Nothing New Under the Sun – Acts 6
Today we are reading Acts Chapter Six. The spotlight is on Stephen, one of the seven men chosen to make sure the widows receive food. Solomon’s words in Ecclesiastes ring in my ear that there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
Stephen was full faith and by the Holy Spirit, performs miracles among the people. Yet he was singled out by Jewish leaders who were offended, yet they were unable to cope with his wisdom and spirit (Acts 6:10 NASB).
Stephen is Arrested
He was arrested by the leadership and false charges were drummed up against him (see verses 11-14). They:
Secretly enticed men to say he spoke blasphemy
Stirred up the people, elders, and scribes
Dragged him away to the Sanhedrin
Put forth false witnesses against him
Leaders Oppose Stephen
I find the definition of the word cope in verse ten interesting. It the Greek it means: to set against, resist, oppose. Not at all my first impression of this word. When I think of someone coping, I envision them managing, enduring, or submitting to life’s trials. They were set against Stephen. Yet, they were unable to argue with the wisdom with which he spoke.
This explains the opposition and motives of the leadership. It’s clear they made up their minds ahead of time and were unwilling to see truth and reveals their hardness of heart.
Another thing stands out to me; Seeing the similarities between the charges against Stephen and those brought against Jesus when He was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:53-65, Mark 15:9-11, Luke 23:13-14).
Pondering This
As I read this chapter, three things stood out to me about living as a follower of Jesus:
- The Holy Spirit equips people to serve according to their gifts and passion.
- There will always be people who won’t like what I say or do.
- God’s Word will continue to spread despite turmoil.
Ministry has growing needs and God provides through the hands, hearts and minds of His people. We need visionaries who see the big picture, administrators to guide the work, and gifted individuals to be the feet on the ground. This chapter is an early image of the body of Christ in action.
Stephen and the others simply wanted to serve God by meeting the needs of these widows. I’m sure he didn’t expect such a rabid reaction.
And isn’t that our motive as well—to meet needs, share the Good News, and honor God with our service?
Yet, today, when someone rises to leadership, whether in or outside the church, they are often marked with a bullseye. When choosing to do right, others may see it as wrong (Isaiah 5:20, Proverbs 17:15). Integrity is scoffed at and truth is obscured, all because people are blinded to spiritual things.
People are judged by the social media mob, similar to what Stephen endured. This is the epitome of what fake news can do, and today we see the same spirit of indictment.
Often people made up their minds and are unwilling to see #Truth. This is the epitome of #FakeNews, and today we see the same spirit of indictment. Click To Tweet
Our true enemy is not other people. It's Satan, the #EnemyOfOurSoul, who is after has a much bigger aim: #DisunityAndConfusion Click To Tweet
No Matter What Happens, God’s Word Prevails
Yet, in the middle of this turmoil surrounding Stephen, it says, the word of God kept spreading and many came to faith (Verse 7).
This is a comfort to me as we face the turmoil of 2020—shut-downs, confusion of the right course of action, political and racial unrest, riots and looting…
Be assured of this, God’s word continues to spread and many hear the Good News of faith despite the opposition and unrest.
There is Nothing New Under the Sun in 2020
There’s always been, and always will be unrest—until Jesus returns. There will be people who don’t cope well with those who do good and stand for truth. But, as a follower of Jesus we live each day with a promise. We have the presence and power of the Holy Spirit within us. Power to live and serve. Power to touch and be touched through the Spirit that continues God’s work around us. And no matter the outcome, God sees our faithfulness.
#Turmoil has engulfed the world for centuries. Nothing new is under the sun because the #BattleIsRooted in the evil that attempts to drum up charges against God's children. Click To Tweet
Turmoil has engulfed our world for centuries. There is truly nothing new under the sun because the battle raging is rooted in the evil that attempts to drum up charges against God’s children. The Good News is, God delivers us from evil and sets us upon His Rock. And nothing can prevail against His purpose or His church; His word will continue to be proclaimed until He comes again.
Be encouraged today. God is still on His throne.
What speaks to your heart in this chapter of Acts? I’d love for you to share your thoughts in the comments below.
Jeanne
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If you have missed any of the posts in our series, you can catch up here:
Backlash of Power VS Roller Coaster of Truth – Acts 4
Being Filled – Truth or Lie – Acts 5
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Download your copy of How to Read God’s Word With Your Heart and a printable page to jot down your thoughts from each chapter.
See you next time when we’ll read Acts Chapter Seven.
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Jeanne, through the account of Stephen, you remind us that use of our gifts will not always be well-received. This truth you included reminds us to stay faithful anyway: “ And no matter the outcome, God sees our faithfulness.”
Thanks for your comment, Jeannie. And a huge amen!
Your message shows how the same types of conflict and turmoil stay with us throughout history. Although familiar with the story of Stephen, I had not considered how closely the circumstances of his arrest and death resemble situations in our current world. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for your visit today, Katherine. And I am glad that today’s post about Stephen and the turmoil spoke to you too. His word truly is living and active.
What truths here Ms. Jeanne. As much for today as in Stephen’s day.
Jeanne Doyon I especially like your “Pondering This” section with your 3 summary points followed by your application for today.
Sandra, It is always good to look for application. Thanks for your thoughts today.
You are correct, there is nothing new under the sun. Satan is a liar and a deceiver, he always has been and he always will be. But by the strength of our Lord we do not have to fall prey.
Monty, thanks for your thoughts. Yes indeed. Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world.
Stephen was such a great example up standing up under pressure. A storm will always rage (somewhere), but with God, we can endure.
So true, Kelly. Thanks for your visit and my apologies for not replying promptly. My laptop is in the infirmary. Diagnosis unsure. And for some reason, I am unable to reply using my phone app. Tech trouble is maddening.
I agree that the problems of this year are not new. Part of the issue is social media. These days, we hear and read about everything. I especially like your point “There will always be people who won’t like what I say or do”. This can, in my experience, be an issue between Christians. I have been around Christ-followers who seem to feel their way of doing things is the “correct” way. It depends on the particular issue at hand, but in general, I don’t think any of us have the authority to be the one “correct” person.
Hi Robin and thank you for stopping in to share your thoughts on this chapter in the book of Acts. I think you are so right. God says his ways are not our ways…and look at how he felt about Job’s friends who seemed to have God all figured out.