Acts 8

Stephen has been stoned and "...Saul was consenting to his death..." Acts 8:1a

This means that Saul was also guilty of murder even though he did not pick up a stone. This is a disciple of one of the top two rabbis in Israel. He knew scripture! He was a pillar of the community, a citizen of Rome no less! He knew the crowd had broken Jewish and Roman law, but he stood there like a coat rack, doing nothing.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke

How often do we stand silent when something goes terribly wrong?

"I was just holding the coats...I was just sitting there...I was just walking by...I didn't want to get involved...I was on my cell...I had my kids with me...I can't lose my job...what would my neighbors think...they won't listen to me...somebody else will do it..."

Whoever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. James 4:17

And with the unspoken approval of men like Saul, the floodgates were opened and the persecution of the first church began. "...and they were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Sama'ria..." Acts 8:1b

Sound familiar? You see, the church was cozy there in Jerusalem. They had a huge number of people and converting more every day. But remember what Jesus said?

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Sama'ria and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8

I bet the first church thought the "be my witnesses in all Judea and Sama'ria" meant a volunteer ministry of sorts. I bet they thought someone else would step up to the plate. I hear that in our church today. "I'm a sender, not a go-er!"

The first Christians were far from thinking about fleeing to those places! But I bet the apostles remembered what Jesus said.

When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel, before the Son of man comes. Matthew 10:23

So the church is scattered across the land. Their first evangelist is martyred. And Philip appears. Remember him? He was one of the table servers with Stephen. So Philip travels directly to Samaria.

Do you recall, Samaria is the pothole of Israel. Everyone avoided it. Their trips were longer because they had to plan routes around it. And here is Philip, a Greek going directly to Samaria. He begins to share the Gospel. He also performs signs and wonders.

Evidently there was a lot of spiritual bondage going on there. Probably caused by people like Simon the magician. When people don't feel like they have a healthy self-image, they'll grab onto anything that gives them a sense of power.

You remember the high school cliques...if you didn't have strength, beauty, money or brains...you were tossed into the misfits group. These kids are normally the shy ones, the ones that are not as pretty, the poor, the gawky, the different. Sometimes when these teens try to find power, they'd dress outlandishly or create a make believe world that they are in control of...these are the ones who dabble in occult, role playing, heavy metal, goth culture...they stuff their anger and it comes out in virtual reality games. Sometimes it spills over into real life.

So for the Samaritans, the half-breed rejects of Israel, they grasp onto the occult because someone told them they could have power. They find themselves in spiritual bondage, some of them are possessed by spirits, some literally paralyzed. They found they gave up what little strength they had to the father of lies and they served countless gods, or the next magician that came along.

Philip comes on the scene and shares the Gospel, the Good News with them. He delivers many from possession, the lame walk, the paralyzed are free. People believe and are baptized.

Spiritual bondage is crumbling throughout the land and a magician named Simon takes notice. He hears Philip and believes. He is even baptized.

Word gets back to the apostles in Jerusalem. They send Peter and John to confirm the work. You see, up until that time, the Holy Spirit had not been given to non-Jews...especially Samaritans. So Peter and John lay hands on them and they receive the Holy Spirit.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

Now Simon saw this happen and his old nature kicked in. He thought he could make money off of it somehow. So he offered money and asked for the Holy Spirit. The worries of the world, or the desire of money tripped him up.

Other seed fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Mark 4:7

He was rebuked by Peter, "Your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!"

He sounds very frightened in his answer, "Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me." Some theologians argue if he was a true believer or just a back slider.

This is a warning to all who think they can profit from spiritual gifts. Mediums charge a lot of money to look into their crystal balls, tarot cards or chicken bones. Why should we even think to charge money for praying to heal someone? The Holy Spirit is a gift from God. And that is priceless!

So now Philip is told by an angel to go to a certain road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. (I had to chuckle--today we have computers in our cars saying, "Left turn in 2.2 miles".)

And Philip, (which means lover of horses) sees an Ethiopian court official seated in his chariot, reading aloud from Isaiah. So the Spirit tells him "Go up and join this chariot."

This is a wonderful example of street evangelism. Just walking up to a stranger...not because you feel you should, but because you are compelled by the Holy Spirit. Ever had that feeling, standing in the grocery line? Ever get that rib nudge in the doctor's office, watching someone reading a book? The Holy Spirit will direct us to speak to people. He'll even tell us what to say.

...for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Matthew 10:20

All Philip did was ask what he was reading. And it turns out the man didn't understand it. So God put these two together in a divine appointment. The Ethiopian who desired to know more, and Philip who was ready to serve. And so he believed and was baptized at the first body of water they came upon.

So if you back track and read just who this Ethiopian is..."a minister of the Can'dace, queen of the Ethiopians" you will realize that Jesus' direction in Acts 1:8 is happening, because Ethiopia was considered on the edge of the world in Africa. And you know after all of the Ethiopian's rejoicing, he was not about to stay silent about the Good News!

Philip was bold to go to Samaria. Then he was obedient to listen to the Spirit speak to him about a road. Then "the Spirit of the Lord caught up Philip". His service was needed elsewhere and God was moving him--literally! Can you imagine? No airport, no bus stop, no passport, just whisked into another place in the world.

But Philip was found at Azo'tus, and passing on he preached the gospel to all the towns till he came to Caesare'a. Acts 8:40

We will see him one more time.

How do you think we should apply this chapter to our lives? It all depends on what the Holy Spirit speaks to you.

He may be talking to you about some past occult practices that you need to confess and repent of.

He may be whispering a name in your ear that you need to speak to. They have questions that only you can answer for them.

He may even be saying it's time to take a step towards your Samaria, your ministry. Will you be obedient like Philip?

Be ready my sisters. Because when the Spirit moves you, you may find yourself in a place you never would have expected!

How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!" Romans 10:15

Acts 7

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling." Matthew 23:37

Jesus spoke these words as He lamented over Israel and how "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses" ( Matthew 23:2). And now we see Stephen, who had taken on the lowly job of table waiter and made it his own ministry--he is now facing an angry crowd. Stephen is charged with blasphemy against the Holy Place (temple) and Moses' customs. These charges are enough for a death sentence.

Last Wednesday night we touched on what is considered the unforgivable sin in Christianity. In Matthew 12:31 we find, "Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven."

Just what is this blasphemy against the Holy Spirit? Every day we hear people taking God's name in vain as well as Christ's. Some don't even want to go there for fear of being tempted to touch that hot burner. Then there are those out there that go out of their way to tempt justice.

The other passages that talks of this are Mark 3:29-30 and Luke 12:10. Whatever you do, look at it in context.

First of all you must know that once you have been saved, there is nothing that can take away your salvation. When one blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, they are continuously denying Christ, God and the working of the Holy Spirit. In those passages, it refers to the pharisees who continually fight against scripture and Jesus Himself.

One commentary put it this way, "They had attributed the works of the Holy Spirit by whose power Jesus wrought his miracles to the devil." It is basically denying Christ. Which makes sense, if you deny Christ you are choosing hell over paradise.

Now back to Stephen. If you listen to his sermon, putting yourself in that period of time, in the context of the moment you will see why these words cut so deeply. He is letting the officials of the temple know that he knows scripture, and he is wielding it to destroy their charges. He mounts up evidence like a lawyer. There is a wonderful discussion on Stephen's sermon found at this site: http://bible.org/seriespage/stoning-stephen-acts-68821181

He basically calls them on worshipping the building and tradition, rather than the Messiah who came. And those words cut.

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. " Hebrews 4:12

Regarding the death of Stephen, there was no vote of the Sanhedrin, no consent of the Roman Governor. They rushed him outside the city walls and stoned him. This is the only law they followed.

Before Stephen died, he was blessed with such a sight! All scripture talks of Jesus being "seated" at the right hand of God. This is a place of authority, approval and power. But when Stephen sees his vision of Christ, Jesus is standing at the right hand of God. The significance of this is huge.

Can you hear the words of Job, "Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, And my advocate is on high." Job 16:19

Even in our darkest hour, Jesus stands up for us. How can we not stand up for Him while we are on earth?

Saul is a witness to all of this. He is the guy who holds people's coats. His life will soon change as well, and I can imagine he took the vision of Stephen's death to heart. I have to wonder if that is the thorn in his side for years?

Stephen dies uttering similar words as Jesus did on the cross..."receive my spirit" and "forgive them". We too should face death with such grace. Our hearts should not be on the stuff we leave behind, but on the souls that remain. Do you have such deep concern for others who battle against the Holy Spirit's leading? What would it look like to reach out to these people?

Do not be afraid of physical death. Fear eternal death instead.

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1

In just 40 years after Jesus' prophesy of the Temple being demolished, it happened in 70 AD. (Matthew 24:1 - 2, Luke 19:41-44) You can read more on this if you click here.

I wonder...are we ready for more prophecy to be fulfilled? There will be a day when every person will answer to Christ, and this time He will not come as a baby. Revelation 19:11-21

Acts 7 ends the Jerusalem phase. We head into Samaria with Saul in Acts 8.

Acts 6

Here we see the first church in action and growing. They number about 5,000--not counting women and children.

So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, {son} of John, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My lambs." John 21:15

Jewish widows, orphans and sick would get their "social security" or charity from their place of worship--the temple or synagogue. The church continued this care because once a Jew converted to Christianity, they lost their help and it was not the place of the government to take care of them. Today the opposite is true, the government takes care of the people and the church has given up a lot of their responsibility for people.

So the grumbling begins by the foreign Jews who became Christians. They felt their widows were being overlooked--that there was favoritism by the "hometown" Jews.

The people need to be fed or cared for and the Apostles find themselves tied up in waiting tables. They have no time for study and prayer. So they ask the people to appoint seven men to "feed the flocks". The Apostles come across the common issue of being over-extended...they need to delegate. Much like Moses in Exodus 18:13-27 and Jesus in Matthew 14:13-21.

So seven men are chosen and they are a wide range of people, not just hometown guys. If we look at their names, we might have some insight as to who they were.

Timon means honorable or worthy. Philip means lover of horses. He took the Gospel to Samaria and later lived in Caesarea. Prochorus, he that presides over choirs. Nicanor means conqueror. Parmenas, that abides. Nicolas means victory of the people. He was a Gentile Greek who converted to Judaism, then became a Christian. Stephen is Greek for crown.

So seven were chosen by the people, not the Apostles, and they got to work. And the grumbling stopped. Of note, Stephen actually takes his ministry above and beyond. Note that he is the only one that scripture mentions, "full of grace and power, was performing great wonders ". He fed the people spiritual food. Even the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

So in verse 9 we see that Stephen is making an impact at the different synagogues.

But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. Acts 6:9

A little background on the different synagogues:

• The "freedmen" were descendants of thousands of Jews that had been enslaved by Pompey in 63 BC. These or their children were freed at a later period. Those who came to Jerusalem had their own synagogue.
• The Cyrenians came from a Grecian city on the cost, west of Egypt where 1/4 of the population were Jews. So they had their own synagogue.
• The Alexandrians were Jews from the city of Alexandria in Egypt, where 1/3 of the population were Jews.
• The Cilicia synagogue was where Saul/Paul was supposedly attending.
• The Asian synagogue had Jews from the Roman province in Asia Minor of which Ephesus was capital.

These were all considered Grecians or foreign Jews. And since Stephen's name was Grecian--this was probably who he preached to. (Click here for commentary notes.)

Isn't it interesting that the synagogues were divided into places where people attended that had hometowns in common? Today, our churches are divided into denominations...Presbyterian, Baptist, Catholic. People attend where they feel the most comfortable...usually in the church where they were raised, their "hometown" denomination. Sometimes it is difficult to get the denominations to agree on some teachings. Some denominations split because of disagreements on theology.

It is a similar situation when you witness to someone. A lot of times that is why we're afraid to witness. We're afraid of rejection...of getting ridicule from our circle of friends or family because we might challenge what they have always believed. Are you afraid of a discussion going quickly from debate, to slander to violence?

If we take a cue from Stephen, we should jump into the job God assigns us with gusto. But take heed that you are like Stephen in that you are led by the Holy Spirit, and are willing to give 110% in your work!

What can you do today to help your church leaders? Are there people who need a visit, a phone call or a card? Is there somewhere you can help with weekend services? Do you have a skill that would free someone up to do something you aren't able to? Pray on it. Your service is needed!

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. Colossians 3:23-24