Standing Up for Stephen

Chapter 7

This is Stephen's recounting of most of the major points in Israel's history leading up to Messiah (Jesus). This is a succint retelling of some of the Old Testament. He then turns the tables on the Jewish leadership by telling them that they have always not quite gotten God (or His prophets) and they have especially blown it by murdering His Son. In response, these guys decide to stone Stephen to death.

Here's a couple of items to note from this chapter:

• v.48 - once again, God point blank tells us that He does not live in any building. He probably had to go over this with the Jews because He used to "live" in the Tabernacle and then the Temple. Since chapter 2, He has taken up residence in people who have given their lives to Him. I'm still amazed at how many people in 21st century America refer to church as "God's house" and how many churches (by that I mean the people in a local body of believers) get so attached to buildings.


• v.55 - while being stoned, Stephen looks into Heaven and sees Jesus standing. This is amazing because Jesus is usually seen as sitting at God's right hand. A judge sits. So why is Jesus standing here? Could it be because Stephen was standing up for Him? Have we ever done anything that caused Jesus to stand?


• v.58 - a little foreshadowing - the young man watching this stoning (and, no doubt, approving) is Saul - he'd later have his own encounter with Jesus and then go on to write most of the New Testament, plant many churches, spread Christianity on 2 continents, and die a martyrs death at the hand of the Romans.


• vv.59-60 - where did Stephen learn to say these things? Clearly, from Jesus, as his comments are so similar to Christ's on the cross.


• v.60 - finally, if this guy was such a great believer and leader in the church (and he was), is it problematic for anyone else that God stands by while he gets stoned to death? Shouldn't God save him (especially him)? God, in His Sovereignty, does what He does. We are invited to trust Him and follow Him (even when it doesn't make sense). Stephen had already known this side of God (surely he had seen other "unfair" things take place around Jerusalem that God could've stopped), and still chose to follow Him anyway. We make the same mistake as many in the Old Testament (idolatry) when we fashion a God in our mind who must act they way we have in our mind a God should act.