Authorities Grit their Teeth at the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Acts 7:54-60

• Jewish rulers were extremely infuriated with Stephen for preaching to them in the name of Jesus.
• Stephen sees heaven open and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
• Jewish rulers stone Stephen to death.
• Stephen calls on God to forgive his persecutors.

Jewish rulers were extremely infuriated with Stephen for preaching to them in the name of Jesus.
“When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.” Acts 7:54

Stephen was a “waiter of tables” [Acts 6:2-5], filled with the Holy Spirit and a tongue of fire. What is it that he said to them? “They” were the Jewish rulers whom Stephen was speaking to in the name of Jesus Christ. The things they heard are described in the posts on Acts 7:1-53. On top of that, Stephen said to them, “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.” Acts 7:51 They were offended and extremely infuriated with Stephen.

Today’s culture, which is global, do not want to hear that they are sinners in need of forgiveness for their unbelief. They shut the Holy Spirit out of their spirit and soul as they live for the beast that infiltrates their spirit and soul to give them what to speak, do, feel, and think. They become infuriated to be told that they are stubborn, not cleansed in their attitudes, and hostile to Holy Spirit. They despise the name of Jesus Christ and His Gospel. They are those who serve the beast who is, “…enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.’” Revelation 12:17

As followers of Jesus Christ, sanctification is a process that cleanses our spirit and attitudes from being greatly offended and being extremely infuriated to the point of acting out aggressively towards others. This cleansing is Holiness working in us and can only happen by being receptive to the Holy Spirit, who is given by Jesus Christ. The Jewish rulers were definitely stubborn against the Holy Spirit as they harbored malicious and hostile feelings towards others, especially those who spoke in the name of Jesus.

Stephen sees heaven open and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
“But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” Acts 7:55-56

Stephen knew the Jewish rulers had murderous intent towards him as they were extremely offended that he was preaching in the name of Jesus Christ and they “…gnashed at him with their teeth…” [Acts 7:54]. Those hostile attitudes of the Jewish rulers come by living by the flesh and fighting against the Spirit, which is to oppose Jesus Christ and Christianity. “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:7-8

We live in a world where everyone has their mind on earthly matters and do not focus on the Spirit as God is not kept in their thoughts. Simultaneously, today’s culture, which is global, does not believe in God, scoff at the need for Jesus Christ to forgive unbelief, and fight against the presence of the Holy Spirit. Needless to say, they have hostile intentions towards Christians and all of Christianity as they gnash at believers with their teeth. They live for the beast that has power over the physical/fleshly nature to give people what to speak, do, think, and feel. This entity gives life to the image of the beast to speak and live through people as they are groomed to the mark of the beast by what they are given to say and do. They despise the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

While the Jewish rulers were preparing themselves to stone Stephen to death, Stephen said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” This contrast between the actions of the Jewish rulers and Stephen’s response shows the difference between the hearts of those without Jesus Christ and the hearts of we who live for Jesus Christ. Can you imagine if Stephen still would have had in his heart the law of “an eye for an eye“? That would have led to quite a rock fight, a lot of raucous, and untold violence, which we see in this world every day. Needless to say, we are not able to share our born-again experience when we retaliate with physical aggression, and our born-again experience is the Gospel of Christ written on our heart.

The work of sanctification is to remove the feelings and attitudes that urges us to live by the creed, “an eye for an eye”. The Holy Spirit leads us into a more civil response to respond with goodwill towards others, to have faith for our eternal home in heaven, to persevere in Christ when we are harassed, and to live at peace with others, “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.” 1 Thessalonians 4:7 Our Lord Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.” Matthew 5:38-39 When we are harassed, afflicted, and persecuted in this world, may we be able to say, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

Jewish rulers stone Stephen to death.
“Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.” Acts 7:57-58

The Jewish leaders were extremely agitated and infuriated for Stephen preaching in the name of Jesus, then Stephen said that he saw the heavens open and Jesus was standing at the right hand of God. This was the last straw in the angry and murderous hearts of the Jewish rulers. They cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him to death.

In today’s culture, to speak in the name of Jesus is strike one, to call them stubborn in resisting Him is strike two, then to say we see Him at the right hand of God in heaven is strike three. At this point, those of this atheistic world, who serves the beast that gives them what to speak, do, think, and feel, are ready to become physically hostile to we who serve Jesus Christ.

The “witnesses” were those who heard the “blasphemy” of Stephen and they legitimized his murder. “Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.” Hebrews 10:28 This is quoted from Deuteronomy 17:6. The witnesses laid their outer clothes at the feet of Saul, probably to give themselves more freedom to throw the rocks at Stephen. Saul was an enforcer of the laws of Judaism [Acts 9:1-2], a Roman citizen [Acts 22:25-28], and a Pharisee [Philippians 3:5]. Later, Saul said “Yes” to Jesus Christ [Acts 9:1-22]and now is known as Paul.

Today’s culture afflicts Christianity in the presence of the entity that prides itself on being everywhere around the world at the same time, being all-powerful with its power over physiology, and being all-knowing by the standards of this world. The beast that has power over behaviors, feelings, thoughts, and words is consenting to the persecution of those sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. People who live for this beast removes the clothing of the Holy Spirit and lays them at the feet of the beast giving them what to speak, do, think, and feel. They boast, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” Revelations 13:4 Our Lord Jesus says, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. “But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28

Stephen calls on God to forgive his persecutors.
“And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” Acts 7:59-60

Those who were stoning Stephen had anger, vengeance, and murder in their hearts. When Stephen said, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” this did nothing to change the hearts of those killing him but reveals the forgiveness within a heart of Holiness. Those stoning Stephen had not asked forgiveness for what they did to him, except Saul. Saul was there giving permission for Stephen’s murder. Can you imagine if Stephen would have said to the Lord, “Charge them according to the murderers they are.” and if the Lord would have said “O.K.” Saul would never have been converted, who was known as Paul as a Christian. If Saul would not have been converted, his missionary ministry would never have happened, and he would never have written the 14 books [including Hebrews] of the New Testament. There are 27 books in the New Testament. While Luke wrote the book of Acts, chapters 13 through 28 of Acts are focused on Paul and his ministry for the Gospel of Jesus Christ [that is 16 chapters of the 28 chapters of Acts.]

The ministry of Salvation is impossible without Holiness because without the Holy Spirit, we would never have it in our heart to give people the time of day if they did us wrong. Without Holiness, our Lord Jesus would never have given His life on the Cross for a world of sinners. Our Lord Jesus died for us while we were still sinners and He died for those who were stoning Stephen while they were in the act, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 Jesus did not come to destroy but to save.

Holiness prevents bitterness, vengeance, and hostile desires to have a place in us. The process of sanctification is like weeding a garden to keep those ill feelings from taking root. Forgiveness doesn’t mean we condone unbelief in God, hostilities towards Jesus Christ, and opposition to the Holy Spirit. Forgiveness means we will always allow the Gospel of Jesus Christ to flow through us to present to those whom Christ has died for. Holiness in us is the only hope of anyone hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ as Holiness is the work of the Holy Spirit and where the Holy Spirit is the name of Jesus Christ is lifted up.

Jesus in us enables us to say with Stephen, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:34 These are the words spoken by Jesus as they nailed Him to the Cross. We say with our Lord Jesus, with Stephen, and all of our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Our flesh will fall asleep, but we will be resurrected to eternal life with a new eternal body.

Every day, those of today’s culture finds a way to afflict belief in God, to make it difficult to live for Jesus Christ, and to fight against the presence of the Holy Spirit. And every day we must be ready to share our born-again experience, which is the Gospel of Christ written on our heart. Every day we must live in Holiness, by the process of sanctification, to be able to forgive those who afflict us over and over again. The day we stop forgiving is the day grudges set in, the Holy Spirit is grieved, sanctification stops, and the life of Holiness is wounded with conflict. A forgiving heart separates us from the ways of an unforgiving, corrupt, and lawless world filled with antagonism.

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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