Yet an angel had released Peter and John from the prison of the High Priest
And now, Stephen
Stephen, not one of the Twelve Disciples of Jesus, but a newly appointed disciple of the Disciples. A leading man among seven, overseeing multitudes of these ‘Christ’ followers in Jerusalem’s growing congregations – an overt challenge to the authority of its religious-political leaders responsible for their Roman ‘peace.’
How will Stephen defend Christ before Jerusalem’s political fathers?
Not betrayed, but like the Apostles falsely accused.
Stephen now begins his defense with their common history, recorded in Scripture and supposedly taught by Jerusalem’s fathers, shepherds of Judah, in their synagogues. He includes himself as their Jewish brothers, born to a line of their own patriarchs.
Abraham
The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and He said to him,
Leave your country and relatives, and come to the land that I will show you.
4 Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living.
Here's Stephen's first point about the Patriarchs (ruling fathers):
“But God gave him no inheritance here, not even one square foot of land.
ACTS 7:5a NLT – Stephen’s defense to the fathers of Jerusalem trying him for following the Messiah Jesus
6 But God spoke to this effect, that his descendants would be strangers in a land that was not theirs, and they would enslave and mistreat them for four hundred years…
We know that Stephen is leading up to Moses leading them from Egypt (in ancient times).
.. and so Abraham fathered Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob, the twelve patriarchs.
ACTS 7:8b NASB
Nothing too controversial in Steven's opening argument to these contemporary patriarchs of the Sanhedrin, right?
“The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him..
11 “Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers could find no food. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time. And on the second visit, Joseph made himself known to his brothers..
Joseph's brothers, patriarchs of Israel DID NOT RECOGNIZR their rejected brother, whom these eleven fathers had thought would be brought down by slavery.
14 After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all.
15 Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died. Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought..
Joseph saves Israel (Jacob) and its Patriarchs (his brothers, who finally had bowed down to Joseph)
Jerusalem's fathers (who sit in judgment of Stephen) continue to listen intently to the disciple of Jesus' Disciples they indicted for speaking against the Law.
The innocence of an angel shines from his face as God-breathed words flow forth from his tongue.
Stephen reveals God’s Promise through Abraham
“But as the time of the promise which God had assured to Abraham was approaching, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt..
Acts 7:17 NASB – Stephen’s history of the Patriarchs of Israel
FOUR HUNDRED YEARS WILL ELAPSE (as we know) between this first part of Stephen's story about the blessings of the patriarchs and the second part of his history of slavery in Egypt.
.. until another king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph.
4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem..
6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. And so the angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:
to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah [CHRIST], the Lord.
This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”
Jesus
After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Want to know more about the CHRIST of Christmas?
Just follow ANY secure link to the terms above from the Nativity story of the birth of Israel's Messiah, Jesus.
OR
Email Roger@TalkofJESUS.comand ask me ANY question about Jesus Christ, God or the Holy Bible.
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.
ACTS of the Apostles 6:1 ESV
Leading through diverse difficulties of a growing Church
‘.. but we have always done it THIS way?’
(This isn't going to be so easy, is it?)Luke reveals the cultural challenge of the church familiar to him, however most of us (in this 21st century) will not understand the root of the problem:
Mixing gentiles with Jews. Even bringing the traditional challenge of some Jews joining in fellowship with other Jews divides political alliances in the Sanhedrin of Jerusalem.
Therefore I will begin by including a background for our scene in first century Jerusalem, as well as outcomes of church ministry which have occurred over two millennia. - RH
First let’s clarify some ‘church‘ terms we derive from the Greek language of the New Testament.
Who are Apostles? (and who are Disciples?)
HOW MANY APOSTLES?
TWELVE (our standard answer)
WHO ARE THE APOSTLES?
No need here to recite them by name, but remembering:
ALL Apostles at this point in ACTS are leaders of the Church in Jerusalem.
Matthias has now replaced Judas.
Saul of Tarsus will soon encounter the risen Christ Jesus and join in ministry as Paul,the Apostle to the Gentiles.
And all thy children shall be taughtH3928 of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
prophesy of the Messiah by Yeshaiya (Isaiah) 54:13
μαθητήςmathētḗs, math-ay-tes’; from G3129; a learner, i.e. pupil:—disciple.
The Twelve were disciples of Jesus who followed their Teacher full-time for three years.
You’ve probably noticed that most translations of the Bible capitalize ‘disciple’ to avoid confusion when referring to the Twelve Disciples [Apostles].
Many others of the multitudes also became disciples and followed Jesus Christ in the early days before his crucifixion and resurrection.
Now, in our scene in Jerusalem after the Lord’s resurrection, the Church in Jerusalem has many disciples –disciples of theHoly Spirit (who of course first receive the Holy Spirit, as we have just read from Luke’s account).
Yet from Jesus’ instruction from the Gospel of the Apostle Matthew, note another distinction of this relationship between rabbi and pupil: that of master (or lord) and servant.
These also apply in Luke’s account describing the model by which the Apostles lead the early Church.
FIRST: Jesus was the Rabbi. And Jesus was the Master.
THEN: The APOSTLES became the Rabbis. And the Apostles were then masters of their sheep (students; flocks, servants, community, school, fold, gathering, or whatever you may choose to call this multitude of the Church).
Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.
Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.
Jeremiah 23:1, 50,17 KJV
But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;G1249
Gospel of Matthew 20:26 KJV – Teaching of Jesus to His disciples
The Twelve, led by two of Jesus’ inner circle of Apostles, Simon Peter and John, now lead the New Testament Church as rabbis to a multitude of disciples.
Lambs of the Apostles’ fold
The Apostle John, who Luke records as standing at Peter’s side on the day of Pentecost, opens our eyes to the resurrected Jesus, where the Lord calls on Peter to restore the foundation of his calling:
“Tend My lambs.” .. “Shepherd My sheep.” .. “Tend My sheep.
These new disciples of the Twelve include NOT ONLY men from traditional Judaism, but also men, women and children accepted into fellowship, tender young lambs of Jesus who could NEVER before have been full members of their community of faith in the Lord God.
“And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock, with one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it back.
Jesus teaching the Jews that He will Shepherd the gentiles, as scripture has said. – Gospel of John 10:16-17 NASB20
And what happens when ANY two groups of differing cultural traditions choose to follow one leader?
Dissension and murmuring by some unwilling to abide by rules and traditions imposed by others.
Who is the master ministering to these NEW lambs?
“They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
“Go; behold, I am sending you out like lambsin the midst of wolves.
Instruction of the Master Jesus to seventy-two [72] disciples + Gospel of Luke 10:3 NASB20
Master – διδάσκαλος – didaskalos
The KJV translates Strong’s G1320 in the following manner: Master (Jesus) (40x), teacher (10x), master (7x), doctor (1x).
a teacher (from didasko, “to teach”), cp. didaskalia, “teaching, doctrine, instruction,” is translated “doctors,” with reference to the teachers of the Jewish religion, Luk 2:46. Cp. paideutes, “a teacher.” See MASTER, TEACHER.
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words 1 Strong’s Number: g1320 Greek: didaskalos – via BlueLetterBible.org
The rabbis of Jerusalem quarreled with each other as they had also challenged the legitimacy that Jesus’ MANY disciples should call the Lord, ‘Master.’ Now that Peter, John and the Apostles have remained in Jerusalem as Jesus commanded, MANY disciples remained faithful to the church gathered under the leadership of the Apostles.
Note from earlier, after Peter preached in the Temple,
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus.
These Apostolic Masters of the Church community now face division and opposition just as Jesus had encountered in Jerusalem prior to His execution and resurrection from the dead.
Lord
We will never understand our role as a servant of the Church until we know the sacrificial love of its servant-Master.
"lord" occurs 7,790 times in 6,587 verses in the NASB20. Page 1 / 132
Here too I urge caution and prayerful understanding of terms frequently used and misused by the church. i.e. Lord, Master, servant, slave (even God and ‘love,’ translated from several different Greek and Hebrew words in Scripture).
May peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you; Be master of your brothers, And may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, And blessed be those who bless you.”
And God said to Moses, “I AMH1961 WHO I AMH1961”; and He said, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘I AMH1961 has sent me to you.’”
I said to the LORD [Yᵊhōvâ}, “You are my Lord [;ăḏōnāy]; I have nothing good besides You.” – Tehillim (Psalms) 16:2
For this is what the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said:
“In repentance and rest you will be saved,
In quietness and trust is your strength.”
But you were not willing,
Isaiah 30:15
Luke has only used the term ‘church’ once at this point in Acts of the Apostles to describe these ‘large numbers of men and women.’ He opens his second account describing the miraculous growth of the church:
Acts 5:11 KJV And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
The Church (that is, the early church) lives as a community of love in fear of God, yet joyful of Christ’s anointing Spirit given to His disciples of the Church who will ‘follow Jesus, as their Master.’
The saints of the Apostolic community serve the Living God and obey the Apostles as their lords and masters.
The discipleG3101 is not above his master [didaskalos],
Now that we have defined some of these ‘Christian‘ terms so foundational to understanding Luke’s account of the Acts of the Apostles; NEXT, God-willing, we will examine the role the these servants of the Church.
