As the church was growing, there were things that needed taken care of besides just the preaching and teaching of Jesus Christ.
Acts 6:1-4- And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
Back then there were no special homes for older people to go to if they had no family to take care of them. So, the Greek widows who had no family were getting overlooked in the zeal of the Apostles to spread the gospel.
This was not something that should happen! But, the Apostles couldn't neglect their calling of preaching to cook food and wait tables. So, they came up with a solution.
They were going to find seven men who could be trusted with this task and have them take the charge of this new ministry- the care of the widows.
Acts 6:5-8- And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
The men gathered together the names of seven faithful who they would appoint to this ministry. One of them was named Stephen.
Stephen would become a notable disciple of Jesus Christ.
Acts 6:9-10- Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
There were certain men who didn't like this new teaching. They were arguing with Stephen about it, but they couldn't win the argument, and this made them mad.
Acts 6:11-14- Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.
These men lied about Stephen. They told just enough truth for the elders to believe them. This caused Stephen to be arrested. Then they got before the council and lied saying that Stephen was blaspheming God.
If you had been there and seen Stephen's face, you would have known that they were lying.
Acts 6:15- And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
Acts 7:1- Then said the high priest, Are these things so?
The high priest ignored the fact that his face showed he hadn't done wrong. He questioned Stephen as to whether or not he had cursed God.
Acts 7:2-4, 8, 15, 18, 20-21, 23, 25, 29-30, 32, 37, 39, 51-53- And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs. So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph. In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months: And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons. And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. 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. To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
Stephen started out telling them about their heritage. As he spake of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses they were content to listen. But once he mentioned that it was the false religious leaders in times past who had turned their backs on God and killed His prophets that they were acting like when they killed their Messiah, Jesus, they became enraged!
Acts 7:54- When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
They attacked Stephen and started to bite him!
Acts 7:55-56- But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Things had been getting a little rough for the Apostles. The religious leaders had decided that force would be necessary to stop the spread of this new teaching. And, Stephen was going to be their first example.
Acts 7:57-60- Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 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. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 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.
These wicked men who were suppose to be teaching God's Scriptures had become the very ones who were trying to halt the preaching of Jesus. They dragged Stephen out of the town and threw large rocks at him until he died.
But, Jesus was with Stephen. As Stephen was dying, he asked the Lord to forgive these wicked men!
Stephen's body died by their hands, but his soul went to be with the Lord in heaven.
I Corinthians 15:55-58- O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
God has promised that death isn't a bitter thing for the Christian. It's just like falling asleep. We breathe out our last breath on earth, and breathe in our first breath in heaven.
And, one day, God will come back and "wake up" our bodies and give us an amazing new one that never tires, never grows old or weak, and never sins!
I Corinthians 15:51-54- Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Stephen had won a victory that day for the cause of Christ.
There was one man who had been there that had witnessed Stephen's death. And, this death would bother him as he went about doing the wicked bidding of the Jewish religious leaders.
But, this man will become someone who does more for the cause of Christ than anyone else!
