“You men who are stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who had previously announced the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become…”Acts7:51-52
The Religious Establishment wanted Stephen to shut up! They did not want to hear God’s Word or Truth. They could not stand the wisdom and Spirit with which he was speaking. They stirred up the people, elders and scribes against him. They came and seized him and brought him before the council. Stephen was required to give an account to them. They saw that he was full of the Holy Spirit as he preached God’s Word! He declared what God has said, and what He did. Remember, he was preaching to the Religious Establishment: to professed believers in God. These professed God and considered themselves “leaders”, yet they were not born from above. They were not at all in the Kingdom; they were not circumcised in heart. Stephen told them the truth regarding their unbelief, sin and disobedience! He accused them of resisting the Holy Spirit and persecuting and killing God’s people whom they had betrayed and murdered. The religious leaders were enraged! Stephen continued to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. The only way they could shut him up was to kill him, but Stephen was faithful to Jesus until the end.
62:3 How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
62:4 They only consult to cast him down from his high position; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, But they curse inwardly. Selah
thank you for that TJ … the same story keeps repeating…. down thru time….
Amen sister…..Ecclesiastes 1:9 & Luke 17:26
Ps 4:2 “How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Selah” Kiss the Son lest He be angry!
Yes… and as we leave the answer to that question about them, to God,… we carry on in our call, to be His witnesses.
Amen, witnesses indeed. As captured by the epistle to Jude……”But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. Maintain Your Life with God…….keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life…..
22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.
thanks TJ !