Acts 7:51-60 - Peace in the Midst of Chaos

You can't control the world's chaos, but you can have peace in the midst of it.

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SINCE WE LAST LEFT OFF... Stephen, one of the men described as 'full of the Spirit and wisdom' and selected as the first deacons, was arrested by the religious establishment on false charges. He responds to their charges with one of the most amazing sermons in the New Testament, in which he shows how all of Biblical history shows how Israel continually rejected the LORD's prophets, just as they were now rejecting Christ.

Stephen now concludes his speech:

Acts 7:51–8:1 (NASB95)

⁵¹ “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. ⁵² Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; ⁵³ you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”

⁵⁴ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; ⁵⁶ and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

⁵⁷ But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. ⁵⁸ When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

⁵⁹ They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” ⁶⁰ Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep.

8 Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Belgic Confession of Faith

Article 37: The Last Judgment

[At the final judgment]

... the faithful and elect will be crowned

with glory and honor.

The Son of God will “confess their names”

before God his Father and the holy and elect angels;

all tears will be “wiped from their eyes”;

and their cause—

at present condemned as heretical and evil

by many judges and civil officers—

will be acknowledged as the “cause of the Son of God.”

And as a gracious reward

the Lord will make them possess a glory

such as the heart of man

could never imagine.

So we look forward to that great day with longing

in order to enjoy fully

the promises of God in Christ Jesus,

our Lord.

Summary

Luke uses one of the Bible's best figures of speech to describe the Jewish establishment's reaction to Stephen's sermon: they were cut to the quick - a phrase that lateral means "to be sawn through - to be angry to the point of rage—to be furious, to be enraged" (source). This is exactly what the truth does to those who've set themselves against it, and this is exactly why you see so much rage even in our age when you hold to Biblical truth.

Notice the massive contrast that Luke describes. On the one hand, there's the Sanhedrin - men so angry that they're gnashing their teeth at Stephen. They're not carefully listening to what he says and evaluating it according to God's Word, rather they're crying out with loud voices, and covering their ears as they rushed at him with one impulse - literally, this was a mob mentality. Notice what happens when people stop listening and thinking for themselves: emotionally driven chaos is almost always the result.

But over and against all of their noise and bluster stood Stephen, gazing intently into heaven, where he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Even as the mob of supposedly erudite Sanhedrin members drove him out of the city and began stoning him, Stephen had a peace that transcends all understanding, a phrase later written by Saul, who at this time was in hearty agreement with putting Stephen to death.

You probably won't have face down an angry mob attempting to stone you for preaching the truth to them. But you will face increasing fury from friends, neighbors and even relatives who both literally and figuratively cover their ears to God's Word. As you experience this more and more, like Stephen, keep your eyes focused on the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.

  Dig Deeper  

Luke makes clear why it is that Stephen could keep his wits about him in the chaos he endured:

• Acts 6:3 - Stephen was one of seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom;
  

• Acts 6:5 - Stephen was chosen as a deacon because he was a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit;
  

• Acts 6:8 - Once again, Stephen is described as being full of grace and power, as he performed great wonders and signs among the people;
  

• Acts 6:10 - Those arguing with him were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen was speaking;
  

• Acts 7:55 - As the establishment's anger builds, Luke once again describes Stephen as being full of the Holy Spirit, as he gazed intently into heaven;

Could Luke possibly make this any clearer? If you want to have the same peace that Stephen had, even as the stones were hurled at him, make it your prayer that you too would be full of God's power and Spirit, and make it your practice to strengthen the Spiritual disciplines that God has ordained to fill you.

AAA Prayer (About)

• ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who fills His children with His power and Spirit through the preaching of His Word, administration of His sacraments, and the discipline of His Church;

• ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that like Stephen, that you will be filled with God's power and His Spirit;

• ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

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