Stephen accused of blasphemy and brought to the Jewish courts.

Acts 6:8-15

• Stephen does signs and wonders and unbelievers start arguments against him.
• False accusations brought up in court against Stephen.

Stephen does signs and wonders and unbelievers start arguments against him.
“And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.” Acts 6:8-10

On the map below, it is seen where the “Freedmen” were from, also referred to as the “Libertines”. The places mentioned in the verse above are circled in red on the map below. Cyrene was within Libya and Alexandria within Egypt. Stephen was in Jerusalem at this time, which is east of Alexandria near Palestine. It is believed that the Freedmen/Libertines had a synagogue somewhere near Jerusalem.

Who were the Freedmen/Libertines? They were slaves who were granted their freedom, adopted the customs of the Jewish people, and built their own synagogue called, Synagogue of the Freedmen/Libertines. Apparently, that synagogue was built around Jerusalem. They were probably the slaves of Romans before granted their freedom. The Freedmen/Libertines were granted worldly freedom but were still in bondage to the written laws of Judaism. They were not able, or willing, to accept Stephen’s message that freedom and liberty came by serving God through faith in Jesus Christ not through the laws of Judaism. Also, after earning their freedom, they did not want to risk losing their freedom by angering the Romans nor the Jewish people. Therefore, by arguing with Stephen against Jesus Christ, they were proving their loyalty to the Jewish customs.

Today, people are granted worldly freedom by adopting the customs of the community culture. Those customs include living for the beast that gives them what to speak, do, think, and feel. They prove their loyalty by their unbelief in God, their rejection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their unbelief, and by resisting the presence of the Holy Spirit. As we live for Jesus Christ in the presence of the Holy Spirit, Holiness becomes our way of life. That Holiness is designed for glorifying God and lifting up the name of Jesus Christ. Sanctification is a process that weeds out any attitudes that cause doubt or scrutiny concerning Jesus as Christ and Son of God, our Lord and Savior.

The Freedman/Libertines were filled with doubt and scrutiny towards the Gospel of Jesus Christ and inwardly they were filled with strife, conflict, debate, and hostility towards Stephen. They followed the teachings of the unbelieving Jewish leaders who said anyone using the name of Jesus was committing blaspheme and deserving of imprisonment and even death. Stephen did wonders and signs through the Spirit of God in the name of Jesus Christ, and this stirred up unHoly wrath towards Stephen. The Freedmen/Libertines purposely picked an argument with him, but they were not able to argue against the wisdom of Stephen, wisdom flowing from the Spirit and Holiness of God.

As followers of Jesus Christ, anytime we glorify God the Creator, speak of the need for the forgiveness of unbelief through Jesus Christ, and welcome the presence of the Holy Spirit, there is going to be debate, conflict, strife, and hostility from those of today’s culture. Our Lord Jesus says, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12

False accusations brought up in court against Stephen.
“Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.” Acts 6:11-12

The Freedmen/Libertines [described in the previous section] secretly persuaded others to say that Stephen spoke blasphemy against God and Moses. The Freedmen/Libertines were obviously seeking approval [“brownie points”] from the mainstream Jewish culture for their opposition to those who spoke in the name of Jesus Christ. The words of Jesus would describe these Freedmen/Libertines perfectly, “They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.” John 16:2 With rumors, lies, and malicious persuasion the Freedmen/Libertines stirred up the Jewish people and the Jewish leaders to seize Stephen and bring him to the Jewish court.

In today’s culture, the masses of people of the community only know what they are given to know about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and all of Christianity. What they know is given from the beast with power over physiology to give them what to think, feel, speak, and do. They are taught that there is no living God, that there is no need for the forgiveness of unbelief through Jesus Christ, and that the Holy Spirit is to be resisted. The beast that motivates people against Jesus Christ is the one who gives life to the image of the beast to speak and live through people. By what they are given to say and do they are groomed to the mark of the beast. As followers of Jesus Christ, our life of Holiness carries the shield of faith to deflect the fiery arrows coming against our faith in Him. Sanctification is the process of cleansing us from doubts even as they arise.

We definitely need Holiness in these days when Christianity is opposed around the world. In many parts of the world, Christians are literally being seized, dragged into the courts, and jailed. Many are killed. In the United States, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is imprisoned to prohibit the spread of the testimony of Jesus, meaning Christians are not free to share the message of the Cross. Christianity is being driven into extinction as the atheistic global government is rapidly becoming the undisputed one world government through the United Nations.

Our Lord Jesus has forewarned us so that we are not caught unaware, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles…“Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 10:16-18, 21-22

“They also set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.” Acts 6:13-14

We will be accused of blaspheming the temple of God, the law, and trying to destroy the customs of the culture. We will be put on trial for teaching in the name of Jesus Christ. They claim the temple of God [our body] as the possession of the beast that has power over the body to give people what to speak, do, think, and feel. We devote our body as the home of the Holy Spirit, so we are put on trial for speaking against their governing authority and the customs of the community culture. Their custom is to honor the beast that governs by setting itself up as God in the temple of God [our body] as if it is God. This is the one “…who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4 The “he” in this verse is the “man of sin”. Click here for a post on the “man of sin“.

Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings belief in Him who gives us the Holy Spirit and moves people away from living for the beast that wants to make people the home of the atheistic beast. We do not want to destroy the temple of God but to build it up in the power of Holiness in the process of sanctification.

“And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.” Acts 6:15

The Jewish council saw the face of Stephen as the face of an angel, and they stoned him to death anyway, as described in the post on Acts 7:54-60. In today’s culture, which is global, seeing a person with the face of an angel is enough for them to detest and harass somebody. That’s because they turn sweet to bitter, good to evil, and light to darkness, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20 This is demonic activity, as the beast of the image and mark of the beast gives birth to these demons, as quoted, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen,
and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and detestable animal.“ Revelations 18:2 “Babylon” symbolizes the global government of the beast and its global culture. They live for the beast that gives them what to speak, do, think, and feel, and they despise the presence of the Holy Spirit and clap for demonic activity.

Today, I saw a dog that looked exactly like an African Hyena because the owner had it shaved and colored that way. It’s popular to take the cutest dogs and to shave them into lions, tigers, and other types of not-so-cute animals. I have also noticed that the “World’s Ugliest Dog” contest is very popular now. Cuteness and anything Angelic are being taken out of this world. The streets are filled with feral cats and homeless dogs as humane societies are not able to accommodate all of the pets gone wild. Nowadays, pets are Rottweilers, Pitbulls, Chihuahuas, or some variation of such dogs. Pets nowadays are the type that would eat “fluffy” for breakfast.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11