For the Stephen project, I did an article with Sam G. I think something we did well on this project was our description or making it easier to understand the story better for other people. I think that if I was there at stunning or speech I think that for the speech I would feel like even if I didn’t necessarily like what he was saying God gave him this instruction that instead of stoning him trust in God and know that he knows beats. if I was there for the stoning I would feel really sad and wonder why people decided to stone him instead of something else just because he was going against what they thought. In Acts 7:57-58 what I get the feeling of what Saul is like is that it tells me that Saul was not a very good man and he was willing to help other people do bad bad things to Christians that didn’t deserve it. I think that the Christians put up with the persecution because they trusted God and knew he had great plans for them like Jeremiah 29:11 says, for I know the plans I have for you are plans to give you hope and a future. They just put God in control and trusted even if that meant putting their life on the line for their faith.
Stephen Getting Stoned
Stephen was originally a Hellenized Jew—a Jew who was Greek in culture but not in ancestry. After he converted to Christianity, the Apostles appointed him to be a deacon serving Jerusalem’s community of Hellenistic converts.
Stephen was a man that loved God, Stephen had had a lot of God’s grace and power he performed great things amongst the people. Stephen gave a speech to the people he said, “I have faith and God is good, people! There will be a new one that will replace the old one. The people didn’t like that and made up lies about what he had said, ‘We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” All the people got to gather at the Sanhedrin and they talked about false witnesses and testified to them. They thought what Stephen had said was really bad because Jesus of Nazareth was going to destroy the Sanhedrin, and he was going to change the covenants Moses had made for them. All the people looked at Stephen, they all thought he had a face of an angel.
They got mad because they did not like the idea of changing the covenant that they liked and God had been faithful in. They were nervous that God would not be a part of the new covenant. They were concerned about having to do more things in their covenant. they didn’t really trust that God was speaking through Stephen.
When the people heard what Stephen was saying and how it was changing the old covenant the one Moses gave them they didn’t like it at all the people got ferrous. They dragged him out of the town and they all rushed at him. Stephen knew the Holy Spirit was with him and he saw God and Jesus on the right-hand side when he looked up into heaven. When the people rushed at him and began yelling and screaming at him bad things and throwing stones at him, Stephen prayed to God. “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, Stephen died because of the harsh and cruel things the people had done because he was going to change the covenant God told Stephen to give to them.