Articles
Win the Debate with Force - Acts 7
Win the Debate with Force - Acts 7
Stephen was a good man and a Christian. However, being a Christian in the middle of first century Jerusalem was not a peaceful thing. They had crucified Jesus. They had arrested, threatened, and beaten the apostles. Now Stephen walks into the middle of a synagogue and begins discussing Jesus.
This should have proven to be a quick discussion. God worked through Steven to produce many mighty signs (confirming him as a man with a message from God). Then it states that, being filled with the Spirit of God, "they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking" (6:10). Hence, the only logical thing to do is to accept his teaching, repent, and find salvation in Jesus. People are not always logical!
Instead, they 'secretly instigate men' to exaggerate Stephen's statements and incite prejudice and anger against him (vs. 11). This stirs up the people who then seize him and drag him before the Jewish leaders. When this escalates to a 'trial', the law of Moses demanded that every charge be verified at the mouth of two or three witnesses. So, to insure they are getting the correct verdict (that was written sarcastically but I don't know how to indicate that), they "set up false witnesses" to "testify against him".
When your religion causes you to violate the very religious principles you hold, it is time to change your religion. To violate the law in order to 'uphold the law' is to disparage and break the law. The law clearly states: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Ex. 20:16). You do not uphold and honor the law by breaking it.
We will be in many religious discussions in our lives. We WILL be wrong in some of them. Being wrong is ok IF, when you are confronted with such error, you change and make the needed correction. It is called repentance. It was how we became Christians. It is how we remain on the right course. What is worse than being wrong is to refuse to make the needed changes.
Hugh
