𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟔 • 𝐒𝐭. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐧

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𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲: 𝐀 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟔 • 𝐒𝐭. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐧

𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓

Acts of the Apostles says that Stephen was a man filled with grace and power, who worked great wonders among the people. Certain Jews, members of the Synagogue of Roman Freedmen, debated with Stephen, but proved no match for the wisdom and spirit with which he spoke. They persuaded others to make the charge of blasphemy against him. He was seized and carried before the Sanhedrin.

In his speech, Stephen recalled God’s guidance through Israel’s history, as well as Israel’s idolatry and disobedience. He then claimed that his persecutors were showing this same spirit. “…you always oppose the holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors” (Acts 7:51b).

Stephen’s speech brought anger from the crowd. “But he, filled with the holy Spirit, looked up intently to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ …They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him. …As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ …‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’” (Acts 7:55-56, 58a, 59, 60b).

𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐑

𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘸𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩: 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘚𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭; 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥.