“But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.”: Earl Raue
“Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated some men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. They set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us.” And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”
The above quote is from Acts 6:10, and it speaks valiantly of Saint Stephen. Stephen is more than likely my absolute favorite of those persecuted. And yes, that does sound weird, doesn’t it? But look at it this way: Stephen is the first after Jesus to be martyred and die for his faith. Although his death was cruel, wicked and truly evil, it is just astounding to me how Stephen acts and what that says about how we should act as a result.
Stephen’s example is to teach proudly the word of God and the name of Jesus Christ, even to those who won’t listen. There were people that Stephen preached to that not only failed to understand his preaching on account of their own hardened hearts, but hated him for it. These people hated Stephen so much that they would commit numerous sins to condemn him to death. What faith! Not from the persecutors, but from Stephen. The people that took him and falsely accused him and later stoned him to death never received a glare or even a look of contempt from Stephen as they took his life. Stephen stared at the sky, “and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15). In the face of persecution, Stephen turned his eyes up towards Heaven. Of course, many people today do that as well, but I highly doubt they are seeing the throne of God when they do so rather than the clouds above them. It is rather ironic how the most grounding thing we can do is look up towards Heaven like Stephen did.
Knowing where to look is already half the battle, especially when preaching. Students look to their notes, cooks to the recipes they follow, and I myself look to my phone when I seek an answer to whatever question has planted itself in my melon. About that, how often do we look at our phones for answers? What are the answers that we’re looking for? Well, for most, it will be something simple like a name, place or the answer to a math problem, but whatever question Google or Bing or anything like that can’t answer is the kind of question we should be asking God. When we talk about God, we can look up a verse or passage and speak wisdom that is true and that comes from God, but that doesn’t mean we understand it. How can we look up an answer in the Bible and really have it? By ourselves, we can’t. That is the answer. Without God, we cannot know the answers that Stephen gave to his persecutors that upset them so much. Unless we look to Heaven for answers to the questions that trouble our souls, we cannot hope to speak with a wisdom and Spirit that baffles and upsets the evil in others.
What stops us from doing such a thing today? Why can’t we look to Heaven like Stephen and gain wisdom and understanding beyond all reason? Well, that’s because, unlike a phone or a book or whatever else we use to “know” things, God’s wisdom and Spirit can’t be looked up. If it were that easy, then the persecutors that murdered Stephen would not have been so upset at their failure to understand Stephen’s preaching. Wisdom and the divine understanding given to Stephen is the result of a deeply intimate and explicit relationship with God. God is the one who grants understanding. Only He can open our minds and allow us to truly hear what He speaks into our souls. If we do not have that intimate relationship with God, then we risk being like those persecutors who became murderously upset over Stephen’s example of a loving relationship with God.
To finish up, I can only hope that this inspires all who read it to put down their phones and books and to simply sit still and look towards Heaven. As Jesus says in John 14, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” So, unless God is welcomed into our hearts, minds and souls, we should not hope to have the peace and wisdom beyond understanding that Stephen possessed in the moments leading up to his death. Call to God, cry out to Him in your heart and love Him with all your might. Then, go share that love with others. That is what God calls us to do, that is to share the love He shows us with others.
Earl is a devoted disciple of Christ and a good friend here at LA Tech Wesley. He is always available for an adventure or a good joke. A junior this school year majoring in English, as well as a member of our Discipleship Team, we look forward to having Earl’s kind and gentle spirit around for years to come.