Devotion Acts 6.8-15 Same Spirit, Same Spirits

Acts 6:8-15 – Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke. 11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”  12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”  15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

“Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.”  As previously discussed, this statement is not referring to the indwelling of the Spirit that is given to all Believers.  If that were so there would be no need to state that the believing Stephen had the Holy Spirit upon Him because they all knew that they all had the Holy Spirit within.  Stephen had something that the others did not experience and the proof of it was that he was full of “God’s grace and power” and that he“performed great wonder and signs among the people.”  This statement is testifying of Stephen’s commitment to living in the Spirit and the Word and daily seeking the fresh blessing of the Holy Spirit.  All the Believers had the Holy Spirit within, not all had walked daily with God’s grace and power and the proof that Stephen did was proved by the great wonders and signs.  So it also is today.

“Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen.”  The Freedman were Jews who had been previously imprisoned by the Romans and then released.   They had their own Synagogue so that they could fellowship with those who shared their common background.  They are thought to have been a part of and allied with the Sadducees of the Sanhedrin, who strongly opposed Jesus and now opposed the disciples for the protection of their political and financial gain.  They came to argue against Stephen because he was preaching of how Jesus was murdered by the religious leaders and had risen from the dead and now His throne is beside the Father’s throne.

“But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.”  The Freedmen spoke with the motivation of greed and power for self that was hidden under the veil of being religious leaders.  The spoke from the pride of their intellectual understanding.  As is always the case, human intelligence does not stand up against the Truth of the Holy Spirit. 

“Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”  12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”  These people who stirred up false accusers were the same who had stirred up false accusations against Jesus.  We recognize that in the same way they created and propagated lies against Jesus they did so against Stephen.  Same lies and same evil methods against a new target.  But the resurrected Jesus was fully alive within Stephen.  He was teaching Stephen and empowering Him to prove that he was from God as the knowledge and wisdom of the Holy Spirit spoke through him, and did miracles and healings through him.  They thought they had gotten rid of Jesus, but now they were encountering the very alive Jesus in all His Believers.  They could not overcome Stephen with truth, so they made up lies.  This tactic proved successful against Jesus and Stephen and it is still a tactic of the enemy. 

“All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”  With eyes full of the hatred from hell they stared at Stephen whom, like Moses before Him, glowed with glory of God.  How ironic that they accused Stephen of attacking the law and person of Moses while they were full of the same hate that opposed Moses and conversely Stephen shone with the glory of God.  How very blind the Sanhedrin was, and how very hard their hearts that they could not see that were opposing God.  They didn’t recognize their Savior Jesus Christ and they did not recognize God the Holy Spirit within Stephen. 

Family, those of the world who are filled with anger, hate and greed still don’t recognize the hand of God reaching out to them.  The same evil spirit that came against Jesus lives in like hearts today.  But those whose hearts are soft are drawn by the Spirit of God and recognize the face of Jesus in scripture and in His saints.  Those who love God, love the children of God and long for the repentance of the lost show the world the love of God.  We need not be discouraged.  Jesus is within us all.  He empowers those who seek Him.   He proves to us and to all who would see that we belong to Him and that He is alive in the world through His disciples living today.  Praise God that we are allowed the honor.  Praise God who quickens our minds and hearts and who lives within us.  Praise our good and loving God!  Praise God!