TEXT: "And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him."-Acts 8:2

Stephen was one of the seven men that was chosen to help oversee the activities of the daily ministration. He was of a honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom. He was also full of faith and power. He did great wonders and miracles among the people.

There were certain men of the synagogue, which were called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and also those of Cilicia and of those of Asia, all these men had an argument with Stephen about Jesus Christ, and the temple. These men were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which Stephen was speaking. They later paid and persuaded some people to tell lies(i.e bear false witness) against Stephen, in the court of the high priest.

These false witnesses said, Stephen's behaviour and language shows a lack of respect for God, for Moses, and also for their religion. And they encouraged the people, the elders, and the scribes to become angry with Stephen. They violently arrested him, and took him to the council.

Subsequently, in the council, the false witnesses accused him again, saying that, they heard him say, Jesus Christ shall destroy the temple, and change the laws of Moses. The truth is Jesus did say he will destroy the temple, but Jesus was speaking of the temple of his body, John 2:18-21. And as for the law of Moses, Jesus came, not to destroy, but to fulfill. Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets, Matthew 5:17, 18.

Furthermore, in defending himself in the council, Stephen narrated the story on how God called Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, unto the time of David the king, and to Solomon who built the temple. He went on to tell them that the most high does not dwell in temples made with hands, because heaven is his throne, and earth is his footstool.

However, when he called them stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, betrayals and murderers, and always resisting the Holy Ghost. He saw the opened heavens, and the Son of man, instead of sitting, Mark 14:62, was standing at the right hand of God, probably ready to receive the spirit of Stephen into heaven. Moreover, when the people could not take it any longer, they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped listening to him. They charged on him with one accord, and stoned him to death. The false witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of Saul.

But, Stephen, while he was being stoned to death, prayed for his murderers, that God should forgive them. And he said Jesus should receive his spirit. When he had said that he fell asleep. Stephen is one example of those that forgives their enemies, Genesis 50:19-21; and prays for their murderers, Luke 23:34. He is also an example of those that died in the Lord, and are waiting for the time they will rise from sleep(death) at the time of the translation, which some scholars call rapture, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18.

And finally, the death of Stephen had some positive impact on the church. There was a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem; and the members were scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria. Those that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. And Philip also went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. Thus they obeyed the commandment of Jesus Christ to go into all the world and preach the word, Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

Pastor K. C.