The Bible Courseනියැදිය

Stephen, the speech and the stoning – persecution

Reflect

Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch Christian who helped to hide Jewish people from the Nazis during the war. In the end, she herself was imprisoned.

As a young girl, Corrie feared that she wouldn’t have the strength to suffer or be martyred for her faith. She told her father this, and he responded by asking her, ‘When you take the train from Haarlem to Amsterdam, when do I give you the money for the fare?’

‘Just before we get on the train,’ Corrie said.

‘That is right, and so it is with God’s strength. Our Father in heaven knows when you are going to need things, too. Today, you do not need the strength to be a martyr. But as soon as you are called upon for the honour of facing death for Jesus, he will supply the strength you need – just in time.’

Corrie’s story proved her father right. God gave her all the courage and power she needed.

What did the martyrdom of Stephen mean?

Stephen was not one of the apostles. His role among believers was to look after the needs of poor widows. Still, full of faith and the Holy Spirit, he was performing great signs and wonders which attracted attention. He was brought before the Jewish authorities and accused of speaking against the holy place and the law (Acts 6.13). He responded with a bold speech, taking them all the way through the Old Testament to show how, in following Jesus, he was not against the law, because Jesus had fulfilled it.

This made the Jewish leaders furious, and they stoned him. Stephen became the first Christian martyr, dying for his faith in Jesus. His vision of heaven standing open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God (verse 56) shows that in that moment, he knew God’s presence with him.

After this, hundreds of Christians were forced to flee Jerusalem in fear for their lives. But far from stopping Christianity in its tracks, it ended up spreading far and wide! Imagine the Jerusalem Church as a dandelion. The wind of persecution came and scattered the seed so that new churches took root and sprang up everywhere.

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus made his way towards Jerusalem in order to provide salvation for all people. In Acts, we see a reversal in the direction of travel. Jesus’ followers made their way out of Jerusalem to offer the good news to the world. Christianity spread out, crossing national borders and cultural barriers. Stephen’s martyrdom was a spark that ignited an unstoppable flame of gospel expansion.

What does Stephen’s story mean for us today?

In many places around the world today, following Jesus means risking your life. In other places, while a Christian’s life might not be threatened, persecution remains. The gospel is always counter-cultural, putting believers at odds with the ways of the world. But just as Stephen knew the Scriptures and shared the gospel, so can we. And the strength Stephen found when he was persecuted is available to us, too – God will never leave us or forsake us.

Respond

Give thanks that you don’t need to fear persecution because God is always with you.