Something Greater

The Faith of Abraham Stephen's defense was based upon the faith of Abram, who later was called Abraham. In obedience to God's direct command, Abram left a country in which his family ancestors had lived for generations, to a land completely foreign to him. "Now the Lord said to Abram, - Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Genesis 12:1-3 (ESV) Abram obeyed, but with great reluctance and procrastination . Still, he obeyed. Yet what was Abram's reward? What happened to God's promise? "God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to...

Grace and Goodness from a Wasted Life Stephen, preacher and servant of Christ, has been arrested for heretical blasphemy. In the face of hateful, false witnesses and malicious judges, Stephen's appearance radically changes in the eyes of all at the trial, and he begins his defense. "Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, - Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you." Acts 7:2-3 (ESV) What was "your land" and how did it become their land? MESOPOTAMIA: mesopotamia (Mesopotamia, region between the Euphrates and the Tigris); from mesos (middle) and potamos (a current, brook or freshet: running water that is drinkable) The Old Testament account described Abraham's country as "Ur of the Chaldeans". UR: ur (a place in Chald'a); from ur (flame, figurative for the East, the region of lig...

He Looked Like An Angel The wisdom and spiritual power of Stephen upset the preferences and plans of Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. Unable to refute arguments solidly supported by Scripture, the religious rulers set up false witnesses, stirred up public anger and arrested Stephen, charging him with blasphemy and religious rebellion . When the council's anger and self-righteousness had vented itself in a furious storm of words and threats , they paused for breath and stared at Stephen daring him to defend himself: "And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel." Acts 6:15 (ESV) How many angels had these religious rulers seen? What experiences allowed them to compare Stephen's face with that of an angel? Their experience with angels was probably limited to only the descriptions written in their holy Scripture. The final book of the Old Testament, written by one of the last authentic Jewish prophet, Malachi, spe...

Secret Slander and Public Deception "Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen." Acts 6:9 (ESV) FREEDMEN: Libertinos (a Roman feedman) CYRENIANS: Kyrenaios (a Cyrenaean, an inhabitant of Cyrene); from Kyrene (Cyrene, a region of Africa) ALEXANDRIANS: Alexandreus (an Alexandreian, an inhabitant of Alexandria) CILICIA: Kilikia (Cilicia, a region of Asia Minor) ASIA: Asia (Asia, Asia Minor, usually only its western shore) Libertinos had strong family connections with Roma, a major city in Italia, the nation we now call Italy . Cyrenians immigrated from Cyrene, a major city in Cyrenaica on the northern coast of Africa, the nation we call Libya . Alexandrians came from Alexandria, a major city in Aegyptus, the country we know as Egypt . Cilicia was a region just north of Jerusalem, along the southe...