Title Acts 07:54-60 Stephen's Martyrdom 2
Contents Main text: Acts 7:54~60
The conclusion of Stephen's sermon, which outlines the history of Israel, such as Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, and Solomon, is in verse 51, "You stiff-necked people and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit, and you He does.” He pointed out straightly that the person who arrested and killed Jesus was a member of the Sanhedrin.
Appearance of the perpetrators (54-58)
These are the reactions of Stephen, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, prepared for martyrdom and heard the word of the Holy Spirit.
1. We pierced our hearts and grinded our teeth.
When we hear the word of God through the Holy Spirit, it appears in two forms: repentance and rebellion. Row 2: 37
After hearing Peter's sermon at the temple, about 3,000 people repented, were baptized, and received the gift of the Holy Spirit when they said, "Brothers, what should we do?" As a result, the number of disciples increased by 3,000, and as they shared deep and beautiful fellowship with the saints, they prayed and learned the Word, and they changed into an extremely beautiful figure. But the people of today's text were the exact opposite. In general, when people do not receive grace, they cry when they realize that they have done something wrong, but become angry when others point it out. These people hate, anger, and attack those who point out wrongdoing, acting as if they were enemies.
2. He screamed and covered his ears (57)
If you are stabbed in the heart, humble and meekly admit your mistake and repent, you will receive God's grace, but you will not repent.
Because my heart is blocked and I am so angry and hateful that I grind my teeth, I scream out loud to ignore the words and close my ears.
That's the only way to stop it. The anger and hatred in the heart will become more violent unless the Holy Spirit stops it.
appear in the text.
3. He is brought out of the city and stoned to death (58).
In order to kill a person, even then, a lawful trial and permission to execute must be obtained from the Roman governor
do. But these are all people who call on the name of God and know the Bible well, and they are intellectuals.
These are the people who know what needs to be judged and pleaded. Nevertheless, they turn into a violent gang.
thus completely ignoring the procedure of the law. When stoned, the witnesses strike first, then the crowd.
They killed and made piles of stones, but they killed people recklessly. This was the result of unrepentant anger.
4. Saul watched the martyrdom of Stephen while guarding the clothes of the witnesses (58)
Because Saul was also a lawyer, he justified the death of Stephen, so he kept the garments of the stoning witnesses.
will be So, he agreed to Stephen's death and became a joint member. But here Saul is Stephen's
He must have been moved by the majestic and peaceful martyrdom, which greatly influenced Saul's repentance later.
After the martyrdom of Stephen, Saul is transformed and he realizes the mystery of how the seeds that become Paul are planted.
The martyrdom of Stephen the martyr (55-60)
Stephen is the first and most exemplary martyr. A robe as dignified and peaceful as Stephen
The true form of martyrdom is martyrdom that glorifies God. Everyone has a threatening environment or a temple of death.
He was afraid and withdrawn in difficult circumstances, but Stephen was rather confident and relaxed.
sour.
1. Stephen filled with the Holy Spirit (55)
True martyrdom cannot be done by one's own strength. All of this is possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. sublime
Stephen's martyrdom is the result of God's strength and leading to martyrdom. So we too, like Stephen,
If we are full of spirit, in other words, if God is with us, we can have hope that we can too. filled with the Holy Spirit
It means to be controlled by the Holy Spirit or controlled by the Holy Spirit. If you are not under the control of the Holy Spirit, the environment is great
It is very important, but under the control of the Holy Spirit, the environment can be transcended. Therefore, in the worst condition such as death
You can live your best life.
2. Seeing the glory of God (55)
The glory of God, which cannot be expressed in words, can only be imagined by those who are filled with the Holy Spirit, and to such children.
It is a gift from God. Those who realized in advance the glorious honor, learning, and power of this land
I see you trying to cut bones. However, when he correctly realized the incomparable glory of God,
People cannot help but be happy about martyrdom, but it is difficult for ordinary people to understand.
3. Seeing Jesus standing at the right hand of God (55)
Most of the expressions in the Bible are Jesus sitting at the right hand of God (Matthew 26:64, Luke 22:69, Ephesians 1:20,
Col 3: 1, Hebrews 1: 3). The fact that he was standing means that Stephen's splendid martyrdom was so long that he encouraged and welcomed
is the look. And since Jesus is expressed as the Son of Man, 'Son of Man' is Jesus' self-proclaimed title. week
is used when Jesus calls Himself in the Gospels (Matthew 30, Mark 15, Luke 25, John 12). only su
Only Devan described Jesus as the 'Son of Man', so it is an expression that he knew Jesus most accurately. spirit of god
The right understanding of light and Jesus is the driving force for the victory of faith.
4. Lord Jesus, receive my soul (59)
We saw Jesus' prayer on the cross as it was. Giving your soul to the Father is the best life
It is the assurance of eternal life and a profession of faith that entrusts protection. In that desperate moment of being stoned to death, pray this prayer
I can't help but be thrilled to be able to give.
5. Do not blame them for this sin (60)
The power of a believer is the power to kneel and pray at the moment of being stoned to death. Those who kill themselves at such a moment are completely innocent, but only those who are filled with the Holy Spirit can pray such a prayer toward the enemies who kill them. It is just like the prayer Jesus prayed when he was nailed to the cross. Just as many Jews who killed Jesus through Jesus' intercession were pierced by Peter's sermon and the 3,000 or 5,000 people who could not count them repented. Stephen's great forgiveness is an example for all.
Saints! Stephen's martyrdom is recorded as 'sleep'. After the death of the saints, there is the resurrection of eternal life. Therefore, believers must live proudly and glorify God. Let's do our best to practice the Word by following Stephen's martyrdom. Amen