain discovered that one cannot hide from an evil conscience nor from the all-seeing eye of God. The Psalmist aptly expressed this thought many generations later: "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: . . . If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee” [PS:139:7-12]).
The unconfessed sins of ages past, and the guilt of bloodstained hands of all murderers of all generations, will not remain hidden behind the martyr graves of those great men and women who have dared to preach the truth of God. When men rise up in hellish fury against the saints of God, they need to remember that they also rise up against God's own Son. Jesus said: "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. . . . If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sins. He that hateth me hateth my father also” [JHN:15:18], [JHN:15:22-23]).
The Bible tells us that the saint of God bears the image of Christ. (Read [EPH:4:24]; [COL:3:10].) Hoping to blot out all remembrance and sight of that hated image of the righteous Christ -– as they see it in the life of the saints of God -– the wicked seek to destroy the saints, only to discover by their guilty consciences that they are then more condemned than before.
Cup of Iniquity
At the proper time God will present to a Christ-rejecting world, full, final, and irrefutable evidence of their crimes and murders. This evidence will be the final proof of man's innate sinfulness and complete depravity without Christ. Perhaps this is part of the reason God permits His saints to be martyred. Jesus told some persecutors in His day: "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar” [MAT:23:33-35]).
Stephen did not hesitate to preach Christ, righteousness, and salvation from sin. The Christ-haters, stung to fury because they could not refute Stephen's accusations and denunciations of their evil deeds, killed him to silence him. Stephen did not go unavenged long, because the judgment of God began to fall upon the Jews of that generation with terrible fury. The destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman armies marked the beginning of the fulfilment of the prophecy of Jesus concerning the judgment to come. That judgment has fallen with terrible exactness and fury upon the Jews until this very day. Yet it has not reached its climax, and will not until the time of the Great Tribulation, because of the continuous rejection of Jesus Christ as their Messiah and coming King.
Even in our present day we see in other countries the cruel persecutions of all who profess Christianity. It is estimated that more people have been slaughtered in recent years because of their belief in Christianity than in all other ages. Millions have been killed in recent years in China and Korea alone. The day of martyrdom is not yet past, and the saints of God must be ever ready to seal their testimony with their blood, if need be. Jesus said: "The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you” [JHN:15:20]). He also said, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” [REV:2:10]).
Jesus said that whosoever would lose his life for His sake and the Gospel's would actually save his life. Stephen lost his earthly life by his persistent preaching of the Gospel, but he found eternal life instead. At the hour of great need he was able to see directly into Heaven itself, and then was ushered into the very presence of God. The promise of God to all is that though we lose our life for the Gospel's sake we shall find it. Ours will be that life which has no end.
Questions
1. Why did men hate Stephen?
2. Who helped Stephen in his trial?
3. How did it happen that Stephen's accusers became accused themselves before God?
4. Why did God grant Stephen a vision of the glorified Christ during the trial?
5. Why did the men who listened to Stephen kill him?
6. Why do wicked men desire to kill Christians?
7. Why are people martyred in this present generation?