The Book of Acts
Lesson Number 34
TRANSLATION LEGEND: ALT = Analytical-Literal Translation (2005), AMPLIFIED = Amplified Bible (1965), ASV = American Standard Version (1901), BBE=Bible in Basic English (1949), DRA = Douay-Rheims (1899), ERV = English Revised Version (1885), ESV = English Stand Version (2001), GNB = Good News (1966), GWN = God’S Word (1995), IE = International English, ISV = International Standard Version (1967), JPS = Jewish Publication Society (1917), KJV = King James Version (1611), L.ITV = Literal Translation of the Bible ((1976), LIVING = Living Bible (1971), MKJV = Modern KJV (1962), MONTGOMERY = Montgomery’s New Testament (2001), MRD = Peshitta-James Murdock Translation (1852), NAB = New American Bible (2002), NASB = New American Standard Bible (1977), NAU = New American Standard Bible (1995), NIB = New International Bible, NIV = New International Version (1984), NJB = New Jerusalem Bible (1985), NKJV = New King James Version (1979), NLT =New Living Translation (1996), NRSV = New Revised Standard Version (1989), PHILLIPS = J B Phillips New Testament (1962), PNT = BISHOP’S New Testament (1595), RSV = Revised Standard Version (1952), TNK = JPS Tanakj (1985), Webster = The Webster Bible (1833),WEYMOUTH = Weymouth’s New Testament (1903), WILLIAMS = William’s New Testament (1937), TYNDALE = Tyndale’s Bible (1526), WYCLIFFE = Wycliffe New Testament (1382), YLT =Young’s Literal Translation (1862).
---------- Lexicon and Bible Translation Codes with Identification -----------
LEXICON LEGEND: FRIEBERG = Friberg Lexicon, UBS = UBS Lexicon, LOUW-NIDA = Louw-Nida Lexicon, LIDDELL SCOTT = Liddell Scott Lexicon, THAYER = Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, LEH = LEH Lexicon, GINGRICH = Gingrich Lexicon
DISCLAIMER: The quoting of other translations is not to be taken as a condoning of them. My purpose is rather to show the remarkable diversity, and sometimes outright contradictions that exist among these various versions of Scripture. Our understanding of the Word of God ultimately depends upon our comprehension of the Lord Himself and His eternal purpose. Where this understanding is not present, we are shut up to scholasticism and conjecture, both of which are of the world, not of God.
THE STONING OF STEPHEN
“ 7:54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7:54-60)
INTRODUCTION
Having delivered an insightful summation of Israel’s history, confirming they had always been obstinate, Stephen has forthrightly charged the Council with having the same spirit as their fathers. They belonged to a generation noted for its unbelief, yet who presented themselves as being righteous. This is the generation of Satan’s seed, as Jesus said to certain of that day, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). As God said in the first prophecy of Scripture, “enmity” is prevalent between the “seed” of the woman, and the “seed” of the serpent (Gen 3:15). That enmity, or aggressive hostility is found between the “children of the wicked one” Matt 13:38), and those who are joined to Christ (1 Cor 6:17), as well as between Him and Satan.
Stephen has declared that their part in the generation of the wicked is confirmed by their uncircumcised hearts and ears. This also accounted for the fact that they were as he declared, continually resisting the Holy Spirit, stubbornly refusing to yield to His holy influences.
In his harsh denunciation Stephen is not speaking hastily or rashly. He was not a man “hasty in words,” whom Solomon said was a fool (Prov 29:20). He was a man whom James described as being “swift to hear, slow to speak,” and “slow to wrath” (James 1:19). Some, not having cultured their spirits with the word of the Lord, consider any words like those spoken by Stephen to be spoken swiftly and in sudden wrath. However, this is not at all the case. Stephen has been patient, holding back harsh words until the time was appropriate to speak them.
This is not an outburst of fleshly anger. Nor, indeed, is it driven by a kind of carnal disappointment. This is not only a discerning response to the hard-heartedness of the people before him, it is one that is being prompted and directed by the Holy Spirit. Here is an exhibit of “the mind of the Spirit” (Rom 8:27), as well as “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16). It is an expression of “the mind of the Lord” (Rom 11:34), and is the result of Stephen’s fellowship with Christ (1 Cor 1:9). It is a confirmation that He is partaking of the Divine nature (2 Pet 1:4. That is, he is experiencing and expressing oneness with the God of heaven, through Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit. Because of this, there can be no question about the absolute validity and appropriateness of his words.
WHAT STEPHEN HAS SAID
In order to confirm the hardness of the hearts of these people, a brief review of what Stephen has said will be in order. It should also be noted that all of his words were based solidly upon Scripture, and did not reflect a perspective that originated with him. His words are found in Acts 7:2-53.
➪ He addressed them as “Men, brethren, and fathers” (7:2a).
➪ He called upon them to “hearken,” listening carefully to what he said, and weighing it thoughtfully (7:2b).
➪ He reminded them that “the God of glory appeared to our father Abraham” (7:2c). The record of this appearance is found in Genesis 12:1. Nehemiah also referred to this record (Neh 9:7). Isaiah also referred to this as a calling (Isa 51:2).
➪ God appeared to Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Ur of the Chaldees (7:2d). The fact that God appeared to Abraham before he was in Ur of the Chaldees is confirmed in Genesis 11:31-12:1.
➪ God told Abraham to leave his country, and his kindred, and “come into the land” that He would show him (7:3). This record is found in Genesis 12:1.
➪ Abraham did come out of the land of the Chaldeans, dwelling in Haran until his father Terah died. He then removed from Haran and headed for the land of promise (7:4). This record is found in Genesis 11:31-32 and 12:4.
➪ Stephen reminded the people that Abraham himself had no inheritance in Canaan, not so much as a place to put his foot (7:5a). This is confirmed by Abraham’s testimony to the children of Heth, as recorded in Genesis 23:4).
➪ He also recalled that God told Abraham that He would give the land to him and his seed after him, even though at the time he had no child (7:5b). This is confirmed in Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 15:3,18; and 17:8.
➪ He reminded his audience that God had told Abraham his progeny would journey in a strange land, and that the people there would treat them evil for four hundred years (7:6). This is confirmed in Genesis 15:13,16, and Exodus 12:40-41, which recorded their deliverance.
➪ Stephen declared that God had promised Abraham He would judge the nation who oppressed his seed (7:7a). This is confirmed in Genesis 15:14 and Exodus 7:1-14:31.
➪ God also told Abraham He would deliver the people from the nation who oppressed them, and whom He would judge (7:7b). This is confirmed in Genesis 15:16; Exodus 12:36-14:31).
➪ God told Abraham the people would come forth to serve Him (7:7c). This was the revealed purpose of the deliverance as declared in Exodus 3:12.
➪ Stephen testified to the covenant of circumcision (7:8a). This is confirmed in Genesis 17:9-14).
➪ He reminded them that Isaac was circumcised on the eighth day (7:8b). This is confirmed in Genesis 17:12 and 21:1-4.
➪ Stephen also declared that Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs (7:8c). This is confirmed in Genesis 25:21-26 and 29:31-35; 30:1-24; and 35:16,23-26.
➪ He rehearsed how the patriarchs were moved with envy, and sold Joseph into Egypt (7:9a). This is confirmed in Genesis 37:4-11.
➪ He then reminded them that God was with Joseph (7:9b). This is confirmed in Genesis 39:2,5, and 21-23).
➪ God delivered Joseph out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor in the eyes of Pharaoh (7:10a). This is confirmed in Genesis 41:12-46.
➪ Stephen testified that Joseph became the governor over all of Egypt (7:10b). This is confirmed in Genesis 41:6.
➪ He recalled how a dearth came over all of the land of Egypt and Canaan (7:11a). This is confirmed in Genesis 41:54-5; 43:1 and Psalm 105:16.
➪ During this time the Jewish fathers found no sustenance in their own land (7:11b). This is confirmed in 42:1-43:1 and Genesis 47:13
➪ He referred to the first time Jacob obtained corn from Egypt (7:12). This is confirmed in Genesis 42:1-24).
➪ He referred to the second time Jacob send the patriarchs to Egypt for food (7:13). This is confirmed in Genesis 43:2-3.
➪ Stephen recalled how Joseph made himself known to his brethren during the second time (7:13a). This is confirmed in Genesis 45:1-18.
➪ He told how Joseph’s brethren were then made known to Pharaoh (7:13b). This is confirmed in Genesis 46:31-34 and 47:1-10.
➪ Stephen then related how Joseph called for Jacob and all his kindred to come to Egypt (7:14a). This is confirmed in Genesis 45:9-11 and Psalm 105:23.
➪ He mentioned that 75 souls were brought into Egypt (7:14b). The is confirmed in Genesis 46:26-27 and Deuteronomy 10:22. There only seventy souls are mentioned. Stephen‘s count includes the number of the sons of Ephraim and Manasseh, who were the sons born to Joseph in Egypt. They were the ones among whom the inheritance of Joseph was divided (Num 26:35; 27:1).
➪ Jacob went down into Egypt and died there (7:15a). This confirmed in Genesis 49:33).
➪ All of the twelve patriarchs also died in Egypt (7:15b). This is confirmed in Exodus 1:6.
➪ Jacob and his sons were buried in Shechum, on a piece of land that Abraham had bought (7:16a). This is confirmed in Genesis 49:29-32; Exodus 13:19; and Josh 24:32.
➪ He mentions that Abraham bought the parcel of land from the sons of Emmor, the father of Shechum (7:16b). This is confirmed in Genesis 23:16; 49:30; and 50:13.
➪ Stephen then pointed out that as the time of the promised deliverance drew near, the people began to multiply in Egypt (7:17). This is confirmed in Exodus 1:7-12,20, and Psalm 105:24-25.
➪ This growth continued until a king rose who did not know Joseph (7:18). This is confirmed in Exodus 1:18.
➪ This king dealt subtly with the Jews commanding that they not permit the male children to live (7:19). This is confirmed in Exodus 1:9-22 and Psalm 105:25.
➪ It was during this time of jeopardy that Moses was born, and found to be a most unusual child (7:20). This is confirmed in Exodus 2:2a.
➪ Moses was kept in his father’s house, being nourished up for three months (7:20b). This is confirmed in Exodus 2:2b).
➪ When Moses was put outside of the house, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and raised him as her own son (7:21). The details of this are provided in Exodus 2:3-10.
➪ Stephen recalls that Moses was learned in all of the wisdom and ways of Egypt (7:22). This is a detail that is not provided in the Exodus record, but is concluded from the fact that Pharaoh’s daughter raised him as her own son (Exodus 2:10).
➪ At forty years of age, Moses visited his brethren, during which time, he avenged one of his brethren that was being oppressed by an Egyptian. The whole matter was not understood by his brethren (7:23-25). This is confirmed in Exodus 2:11-12.
➪ Stephen recounts how Moses visited his brethren again the next day. Upon finding two of them fighting, he tried to make peace between them, only to be rejected (7:26-28). This is confirmed in Exodus 2:13-15.
➪ Moses then fled from Egypt because of that saying, and came into Midian, where he beget two sons (7:29). This is confirmed in Exodus 2:15-22 and 4:20; 18:3-4.
➪ After forty years had expired, God called Moses through an angel who spoke in a burning bush. When Moses saw the burning bush, he turned aside to consider it (7:30-31a). The is confirmed in Exodus 3:1-3.
➪ The voice of the Lord then came to Moses, declaring all of the details of the coming deliverance that would be wrought by his hand (7:31b-34). This is confirmed in Exodus 3:4-4:19.
➪ Although Moses was sent by God, the people did not initially receive him (7:35a). This is confirmed in Exodus 2:14.
➪ God sent Moses to be a ruler and deliverer, providing an accompanying angel, even the one who had spoken to him in the bush (7:35b). This is confirmed in Exodus 14:19,24; 23:20-23; 32:34; 33:2, 12-15.
➪ Stephen reminds the people how God had brought the Israelites out of Egypt with all manner of signs and wonders, continuing to show them wonders throughout their forty years in the wilderness (7:36). This is confirmed in Exodus 12:41; 14:21-27; 33:1; Numbers 9:15-23; 11:1-35; 14:1-45; 16:1-17:13; Deuteronomy 4:33–37; 6:21,22; Nehemiah 9:10; Psalm 78:12-13; 105:27-36, etc.
➪ Stephen declared that Moses had foretold a coming Prophet, to whom the people would hearken (7:37). This is confirmed in Deuteronomy 18:15-19.
➪ It was through Moses that the law was given to Israel (7:38). This is confirmed in Exodus 19:3-17; 20:19-20.
➪ Stephen reminded the council how the people did not obey Moses, but turned back to Egypt in their hearts (7:39). This is confirmed in Exodus 14:11-12; 16:3; 17:3; Numbers 11:5; 14:3-4; 21:5; Psalm 106:16-,32,33; Nehemiah 9:16-17.
➪ He then told them of that shameful occasion when they made the golden calf at the foot of Mount Sinai (7:40-41). This is confirmed in Exodus 32:1-8, 17-20; Deuteronomy 9:12-18; Nehemiah 9:18; Psalm 106:19-21.
➪ God then gave them up to worship the host of heaven, giving them over to their own lusts (7:42). This is confirmed in Psalm 81:11-12 and Second Kings 17:16-17.
➪ Stephen declares how they took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and practiced idolatry (7:43). This is confirmed in Second Kings 17:16-18; 21:6; and Amos 5:25-27.
➪ God had given to them a visible testimony of His presence in the Tabernacle, which was made according to as revealed pattern (7:44). This is confirmed in Exodus 38:21; Numbers 1:50-53; Exodus 25:40; 26:30.
➪ The fathers brought the Tabernacle into the land of Canaan, and set it up (7:45a). This is confirmed in Joshua 18:1.
➪ Following the setting up of the Tabernacle, the land was subdued before the Israelites (7:45b). This is confirmed in Nehemiah 9:24; Psalm 44:2 and 78:55.
➪ The Tabernacle remained for over four hundred years, until the time of David, who found favor with the Lord. He desired to build a house for the ark of the covenant (7:45c-46). This is confirmed in Second Samuel 7:1-5; First Kings 8:17-19; First Chronicles 17:1-4, etc.
➪ However, Solomon was the one commissioned to actually build the Temple that David conceived (7:47). This is confirmed in 2 Samuel 7:13; First Kings 5:1-18; Second Chronicles 2:1-4:22.
➪ Stephen finally affirmed that God does not dwell in temples made with hands, seeing he has made the heaven and the earth and all things in them (7:49-50). This is confirmed in First Kings 8:27; Second Chronicles 2:5-6; and 6:18.
I have taken the time to briefly outline the message of Stephen in order to emphasis several things.
➪ First, he started by identifying them as “brethren” and “fathers.”
➪ Second, up to this point he has not upbraided the council.
➪ Third, he has said nothing that any informed Israelite did not know.
➪ Fourth, he has made no personal assessment of the Israelites in the past, but has confined his remarks to what Moses and the Prophets have said. Every remark has been buttressed with the Word of God.
Now, it is important to note that holy men in the past have been driven to repentance when hearing of the sordid past of Israel. For some, it has been forgotten, but the reminder of the waywardness of their fathers had moved them to godly sorrow and repentance. Here are some examples.
➪ THE PSALMIST:“We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked Him at the sea, even at the Red sea” (Psa 106:6-7).
➪ JOSIAH: “Go ye, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us” (2 Kgs 22:13).
➪ HEZEKIAH: “For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken Him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs” (2 Chron 29:6).
➪ EZRA: “And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens. Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day” (Ezra 9:6-7).
➪ JEREMIAH: “We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God” (Jer 3:25). “We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against Thee” (Jer 14:20). “Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities” (Lam 5:7).
➪ DANIEL: “O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee” (Dan 9:8).
STEPHEN’S REFERENCE TO CHRIST
Stephen’s solitary reference to Jesus Christ was this: “This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear” (Acts 7:37). That is it! Not one single word more. And why was this? Why did he not deliver more positive preaching about the Messiah?
The answer ought to be obvious. He had been arrested for preaching about Christ! Not only was he “full of faith and power,” he had done “great wonders and miracles among the people,” confirming that he was a man of God – just as Moses confirmed he was from God with various signs and wonders (6:8). He had further preached extensively in the synagogue, displaying a “wisdom and spirit” that those who disputed with him were not able to resist (6:9; 7:83). There was no need to again deliver the message of Christ to these men. They had already received abundant testimony.
➪ They had the Law, which was designed to prepare men for Christ (Gal 3:24-25).
➪ They knew of the promise God made to Abraham, which was sufficient to provoke hope, as it did in the progenitor of their nation (Gen 22:18).
➪ They had the Scriptures, which testified of Christ (John 5:39).
➪ They had been subjected to the preaching of John the Baptist, who specifically came to prepare the way of the Lord (Matt 3:3,7).
➪ They had been subjected to the ministry of the Christ Himself (Matt 16:1; 22:23).
➪ They had been directly subjected to the preaching of Peter and the Apostles (Acts 4:13-20).
➪ The chief priest and this very council had admitted that Jerusalem had been filled with the doctrine of Christ (Acts 5:27-29).
There was no excuse for the obstinance of these people, or for their pretentious request that Stephen defend himself. They knew very well what he had been preaching, for it had been done publicly, and even amidst much dispute.
Stephen had told them what the patriarch’s knew, and that was sufficient to have prepared them for the Christ, and draw them away from idolatry. That record was also sufficient to have induced earnest inquiry among the members of the council before whom Stephen stood.
STEPHEN’ WORDS WERE ENOUGH TO INDUCE REPENTANCE
I have given these examples to confirm that a recollection of the sins of the Israelites consistently moved those of honest and good hearts to a lamentation of the past, an association of that past with their present circumstances, and to repentance. The reports themselves moved sincere men to call upon the name of the Lord, and to revenge the disobedience that had cluttered their past.
The fact that this is not happening in the council being addressed by Stephen has verified they are still in the grips of sin, and that no repentance is found in them. They are nothing at all like the people who were moved to fear when they heard of Ananias and Sapphira being judged by God. It is in view of this circumstance that Stephen now speaks concerning the audience itself. There is no need to speak any longer about their past, and how such remarkable propensities to sin had been among them. Now, Stephen will force their iniquitous hearts to overflow. He will reflect the same intolerance for sin that Moses had when he came down the mount, and which Jesus had when He cleansed the Temple.
THEY WERE CUT TO THE HEART
“ 7:54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.”
Here we will be subjected to the wickedness of the flesh, the sinful nature. Not only does it lash out against the Law of God, it also stubbornly rejects the promises of God and the Gospel of Christ. The more spiritual information that is heaped upon the flesh, the more hostile it becomes. The more the truth in any of its many facets is presented to it, the more it aggravates the whole situation. That is the nature of the carnal mind – “it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom 8:7). It is not possible to educate “the natural man” into a state of submission to God,, for he “receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14). He cannot be trained, schooled, or cultured in the things of God. No amount of patience and longsuffering will knock the edge off of his hostility. Reducing the things of God to childish babble will not help the situation of the person denominated a “natural man,” or who is ruled by “the carnal mind.”
If we entertain any doubts about this, the text before us will confirm this is the case. There is no way to account for the response of this council other than the fact that they were at enmity with God – and God has been the subject of Stephen’s words. He has mentioned “God” not less than seventeen times in thirteen verses (7:2,6,7,9,17,25,32,35,37, 42,43,45,46). He mentioned “the Lord” five times (7:30,31,33,37,49). The word he has delivered concerned what God had said and done, and what He had promised and delivered. He has not yet referred to anything that the council has done. In fact, he has not referred to them personally a single time. Yet they will respond just as though he has spoken about them personally.
THEY WERE CUT TO THE HEART
“When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, . . .” Other versions read, “they were cut to the quick,” NASB “they were furious,” NIV “they became enraged,” NRSV “they were moved with wrath,” BBE “they were enraged in their hearts,” CSB “their hearts burst with anger,” GENEVA “they became noticeably furious,” GWN “they wee filled with rage in their souls,” MRD “they were infuriated,” NLT “their hearts clave asunder,” PNT “the Jewish leaders were stung with fury,” LIVING “they be came very angry,”IE “they became more and more furious,” ISV “these words stung them with fury,” PHILLIPS and “they were cut through to their hearts.” ALT
The word “cut” is translated from an unusually strong word. It is a spiritual way of referring to a conviction that incenses instead of producing godly sorrow. Taken from the Greek word diepri,onto (dee-ep-rion-to), this word has the following lexical meaning: “to saw asunder, or in twain, to divide by a saw, to be sawn through mentally,” THAYER “to divide with a saw, hence cut to the quick, infuriate,” FRIBERG and “to saw quite through.” LIDDELL-SCOTT Robertson says of this word, “Here Stephen had sent a saw through the hearts of the Pharisees that rasped them to the bone.” WORD STUDIES
The meaning is that the words of Stephen were like a saw, moving back and forth through the hearts of his audience, ripping them open so their inward thoughts would be exposed. The religious mantel they had thrown over themselves in a kind of feigned dignity would be exposed as nothing more than empty appearance. Their religion did not expose who they really were, but was more the mask of an actor, who pretends to be someone else.
Although I have alluded to this before, it is appropriate that I do so again. It is God’s manner to expose the hypocrisy of those who feign an association with Him. As it is written, “But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken” (Isa 28:13).
This also is fulfilled in the words God told Isaiah to speak to a hard-hearted people: “And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed” (Isa 6:9-10).
This is also what is involved in Jesus being a Stumblingstone. “And He shall be for a Sanctuary; but for a Stone of stumbling and for a Rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a Gin and for a Snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem” (Isa 8:14; 1 Pet 2:8).
Now, observe the sharp contradiction that exists between this revealed manner of God and that of the modern church. Today we are faced with vast numbers of professing Christians who have little or no appetite for the things of God. In substance, they differ nothing from the audience to whom Stephen is preaching. And what course of action are the church leaders taking? They actually reduce the people’s exposure to the Word of God. They shorten their church gatherings. They invent all manner of novel activities. They reduce the frequency of the gatherings. They engage in activities that do not require a proclamation of the truth of the Gospel. They create other ministries that have to do with problem resolution or some form of entertainment.
In all of this, they are totally unlike Moses, the Prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus, the Apostles, and Stephen. They have created a compromising form of religion that cannot possibly be a stumbling stone. It cannot unveil what is really in the hearts of the people. It brings no honor to Jesus, and opens the door for the subtle working of the evil one.
These modern-day methods and techniques would never have produced the results Stephen’s words had on the council. Modern leadership-gurus would probably have made friends of the council, and heralded them as noble people who simply lacked an understanding of the deeper things. They would have chosen a course that would have lessened the opposition of wicked men, who are “destitute of the truth” (1 Tim 6:5). It is not possible to adequately state the reprehensible nature of this kind of approach. It not only reveals a state of spiritual ignorance, but also one that is at sharp variance with “the mind of the Lord.” It confirms the individual is not operating in accordance with the Divine agenda. That is the reason for the variant approach. I will further affirm that it is not possible for the blessing of God to be upon a method or technique that is at variance with his nature.
However, confirming that he had no part with such an approach, Stephen has spoken as the Spirit has directed him, and not as the carnal mind would have preferred.
In Them that are Saved, and In Them that are Perishing
Sound preaching produces effects in both the save and the lost – appropriate effects. Paul stated this in an usually strong manner in Second Corinthians 2:15-17. In this text he also confirms the seriousness of seeking to avoid this manner. “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.” NKJV This is precisely what Stephen has done, and it has brought out the perishing state of the men before him. He has sawn through their hearts with the their own Scriptures.
THEY GNASHED ON HIM
“ . . . and they gnashed on him with their teeth.” Other versions read, “gnashed at him with their teeth,” NKJV “began gnashing their teeth at him,” NASB “ground their teeth at him,” NRSV “ground their teeth against him,” RSV “shook their fists at him in rage,” NLT and “ground their teeth in rage.” LIVING
The language is most vivid, and takes hold of our attention. What does “gnashing” mean? Lexically, the word means “to grind,” THAYER “making sounds by striking the teeth together . . . grate, grind,” FRIBERG This is an extreme expression of anger that seems to be involuntary when either rage or pain dominates a person, and they are under the control of emotion, as opposed to the their rational capacities.
Many people have experienced extreme frustration of some sort that has caused them grit their teeth with all of their strength – almost to the point of breaking their teeth. There is even a medical disorder called bruxism in which people clench and grind their teeth in their sleep, often causing jaw disorders, headaches, and damaged teeth. MAYO CLINC
However, in this text the grinding or gnashing of the teeth is a conscious response to a circumstance. Stephen has sawn through the hearts of the council, and in doing so has exposed what was in their hearts. Remember his charge?
➪ They were stiff-necked.
➪ They were uncircumcised in heart and ears.
➪ They always resisted the Holy Spirit, just as their fathers did.
➪ They were the betrayers and murderers of Jesus.
Until this point, Stephen had not said a solitary word about them personally. However, it had become apparent that they were thrusting his words from them – even though they were a precise rehearsal of Jewish history from the Scriptures. Their rejection of this word, and their refusal to associate it with themselves, made it necessary for Stephen to expose their gross hypocrisy.
This exposure was something with which their rationality could not contend. The uncovering has thrown them into a irrational rage. Now, under the total control of the wicked one, there is no extent to which they will not go to rid themselves of this preacher.
At this point, they speak no words. Their minds are no longer capable of either processing or expressing thought. Now the flesh, with all of its dreadful propensities was operating beyond any boundary of moral restraint. There was now little difference between this council and the wild man of Gadera.
Keep in mind that this condition has not been brought on by severe pain. It is rather the result of hearing a spiritual assessment of their condition. They could have received this assessment and repented – as those on the day of Pentecost and in Solomon’s porch. However, they resisted the word instead.
While those who preach and teach must take care to “not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those who oppose themselves,” there is a boundary to that manner. Such conduct is in hopes that God will “give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves from the snare of the devil” (2 Tim 2:24-25). When, however, it is evident that the people continue to thrust the word from themselves, there comes a time when they must be exposed for what they really are. Jesus did this with the Scribes and Pharisees (Matt 23:13-33). Paul and Barnabas did this in the synagogue of Antioch of Pisida (Acts 13:46). Paul also did this in the synagogue of Corinth when he first went there (Acts18:6).
Paul also instructed Timothy not to receive an accusation against an elder, except on the basis of two or three witnesses. However, should the charge against an elder be substantiated, he told the young evangelist, “Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear” (1 Tim 5:20).
The point to be seen here is that the wicked are thoroughly exposed by godly assessment and denunciation. Y,et the servant of God must not shun to upbraid those who stubbornly continue in unbelief. We have godly Stephen as an example of this, as well as Jesus Himself and those He commissioned to preach.
BEING FULL OF THE SPIRIT
“ 55a But he, being full of the Holy Ghost . . .” Other versions read, “being full of the Holy Spirit,” NKJV “filled with the Holy Spirit,” NRSV “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit,” MRD “full of the Holy Spirit and controlled by Him,” AMPLIFIED and “filled through all his being with the Holy Spirit.” PHILLIPS
“BUT”
The word “but” is significant. It comes from the small Greek word de. (deh) which means “but, or moreover, and is used universally, by way of opposition and distinction; it is added to statements opposed to a preceding statement,” THAYER “used to emphasize contrast.” FRIBERG
Here Stephen is contrasted with the council – one man with a whole body of men. They are all in the same place at the same time. Their minds have been directed to the same subject – the rehearsal of the inspired history of the Jewish people. Yet, their responses are as different as day from night. Here we have a child of God and the children of the wicked one in juxtaposition, or opposite of one another. They have two different natures, so we should expect them to react differently to the unvarnished truth. In this case, the saying of Paul is fulfilled: “But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light” (Eph 5:13).
The light has illuminated the condition of both parties – Stephen, and the council. Jesus said this would be the effect of light, particularly as shining forth from His own person. “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God” (John 3:21).
BEING FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRITThe text does not say that at this time Stephen was filled with the Spirit, but that this was His condition – “being full.” There two words, “being full,” are a translation of two individual Greek words (Upa,rcwn – being, and plh,rhj – full, and pneu,matoj – Spirit). The word translated “being” has the following lexical meaning: “to be there, ready, at hand,” THAYER “exist, be present, be at hand,” FRIBERG “be at one’s disposal,” UBS “to be in a state,” LOUW-NIDA and “really exist, be present.” GINGRICH
Therefore, this text is not saying that as they began to gnash their teeth upon Stephen, he was suddenly filled with the Spirit, or experienced the Spirit coming upon him. This is an example of a state into which all believers are called: “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:18). That is, this is not a mere experience, as some allege, but is a condition or state of being.
Full of the Spirit
And, what does it mean to be “full of the Spirit”? Technically it means to be filled up, with no room for anything else. It involves being “controlled by the Spirit,” and is so translated in the Amplified Bible. In representing a passage in Romans 8:6-8 that concerns being “spiritual minded,” the New International version uses the word “controlled” twice: “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace” (Rom 8:6), and “Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ” (Rom 8:8-9).
Men may choose to philosophize about the matter of being “controlled” by an influence outside of themselves. However, all such reasoning is nothing more than an exercise in vanity. It is written that there are people who are taken captive by Satan “at his will” (2 Tim 2:26). Jesus also told His disciples that there would be times that their speaking would actually be directed by the Holy Spirit: “For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you” (Matt 10:20).
There is also a condition that has been revealed as the Divine objective for the body of Christ: “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Eph 3:19). This is associated with salvation itself, and not with a particular office like that of an apostle or prophet. The ultimate objective of the salvation of God is to conform those who are justified to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29). That involves the transformation of the body, which is described the “purchased possession” (Eph 1:14). However, it is not limited to that “change,” which will take place at the appearing of Christ (Phil 3:20-21).
While we await the time when we will put on immortality, our spirits are being cultured to be compatible with the bodily “house” that is reserved for us in heaven (2 Cor 5:1-5). This transformation is fundamentally within our basic nature, which, in turn, brings about a change in our conduct. It therefore includes our heart, which is the seat of our affections, and the fountain from which all of our expression flows.
Our perception is also being refined, as well as our purpose for living, and our capacity for expression. This all occurs when the individual is “filled with the Spirit,” or “filled with all the fulness of God.” It is in this condition that one is said to be walking “in the Spirit” (Gal 5:16,25). This is the state in which “the deeds of the body” are “mortified” (Rom 8:13), and the individual has a mind that is “controlled by the Spirit” NIV (Rom 8:6).
All of this is done without any element of coercion. It is not necessary for the Holy Spirit to subdue men, or throw them down to the ground in order for this to be accomplished. Salvation makes men malleable in the hand of the Lord, and fillable, if I may coin a word.
Therefore, when Stephen is said to be “full of the Spirit,” a state is being described in which his mind – thoughts, affections, and expressions – are being controlled by the Spirit. This is not “control” in the sense of coercive domination. The Spirit is not acting as a conqueror of the human will, but as the Director and Leader of the one who has chosen to follow Jesus. Strictly speaking, although it is outside the realm of nature, being filled with the Spirit is not a miracle. It is rather the manner of the Kingdom in which one is consciously and cognitively walking in heavenly places. There is a keen awareness of what is going on, a glad participation in it, and the ability to correlate it with truth.
These days, a lot of what is represented as being “filled with the Spirit” is a kind of subduing of the recalcitrant will and ways of the people. It is something like God putting a halter on the people and making them do what they would not otherwise consent to do. But this is not at all the manner of the Kingdom. In Christ, as prophesied by the Psalmist, the people are “willing in the day of His power” (Psa 110:3). They are willing because of preference, not force. The laws of God has been put into their minds and written upon their hearts (Heb 10:16), and their fundamental inclination is to the Lord. That is the nature of regeneration. A person who has to be forced like Balaam to do the will of God has not been regenerated – or has departed from the living God through unbelief. That is a sign of unregeneracy.
HE SAW THE GLORY OF GOD
“ 55b . . . looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.”
Stephen had been addressing the council and was therefore looking at them. Now, however, having finished the word he was given to say to them, he fixes his gaze upward – he “looked up.” The posture of looking up was also assumed by the Lord Jesus, confirming His constant awareness of the heavenly realm and the Father’s residence there. When He blessed the five loaves and two fishes, He “looked up to heaven” (Mk 6:41). When He healed a deaf man with an impediment of speech it is said of him, “and looking up to heaven, He sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, ‘Be opened’” (Mk 7:34). On the night in which He was betrayed, when He poured out His soul in a powerful intercessory prayer, it is written, “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven” (John 17:1).
And what is the significance of this? It is simply this, Jesus and those who walk with Him are more conscious of heaven than of earth! Those who are walking in the light as Jesus is in the light (1 John 1:7) are keenly aware that “the heavens do rule” (Dan 4:26), and therefore they are not subject to happenstance. They resort to the Lord in their time of trouble – often even in their physical posture. They bring their bodies into subjection, governing them with a mind to the Kingdom of God rather than the circumstances of life.
HE LOOKED UP STEADFASTLY
“ . . . looked up steadfastly into heaven . . .” Other versions read, “gazed into heaven,” NKJV “gazed intently into heaven,” NASB “looked up to heaven,” NIV “having fixed his eyes on heaven,” DARBY “looked towards heaven,” MRD “looked up intently to heaven,” NAB “gazed steadily upward into heaven,” LIVING “looked straight into heaven,” ISV “he looked right into heaven,” WILLIAMS and “looked steadily up into Heaven.” PHILLIPS
His heart was “fixed,” and his eyes were riveted on the heavenly realm. The eagle eye of his faith pierced through the the domain of nature, reaching into the unseen realms. Like Moses, he was seeing Him who is invisible (Heb 11:27). He had a concentrated and extended gaze, focusing on the domain to which he was about to be carried by angelic hosts.
The fact that Stephen looked into heaven accents the expectant nature of faith. He did not look with a questioning stare, but with a confident gaze. He was, in a very practical sense, being “saved by hope.” I can tell you that at this time, Stephen is not thinking about possessions, or houses, or lands. He is not pondering treasures laid up upon the earth, or a career, or his status within the church. There comes a time when all such things are removed from the mind, and blessed is the person who prepares for it!
Here Stephen lives out in a visible manner that was happening in his heart. He was “looking unto Jesus,” and doing so at the completion of his race. He was able to do this because he had run the race in this posture, and therefore for him it was, so to speak, natural to gaze even more intently at this time. This is, after all, one of the great benefits of living by faith. This enables the individual to also die by faith, as he fights the last and greatest battle of life. The gaze that enabled Stephen to overcome in life, will also cause him to conquer in death.
Here Stephen fulfills a wonderful word delivered by Solomon: “The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe” (Prov 18:10). Stephen is running into the tower, and will thus find safety during his closing hours. Oh, the stones will still pummel his body, finally crushing the life from it. However, Ido not doubt that he was given such grace as made him superior to pain, if not altogether oblivious of it. There is great power in heavenly distraction from this world.
HE SAW THE GLORY
“ . . . and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.” Other versions read, “He saw God’s glory, with Jesus standing at the right hand of God,” CSB “saw God’s glory, and Jesus in the position of authority that God gives,” GWN “saw the glory (the splendor and majesty) of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand,” AMPLIFIED and “he saw our glorious God and Jesus standing at his right side.” CEV
What a marvelous statement! After leaving Egypt, Israel saw “the glory of the Lord” as it appeared in a cloud (Ex 16:10). They also saw “the glory of the Lord . . . like a devouring fire on the top of the mount” (Ex 24:17). When the Temple was dedicated, Israel saw “the glory of God” (2 Chron 7:3). Three different times Ezekiel said he “saw . . . the appearance of the likeness of the glory of God” (Ezek 1:28; 3:23; 9:4). Isaiah saw “the glory” of the Lord (Isa 6:1-3; John 12:41).
What Is The Glory of God?
The phrase “the glory of God” occurs fourteen times in Scripture (Psa 19:1; Prov 25:2; John 11:4,40; Acts 7:55; Rom 3:23; 5:2; 15:7; 1 Cor 10:31; 2 Cor 1:20; 2 Cor 4:6,15; Phil 2:11; Rev 15:8; 21:11,23). Referring to the Lord, “His glory” is mentioned thirty-four times (i.g. Deut 5:24; 1 Chron 16:24; Psa 78:61; Isa 60:2; Hab 3:3; Heb 1:3). There are several intriguing phrases used in connection with the glory of God. They provide a sense of its marvelous scope.
➪ “ . . . everyone shall speak of His glory” (Psa 29:9).
➪ “ . . . the eyes of His glory” (Isa 3:6).
➪ “ . . . the throne of His glory” (Matt 19:28).
➪ “ . . . the riches of His glory” (Rom 9:23; Eph 3:16).
➪ “ . . . the praise of His glory” (Eph 1:12,14).
➪ “ . . . the brightness of His glory” (Heb 1:3).
➪ “ . . . the presence of His glory” (Jude 1:24).
From these, and other texts, it is apparent that the glory of God is a central consideration. It therefore behooves us to obtain some intelligent concept of what it is.
There is no Scriptural definition of the glory of God – like there is of faith (Heb 11:1), hope (Rom 8:24-25), love (1 Cor 13), and God’s longsuffering (2 Pet 3:15). Most of the references to the glory of God have to do with manifestations or expressions of the Lord – something that could be seen, either by faith or, as at Sinai, a visible appearance of His glory.
These references indicate something of what is meant by the glory of God. His glory is what can be seen or discerned of Him – and that is always something that He Himself makes known, for the characteristics of God’s Person cannot be seen with the naked eye. Thus God’s glory has been made seen in a cloud (Ex 16:10), fire (Ex 24:17), and visions (Ezek 8:4), etc.
However the most precise and thorough manifestation of the glory of God is found in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. This is experienced in regeneration, and the spiritual growth that results from it. As it is written, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 4:6). This glory has transforming power, changing the spirit of man like the visible glory of God changed the skin of Moses face, causing it to glory as the sun (Ex 34:29-30). Therefore it is written, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor 3:18).
The glory of God is what He is pleased to reveal about Himself. At its apex, this glory has to do with salvation, which is nothing less than the execution of the eternal purpose of God. Therefore, when Stephen saw the glory of God, it is most appropriate that he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God – the place reserved for carrying the salvation of God to its completion.
By its very nature, the glory of God involves His expression of Himself, whether in the confirmation of His presence, words that make His mind known, or works that reveal some aspect of His Person or purpose. In regard to what Stephen saw, the glory of God consisted of a revelation of what is taking place in heaven regarding the salvation of men. For Stephen, this will prove to be a confirming sight, and will assist in preparing Him for his departure – kind of departure that requires much grace.
STEPHEN REPORTS WHAT HE SEES
“ 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.”
As anyone who has knowingly been exposed to the glory of God, Stephen will tell us what he saw. For those of tender heart, this is standard procedure. Isaiah “saw the Lord” in the year that king Uzziah died – and he testified about it (Isa 6:1). Ezekiel “saw visions of God,” and he told about it (Ezek 1:1-28; 3:23-24; 8:4-18; 10:15–22). This has been a consistent practice of holy men. When they saw or heard from God, they related the occasion to the people. Moses did this, together with all of the prophets. The pinnacle of this manner is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Savior said that He spoke what He had heard from the Father (John 8:26,40; 15:15). He declared that the works He was showing were “from” His Father (John 10:32). In fact, He referred to His works as “the works of My Father” (John 10:37). He told His disciples that both His words and His works were directly related to the Father (John 14:10).
This is a Kingdom manner that is sorely needed in our day – speaking that have been “seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). There is far too much second-hand religion in our day. Many who come in the name of the Lord rarely make known something that they have seen, perceived, or comprehended of the Kingdom of God. This is why there are so many professed experts in family life, raising children, governing finances, starting churches, and other interpersonal human relationships. You will search the Scriptures in vain to find ministries of this sort. They are all of human origin.
I SEE THE HEAVENS OPENED
“And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened . . .” Other versions read, “I see heaven open,” NIV “Look, I see the heavens opened,” LIVING “I can see Heaven wide open,” WEYMOUTH and “‘Look!’ he exclaimed, "the heavens are opened.” PHILLIPS
Prior to Christ, the only person who ever said he saw the heavens opened was Ezekiel: “Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God” (Ezek 1:1). The only other reference to either heaven or the heavens being perceived as being opened pertains to God sending rain (Gen 7:11; Psa 78:23; Isa 24:18. NIV Through Malachi, God told the people if they would bring all of the tithes into the storehouse he would “open” the “windows of heaven” to them, and pour out a blessing “that there would not be room enough to receive it” (Mal 3:10).
Aside from these references, there are no other texts that directly say that heaven, or the heavens, were seen as open. Isaiah said he saw “the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up” (Isa 6:1). Micaiah the prophet said, “I saw the Lord sitting on His throne” (1 Kgs 22:19). Amos said, “I saw the Lord standing upon the altar” (Amos 9:1).
But with the advent of Jesus, we are given to understand that the heavens have been opened in a new and fresh way! When Jesus was baptized “the heavens opened” (Mk 1:10). When He first met Nathanael, Jesus told him, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man” (John 1:51). In our text, Stephen said he saw “the heavens opened” (Acts 7:56). When Peter was on the rooftop of Simon the tanner’s house, he “saw heaven opened” (Acts 10:11). When John received the Revelation on the Isle of Patmos, he “looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven” (Rev 4:1). He also “saw heaven opened” (Rev 19:11).
The heavens being opened is the direct result of Jesus taking away the sins of the world. That is precisely why, when he died, “the veil of the Temple was rent in twain” (Matt 27:51), signifying that “the way into the holiest” had been opened for the sons of men to come to God (Heb 9:8).
Heaven has been “opened” because a reconciliation between God and man has been accomplished by Jesus Christ (Col 1:21). He had “made peace through the blood of His cross” (Col 1:20), and now men can draw near to God “with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb 10:22). Now Jesus has consecrated “a new and living way,” by which we can come to God (Heb 10:20). Men are no longer held aloof from God, as they were under the Old Covenant. Now, through Jesus, they have “access” to God “with confidence” (Eph 3:12).
This is why Stephen could see the heavens opened – because a reconciliation had been effected by Christ, and he by faith had appropriated it. Now, as his life was being pounded out of his body, he is afforded a glimpse of the land toward which he was about to embark.
THE SON OF MAN STANDING
“ . . . and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” Other versions read, “and the Son of man at the right hand of God,” BBE “the Son of Man in the position of authority that God has given him!” GWN “and “and I can see the Son of Man standing at God's right hand!”PHILLIPS
Every other reference to Jesus’ posture in the heavens say He is seated.
➪ “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool” (Psa 110:1; Mk 12:35; Heb 1:13).
➪ “So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19).
➪ “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb 1:3).
➪ “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Heb 10:12).
Stephen had this vision before they cast him out of the city. Having made his pronouncement of the depravity of this council, it is as though Jesus rose to give honor to Stephen, and to tell him it was now time for him to enter into the rest that remains for the people of God (Heb 4:9).
How did Stephen know it was Jesus, and not an angel, or cherbim, or seraphim? It is because Jesus cannot be seen as He is without instantly knowing Who He is! When He returns in all of His glory, and “every eye” sees Him (Rev 1:7), there will be no questions about who He is! God only has to “show” Him, as He has determined to do (1 Tim 6:15), and He will be at once recognized. For the damned, the horror and pain of that moment defies all description. They will at once see how foolish it was to neglect “the Man Christ Jesus,” choosing their own worldly interests over the Lord of glory.
But this is not how Stephen sees the glorified Christ! He does not shrink back in horror at the sight of the standing Jesus, as though he was going to be judged! Instead, this is his time of triumph!
A Word About Preaching Jesus
This is why pure Gospel preaching is so essential – preaching that clarifies the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is done throughout the Epistles, which contain the exposition of the Gospel. In fact, we would know very little about the nature and content of the Gospel if it was not for the Epistles – what was written to the body of Christ, which is the church. Ponder some of the aspects of the Gospel that are opened up in what the Spirit says to the churches.
➪ Christ is the end of the Law as a means to righteousness (Rom 10:4).
➪ The Gospel declares that God is just in justifying those who believe in Jesus (Rom 3:26).
➪ Jesus was delivered for our offences, and raised for our justification (Rom 4:25).
➪ When we were enemies, we were reconciled by the death of God’s Son (Rom 5:9).
➪ By the obedience of Jesus, many are made righteous (Rom 5:19).
➪ The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus frees us from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2).
➪ God delivered Jesus up, and will much more freely give us all things through him (Rom 8:32).
➪ Jesus gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from this present evil world (Gal 1:4).
➪ We have been made accepted in the Beloved (Eph 1:6).
➪ In Christ Jesus we are made nigh unto God through His blood (Eph 2:13).
➪ Through Christ’s death believers will be presented holy and unblameable and unreprovable in His sight (Col 1:21).