Scripture

Acts 26:19-32

Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking the sober truth."

—Acts 26:25

PAUL BEFORE KING AGRIPPA

26:19 "After that, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, ²⁰but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout the countryside of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and do deeds consistent with repentance. ²¹For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. ²²To this day I have had help from God, and so I stand here, testifying to both small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would take place: ²³that the Messiah must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles."

²⁴ While he was making this defense, Festus exclaimed, "You are out of your mind, Paul! Too much learning is driving you insane!" ²⁵But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking the sober truth. ²⁶Indeed the king knows about these things, and to him I speak freely; for I am certain that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a corner. ²⁷King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe." ²⁸Agrippa said to Paul, "Are you so quickly persuading me to become a Christian?" ²⁹Paul replied, "Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that not only you but also all who are listening to me today might become such as I am—except for these chains."

³⁰ Then the king got up, and with him the governor and Bernice and those who had been seated with them; ³¹and as they were leaving, they said to one another, "This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment." ³²Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to the emperor."

TO SERVE AND TO TESTIFY (FOR OUR LORD)

Paul, who as a Roman citizen has the right to appeal all the way to the emperor, has an advantage that Jesus, a lowly Palestinian Jew, lacked. He has the right to a trial in the highest courts. By claiming the rights of a Roman citizen to appeal to the Emperor Nero, Paul assures that he will have a chance to take his stand to the heart of the Roman Empire.  Festus, a Roman government official,  is faced with a major dilemma: many are clamoring for Paul's death, and Festus can't build a case against him. By inviting King Agrippa II to hear Paul, he hopes that this representative of the emperor can uncover some evidence he can use. Agrippa came from a long line of officials who crossed paths with Jesus and his followers. He was the great-grandson of Herod the Great (see Matt. 2; Herod was the infamous murderer of boys under age two) and grandnephew of Herod Antipas (in Luke 23 this Herod questions Jesus; Mark 6 reports that he ordered the beheading of John the Baptizer and took part in Jesus' trial). King Agrippa was also the son of Herod Agrippa I (in Acts 12, he martyred James and vigorously persecuted early Christians). Agrippa II was also a Jew and perhaps could provide unique insights into Paul's defense that would soon unfold.

Paul knows his audience; he spins his story to his advantage. He aligns himself with Rome while claiming his association with Jerusalem and Jewish tradition and with followers of the new Way of Jesus. Paul is clear that his appointment to serve and to testify compels him to proclaim that Jesus is the promised, resurrected Messiah. He drives home a two-part message: that Jesus is the one who suffered and who first rose from the dead and the one who will bring light to Jew and Gentile alike.

Paul stands before powerful people, empowered by his commission to testify and serve the risen Christ. He is intent on inviting his hearers to make these beliefs their own. To establish credibility before his audience, he draws on his position as a member of the Jewish elite and a Roman citizen. The strength of his personal, subjective testimony provides a powerful dimension to his public testimony. Those who would judge him are more than frustrated by it. They resist his evangelism but acknowledge that he has done nothing worthy of imprisonment or death. As the scene ends, it is as if Agrippa II and Festus are worried that Paul's appeal—and their role in it—will be a royal waste of time.

As a Pharisee, Paul was known to have been a formidable enemy of Christians. His call to serve and to testify, however, led to the end of his "kicking against the goads." A goad was a sharply pointed pole used to prod animals such as oxen into doing their work; the figure of speech was common in Greek literature, referring to the futility of pushing against a powerful force. Paul could not resist the power of Christ and the promise of forgiveness, redemption, and salvation.

Enlightened against the powers of darkness, Paul obeyed this call for the rest of his life. His journey of faith took him across the known world, into prisons and into the midst of people who knew of other gods but not the God of Israel. He found ways to raise funds, to encourage fledgling communities of faith, and to spread the teachings of Christ.

CREEDS, CONFESSIONS, AND STATEMENTS OF FAITH

Theologians generally acknowledge three reasons that the church finds itself called to make public statements of faith or to write confessions or creeds. The conditions for a status confessionis are times of external threat, internal dissent, or inspiration to speak a new word, perhaps what Paul would call a "sober truth." Throughout the church's history, people of faith have recorded faith statements, often referred to as creeds and confessions, testifying to their beliefs at a given point in time. This is not a dead tradition, as new statements continue to be written in faith communities across the globe. Many new-member or confirmation classes include an exercise in creating a personal faith statement as a snapshot of one's beliefs at that particular age or stage of faith.

Consider Paul's words in Acts 27 as his confession. It seems that he is compelled to position himself squarely within the Roman Empire (state) and as a Jew who follows Jesus (religious authority). Paul affirms the bodily resurrection of Jesus and leaves no doubt that he believes that Jesus is the Messiah. Paul is called to share this news with others and believes that the promise of salvation and eternal life are worth risking his life before the powers of the state, the prevailing Greco-Roman gods, and Jewish tradition.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

How has your faith changed over time? Do you have a sense of call to a particular ministry or kind of service? Reflect on where you feel most fulfilled and challenged in your faith walk.

What "goads" do you face in seeking to share the good news of Christ and the promises of the resurrection with others?

Who are some of your mentors in the faith who serve as examples to you to find ways to "kick against the goads" and stand up for what you believe as a Christian?

PRAYER

God of all Life, may we be inspired by Paul's strength of purpose, clarity of call, and assurance that his witness was worth the cost. May we find ways to invite others to join us in this journey of faith, demonstrating the good news in word and deed, in all those places our faith will take us.  Amen.

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2012 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.

July

Scripture

Acts 8:26-39

The eunuch said, "Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?" —Acts 8:36

8:26 Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a wilderness road.) ²⁷So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship ²⁸and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. ²⁹Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to this chariot and join it." ³⁰So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" ³¹He replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. ³²Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this:

"Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. ³³ In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth."

³⁴The eunuch asked Philip, "About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?" ³⁵Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. ³⁶As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?" ³⁸He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. ³⁹When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

Note: Acts 8:37 is not in the NRSV. Most scholars believe it to be a later insertion, appearing in manuscripts in the 6th century A.D.

 

We tend to glamorize early Christians. We think of them as having pure motivations. Since they're so near to Jesus in time, we think we need to "get back" to their good old days. Except the early Christians didn't experience the "good old days" we imagine they did. They struggled with distances and barriers just as we do now.

There are no barriers in the family of faith. Peter had struggles with this as he matured in his ministry, just as we think we're inclusive until different sorts of people show up and reveal that there is, in fact, a wall between them and us. When we say, "They're different than us," we're also saying "They're separate from us," or "They don't belong."

This passage asserts that this assessment is irrelevant. The point is not that we figure out who belongs and who doesn't but that we attend to God's leading in our own lives. Philip attends to God's leading: he goes to Samaria and preaches; he listens to an angel who tells him to follow "a wilderness road"; he follows the Spirit's direction to join a chariot; he follows the Spirit to the Ethiopian who desires baptism; and he is whisked away by the Spirit and starts proclaiming the gospel again, right where he lands.

Philip discerns and obeys at the same time: it's an angel of the Lord and the Spirit of God. If these visitors were not of God, Philip would not have followed them. Having discerned that they are, he obeys.

The Ethiopian does the same thing: he discerns and obeys. This man had traveled great distances to worship the God of a people who excluded him from the covenant of faith. Who does that besides a person who is convinced that the Lord God is One? He was excluded, but he sought this God nonetheless and discerned when the right teacher came to him. Hearing the proclamation of the gospel, he obeyed the call of Christ and sought baptism, understanding with joy that the Lord of the people that excluded him in fact included him.

It's dramatic in that an angel of the Lord speaks to Philip, even though Philip seems to take it as though it's nothing unusual. When Philip follows the Spirit to speak to the Ethiopian, he plows through boundaries that should have shocked him. Perhaps they did. It's not only startling that Philip goes to someone excluded from the people of God (one not allowed to offer a sacrifice at the temple, like everyone else); it's that he also approaches a wealthy, prominent, educated man who is reading and asks him if he understands what he is reading. We usually note the barrier that excludes the Ethiopian. We rarely notice that Philip crossed a barrier of social status.

Actually, both men ignored what they understood about their religious practice or their social roles and simply listened to the same Spirit of God that was active in them both, dissolving barriers. It is as if the barriers never existed.

AN INTIMATE ENCOUNTER

Have you noticed that no introduction is needed when Philip encounters the Ethiopian eunuch? Both men are rooted in devotion to God. Both pursue the truth of God's salvation. There's no exchange of names and no recital of Philip's credentials. Philip walks to the chariot and with no lead-in asks if the Ethiopian understands what he is reading. The Ethiopian reveals no surprise. Scripture was important to both of them; they both sought the word of the living God with all their hearts. The niceties of social convention were ignored for the sake of a conversation about the living God.

This common bond makes their relationship an intimate one. Philip taught and the Ethiopian learned about the vital gift of salvation. The Spirit of the Lord created this intimacy between the two; the Spirit led the two men to each other. Then the two men became brothers in Christ through baptism

We often unknowingly allow barriers to form between us and others. There are people we don't sit with and people whom we actively exclude for one reason or another. Maybe after reading this story, we can look at things a bit differently and consider that the Spirit has brought us to one another. That might help us to discover our intimacy with those who are different from us, an intimacy grounded in the grace of Christ that binds us all. Like Philip and the Ethiopian, we might very well become allies instead of aliens.

A BLESSED ENCOUNTER

We find it difficult to comprehend that God would exclude anyone from covenant because of life circumstances. The wealthiest are included along with the poorest, males with females, and anyone of any denomination. People might choose to reject covenant with God, but God invites us all.

Some commentators speculate that Philip may also have explained  Isa. 56. In this passage, God challenges the readers' assumptions about the covenant. In Isa. 56:3-7, God speaks and switches things up. Those who treat the covenant glibly, as though all they had to do was follow rules, do not count the covenant with God as prized. Yet in these verses God declares that the eunuch and the foreigner (the Ethiopian on the road!) are included in the covenant because they keep it, follow God's decrees, and keep the Sabbath, not desecrating it. In other words, those that keep covenant with God have covenant with God.

This would surely be reason for the Ethiopian's eagerness for baptism and rejoicing even though he saw Philip no more. In this particular passage from Isaiah (and remember the Ethiopian was reading from Isaiah) those who think they are not Included in the people of God are told, "Yes you are! For you keep my covenant, heed my decrees, and do not desecrate my Sabbath." We know from the passage in Acts that this is what the eunuch did: he traveled far to worship at the temple where he wasn't accepted, which can only be a sign of deep devotion to the one true God.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

With which people do we feel distance? What difference serves as a barrier?

How would you describe the relationship between Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch?

Which things of your faith are dear to you? Why? Can you imagine worshiping God even if you were excluded from God's people?

PRAYER

God of peace, your gospel is dear to us: by the power of the Holy Spirit may we share it with those we encounter, no matter who they are. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2012 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.

Scripture

Acts 8:9-24

Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money.

—Acts 8:18

 

8:9 Now a certain man named Simon had previously  practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he was someone great. ¹⁰A11 of them, from the least to the greatest, listened to him eagerly, saying, "This man is the power of God that is called Great." ¹¹ And they listened eagerly to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. ¹²But when they believed Philip, who was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ¹³Even Simon himself believed. After being baptized, he stayed constantly with Philip and was amazed when he saw the signs and great miracles that took place.

¹⁴ Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. ¹⁵The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit ¹⁶(for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). ¹⁷Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, ¹⁹saying, "Give me also this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." ²⁰But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God's gift with money! ²¹You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not right before God. ²²Repent therefore of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. ²³For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and the chains of wickedness." ²⁴Simon answered, "Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may happen to me."

 

As Christians, as congregations, as denominations, and as Christ's one universal church, we do not depend on ourselves but on Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ's is the only authority that we are to seek and discern in the midst of our lives. We are not lords of others or ourselves. Our Lord, the one who authors our lives, is Lord over all that is and is none other than the triune God. All spiritual power is God's alone. Our power is in cooperation with the power of the Holy Spirit, and we cannot be holy apart from the Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit cannot be owned, parceled, hoarded, bought, or demanded.

As we follow the plot in this story, we see power at work; we see how people respond to this power both in service and in greed. Simon was powerful. People followed and "listened to him eagerly." As the story unfolds, Simon recognizes power greater than his own in the preaching of Philip, and so he follows him. Then there is an even greater power: the power of bestowing the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. When Peter chastises Simon, he draws a vital distinction: one cannot have the power of God. One simply serves it.

 

POWER IS DESIRED

We human beings are certainly drawn to power. We enjoy watching powerful athletes; we respect people who are able to use words effectively; and when someone with personal charisma walks into a room, we can't help but notice and show interest. Power brings prestige and recognition, and as we can see in many public figures, it brings the temptation to live outside ethical boundaries. Simon is a powerful man, so powerful that people "listen to him eagerly." They follow him. However, these same people discern a greater power through Philip's preaching when he comes to them in Samaria.

Philip was among those who had been dispersed throughout the area when Saul began his campaign against Christians (Acts 8:1-3). Those who spread out after Stephen's death and Saul's persecution of them did not scatter into the countryside to escape from threats to their lives but to proclaim the gospel. No wonder the Samaritans took note of Philip: even though persecuted, he preached a joyous message that threatened religious assumptions.

The Samaritans believe and are baptized, but the power that Philip brokers is not his own, nor does he buy or sell it for his own sake. Instead, he serves the power of God through proclamation and baptism. Because those in Jerusalem heard of this work of God, they sent Peter and John to demonstrate it further and to serve the power of God by the laying on of hands. Simon doesn't understand that it is God's power alone. The Samaritans discern the power of God and how it is administered. Simon discerns incorrectly when he thinks that this power can be manipulated.

Peter not only accurately accuses Simon of the wrong motives,  he also makes a way clear for Simon to be healed and forgiven for his motivations and misunderstandings. The power of God opens a way to Simon for restoration.

What does Simon do?

He accepts the grace! Certainly, Peter is a strong example of a servant to the power of God; Simon now humbles himself, submits to correction, and learns about the true nature of the power of the Holy Spirit. Simon wanted to buy the power of the Holy Spirit; now he receives it freely, pointing to God alone.

 

POWER SHINES

We read about God's power for living in Eph. 3:20:" [God] by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine." It is what gives us the confidence to spread our wings and fly, to dare to say and do all the gospel things we are given. The God of the universe created us in God's own image, which we bear in our daily lives. We are created to be who God created us to be. We are servants, yes. But we are not all the same servant doing the exact same thing in service to the Holy Spirit. And we are not weak servants, "for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline" (2 Tim. 1:7).

How do we shine brightly without burning others? Our power is to serve, not destroy. Our lives are like parables, pointing to Jesus or to the kingdom of heaven.

Philip continued the call to proclaim the gospel and to baptize; John and Peter went where they were sent and did what they were given to do; and Peter declared the truth about the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, in the end, serves us by binding us to Jesus Christ, in whom all things in heaven and on earth are reconciled to God. We serve the God who is for us.

Just imagine: your light, shining brightly, glorifies God and points all those around you to the Holy Spirit.

 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

Can you think of a person or two in your life who has "shined brightly" and encouraged you to do so? How does your understanding of this inspiration change when you realize God gives you a spirit of power and love?

Is it hard to affirm others who shine brightly in a way different from the way that you shine? Why or why not?

What power has God given you to point to the gospel of Christ? Do you demonstrate joy, love, peace, patience, or other fruits of the Holy Spirit?

 

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, if you accomplish abundantly far more than what we can think to ask for or even imagine, we realize that you change the world. Help us to stand up boldly, confident that you have created us to be powerful servants of your gospel. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2012 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.

 

 

Scripture

Acts 7:51—8:la

While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

—Acts 7:59

STEPHEN’S MARTYERDOM

7:51 "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do.⁵² Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. ⁵³You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it."

⁵⁴ When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. ⁵⁵But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ⁵⁶"Look," he said, "I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" ⁵⁷But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. ⁵⁸Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." ⁶⁰Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he died.

8:1 And Saul approved of their killing him.

 

The stories of the Gospels and of Acts are written so that we can see the mountains, plains, wilderness, and Samaritans by the side of the road in the text. In this passage, we not only see people murder Stephen; we see the looks on their faces and feel their burning resentment of Stephen. One would think that we would stay away from this passage. But as the death of Jesus is echoed here in Stephen's death, we witness something beautiful, true, and good.

Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit and thus enabled to see divine things. While those around him "became enraged and ground their teeth," he saw not the end of his life but the ground of all life: "he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God" (v. 55). He saw Jesus resurrected, Lord over all, in unity with God in the power of the Holy Spirit.

WE ARE FORMED TO WITNESS

This passage is often referred to as the martyrdom of Stephen. The word martyr is one we should use carefully, because it is a serious word. To be a martyr is to be a witness. Stephen is a martyr because he was killed for bearing witness to his faith in Jesus Christ. This has been happening to Christians over the centuries. When we remember the stories of martyrs, we rejoice in their faith and courage. In fact, it is their absolute conviction of the joy of the gospel that fills their hearts with courage to proclaim that gospel regardless of the enemies who are present.

Unfortunately, the word martyr is used casually even by Christians. Some, thinking that Christians no longer dominate United States culture, have used the word martyr to describe themselves, even when there isn't a hint of physical danger. Complaining about the way things are is very different from being killed for proclaiming the gospel.

On the other hand, there are Christians who have done brave things and died for them but who are not Christian martyrs. Dietrich Bonhoeffer is often called a martyr because after doing what he understood he needed to do as a disciple of Jesus Christ, he was arrested and put in various Nazi prison camps where he was hanged one week before the Allies liberated the camps.

Bonhoeffer was not arrested for being a Christian. He was arrested because he participated in the plot to assassinate Hitler. However, Bonhoeffer's courage points us back to Stephen's, and we can start to see how devotion to Jesus Christ reorganizes our priorities. Bonhoeffer understood that he had a unique place in society—he was well-educated, unmarried, and connected to the underground intelligence movement—and thus a unique responsibility. He knew that murder was wrong. He did what he thought he was called to do and left the justification of his act up to God.

WE ARE FORMED IN TRUTH

"Telling the truth" is one of the best excuses we Christians use to be unkind, since we think of telling the truth as morally right no matter what truth we're telling. But claiming that we are speaking the truth when we are being mean and arrogant turns the gospel of Jesus Christ into a joke. Why should anyone believe that "God is love" when we show disdain for their thoughts or opinions? In Eph. 4, we are exhorted to "speak the truth in love."

This shows us that hypocrisy can go in at least two directions. Stephen shows us both by holding fast to the truth of Christ. First, he does speak the truth, even though he would have gotten along a lot better with people if he had soft-pedaled his message. To be faithful to the truth of Christ means speaking when necessary. Stephen did this in order to refute lies and hypocrisy of the council who claimed to be people of faith but who had turned against God.

Second, Stephen speaks the truth in love, bearing witness to Jesus who had been sent into the world God loves so much not to condemn it, but to save it (John 3:16-17). We know he speaks in love because his last words are selfless words of forgiveness.

Consider how Stephen's witness has been passed to us today. The word tradition means "to hand over." When we teach others about our faith, we hand it over to them and help them to hold it in their own hands. The words and deeds of our faith need to bear witness to the truth in love; otherwise we are handing over a hollow gospel that does not share the good news of our salvation through the love of God.

Stephen allowed himself to be formed into the truth of Christ by his faith tradition and by the Spirit. When we allow ourselves to be formed into truth as Stephen was, we speak the truth in love, no matter the opposition. This means that we, like Stephen, are to be loving and daring in our witness to Christ. We forgive even those who oppose us, and we hand over a tradition of gospel joy.

WE ARE FORMED INTO BOLDNESS

Boldness requires risk. We take risks when we declare our faith one way or another without considering the cost. Small acts can be bold. We can also be bold in a louder volume, but our boldness will always be unique to who we are as Christ's particular disciples. The Samaritan woman at the well boldly spoke to Jesus, a man and a Jew. Moses boldly argued with God and talked God into a change of mind. We all know people that have been bold when they were heckled on the street or brave as they continued daily life after a cancer diagnosis.

Being bold, as Stephen shows us, is being a Christian no matter what. This doesn't mean we're always perfect Christians. Any situation in which we find ourselves is a situation in which we are called to be Christian no matter what happens. We are bold simply because we speak the truth in love as Stephen did.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

You have particular circumstances in your life. How do your situations require Christian boldness?

What does it mean to you to "speak the truth" and to do so "in love"? What particular events would you refer to in order to describe how you were a bold witness to the gospel of Christ, in word or deed?

In what ways do you seek to be formed by the Holy Spirit into the joyful daring that was active in Stephen?

PRAYER

Mighty God, we are bold to approach you for forgiveness, and we are bold to go forth as your servants. Form us into truth and love that we might pass on the gospel of Christ in the way we speak and act. Amen.

 

 

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2012 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.

Scripture

Acts 6:8 —7:2a

Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

—Acts 6:8

6:8 Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹Then 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. ¹⁰But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. ¹¹Then they secretly instigated some men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." ¹²They 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. ¹³They set up false witnesses who said, "This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; ¹⁴for 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." ¹⁵And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. 7:1 Then the high priest asked him, "Are these things so?" ²And Stephen replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me.

 

Luke, the author of Acts, wants us to learn the faith given in the gospel of Christ and to understand Christ's care for those who are poor, alone, or oppressed. If we are formed into the people of God through our faith in Christ, then we are a people of faith formed for the sake of the world.

If you've ever seen a catechism, you'll have a sense of how Luke values learning. A catechism articulates in question-and-answer form what a group of people believes. Catechisms are used in different churches to help people learn the theology of their faith.

Catechisms help us to learn the language and theology of our faith. For example, the first question of the Heidelberg Catechism (in the Reformed tradition) is "What is your only comfort, in life and in death?" The answer begins, "That I belong—body and soul, in life and in death—not to myself but to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ."

In today's passage, Stephen declares what he believes by reciting the salvation history of the people of God by heart. His courage comes from knowing that he belongs to his loving and faithful savior in life and in death (centuries before the Heidelberg Catechism was written!). There is no separation between learning the faith and living the faith for Stephen. He has become part of the people of God. While his speech about the history of God's people is not a question-and-answer session, it has the same effect: teaching what we Christians declare to be true.

Toward the end of the passage, Luke shares the way that Stephen stands firm in this tradition of learning and living. Stephen shares with his accusers what he has learned and what they haven't. Like the people of God in previous generations, they too have turned away from God and even against God.

THE SPIRIT GIVES US COURAGE

Some Bible stories seem impossible to emulate. How could I ever have the strength of character that Stephen had? Do I have half his courage to say what I believe, even if it would get me killed? What makes a person strong enough to stand up against adversity to proclaim Christ's gospel?

We already know from Acts 2 that the Holy Spirit came upon the church at Pentecost, and at the beginning of Acts 6 we are given to understand that Stephen's strength and grace are from the Holy Spirit at work in him. Indeed, Stephen has the power of God through the Holy Spirit: "Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people" (Acts 6:8). Not only that, but Stephen's speech is a recitation of the history of salvation. He tells the stories of Abraham, Joseph, and Moses, among others, to be clear that those who claim to be people of God often turn away from God and against God. Yet God comes back again and again, giving us new grace. Stephen claims his place in history as part of God's people.

We are God's people too, full of the Spirit. We may turn away from or against God, but God does not leave us. We can make a difference in spreading the gospel of Christ in word and deed because we are part of God's people.

Who you are matters, and where you are matters. God has not called you to be Stephen or Peter or Paul. God has called you to be you, part of the people of God, and God's Holy Spirit will be upon you in your daily life.

THE SPIRIT GIVES US INTEGRITY AND SELFLESSNESS

One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is that we are able to see ourselves in Scripture in many different ways. Scripture is like a mirror: we can see how we are reflected in it and what it shows us about ourselves. John Calvin referred to the Bible as "spectacles." Scripture works the same way eyeglasses work. They help us see clearly when everything used to be blurry. If we read this story a couple of times, each time as though we were one of the characters, we see ourselves from a different perspective. What do we learn about ourselves when we are one of Stephen's accusers? When we are Stephen?

There is often conflict in leadership; sometimes we cause the conflict. This passage also helps us to see that we, like Stephen, are given our faith by the power and grace of the Holy Spirit. Even though his accusers lie about Stephen, note that he doesn't stop to correct them or defend himself— even when they seize him and drag him to face the high priest and the council.

The challenge for Christians is to live our lives for and through and in God rather than for our own self-interests. The accusers couldn't beat Stephen in an argument; that must have been embarrassing. The event could have stopped there if they had gone home to lick their wounds and ponder what they had learned from interacting with Stephen. That isn't what they did. Instead they chose a route of petty behavior that used the power of their numbers (there were several of them but only one of Stephen) to set him up for a fall and even for death. They were looking out for themselves. They weren't interested in truth or learning more about being the people of God. No one who sees Stephen's face "like the face of an angel" (Acts 6:15) asks him, "Can I receive such faith as yours? Can I too be filled with grace and power?"

We can characterize the difference between Stephen and his accusers in this way: some get things right; others would rather be right. Stephen wants to get things right. Those who stand with him are willing to make mistakes and to learn. It's the truth they're after, not their own superiority or security. Stephen's accusers want to be right. Their disciples will often try to rationalize why things aren't going well (as Stephen's accusers did). Stephen shows us selflessness and integrity as he stands firm in witnessing to his faith in God.

We belong to a people who have been formed by God and who have been given life and faith through Christ by the power of the Spirit. This means we belong, just like Stephen. Would you be surprised to be told that your face looks like the face of an angel? It does, because you are also messengers of God, sharing your heritage and inheritance with others.

 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

Do you have favorite passages of Scripture or church writings that help you to remember your heritage of faith?

How does understanding your faith, at least to some degree, encourage you to act with integrity and selflessness?

Are there particular ways that studying Stephen can help you live out your faith in your current circumstances?

 

PRAYER

Mighty God, we thank you for the promise of your Spirit. We thank you for Stephen, our brother in faith, who showed us what we all have been given by you: courage, grace, power, integrity, and love for others. Help us to open ourselves to these parts of our lives that we might declare your gospel in word and deed, rooted in your Spirit. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2012 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.

Scripture

Hebrews 13:1-3; 1 Corinthians 13

Now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. —1 Corinthians 13:13

Hebrews 13:1 Let mutual love continue. ²Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. ³Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured—

1 Corinthians 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  ²And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant ⁵or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ⁶it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. ⁷It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

⁸ Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. ⁹For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; ¹⁰but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. ¹²For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. ¹³And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

 

Our culture is obsessed with love. Self-help books are eager to help us become "lovable" people. Musicians have found fame by singing about love. Television programs set us up to believe that love is an "anything goes" sort of thing. Celebrities move so quickly between lovers that we can't even keep up. We're confused by what love is: we use the same word to admire someone's new hairdo and to show the deepest feelings of our heart.

Most of us would say that all human beings have three basic needs: food, shelter, and clothing. People that study human beings and our behavior would add another need: we need to be loved.

What happens when we don't get enough love? We turn in on ourselves. It becomes harder for us to show other people that we love them. If it goes on long enough, we begin to believe that we are unworthy of being loved. When we aren't met with the love we need, we'll seek it out. We're left, as Waylon Jennings sang, "Looking for love in all the wrong places; looking for love in too many faces." Is there such a thing as love that withstands storm and fire, such a thing that demands more of us than what our world offers us?

 

LOVE UNITES US

According to 1 Cor. 13, love is the most important thing— more important even than faith.  Like a gentle stream that changes the shape of rocks, love has the power to alter who and how people are. Love seems to beget more love and promote healing, whereas anger seems to beget only more anger.

In saying that love is the greatest virtue, Paul offers us a truth that is not always easy to acknowledge. How easy it is to lose hope and faith when we are in the middle of a crisis! In the middle of a life storm, it feels like things will never get better and that God does not care about our pain. Hope and faith sure don't feel like life preservers then! Nevertheless, love can grab hold of our hearts even in the darkest of days.

Amazing things happen when love reaches out. We show love when we encourage a friend who is going through a rough time or take a meal to a neighbor who is sick. But such acts don’t really require much of us. What requires much more of us is living peacefully with those around us, people with whom we often strongly disagree.  Anybody who interacts with other people knows that love requires both work and commitment, and this is especially true in the church. One generation wants one thing; another wants something different. One group loves the red church doors; another thinks any other color would have been preferable. Some love the technology; others are certain that it was a waste of precious resources. Where is Christ in the midst of all that?

The writer of Hebrews will not allow us to be so thoroughly divided over the things that in the end do not glorify God. He challenges us to look beyond our differences to what we have in common: God's love for all. It is the basis for everything we do. Not only that, but it's the lifeline of everything that takes place in God's kingdom.

Love must be the basis for everything that we do. What happens when it isn't? When we make decisions outside of love, we can only think selfishly. When our worship is not rooted in love and passion for our creator, it becomes consumerist. We fight the worship wars, wondering, "What's in it for me?" instead of "Is this pleasing to God?" When our fellowship is not centered on love, we become gossipy and cliquish. We exclude others who are not like us instead of -bringing them into the family. When the ministries of the church become loveless, they become a checklist of ways that we might earn God's favor instead of an outpouring of gratitude for God's presence in our midst.

 

LOVING ENOUGH

In Hebrews, we find that there are five essential qualities that reflect how Christian love behaves: brotherly love, hospitality, sympathy for those in trouble, purity, and contentment.

The writer of Hebrews wants to make sure we understand that love is an essential piece of our faith; that it runs deep enough to affect our behavior toward one another and toward God. Scripture says, "Faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead" (fames 2:17); perhaps the writer of Hebrews would say, "Faith without love misses the point all together." Paul puts it succinctly by saying, "Faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor. 13:13). How then can we make sure that our faith is under the direction of Christ's love? The writer of Hebrews really only needs four words to tell us: "Let mutual love continue" (13:1). Everything else he says in these closing words goes back to that one idea.

In some ways, the call to love is much like the call to tithe. When we tithe, we recognize that God has blessed us. As a way of saying, "Thank you," we joyfully give part of it back. Implicit in the command to love is the conviction that God has already shown us tremendous love. As when we tithe, we joyfully give it back. We're called to give in trust. We're called to tithe, no matter our circumstances, believing that God will meet our need. We're also called to love, no matter our circumstance and regardless of whether we see eye-to-eye with someone else.

Rather than wondering if we've gotten the love we need, we ask ourselves if we've shared the love that someone else needs. The Beatles famously sang, "All you need is love." It might not be everything we need, but it's not a bad place to start.

 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

Name an experience in which your actions did not flow out of love. What were the consequences? What did you learn from the experience?

Should Heb. 13:5 guide our decisions about financial matters?  “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’"

 In what ways might you apply these words to financial decisions in your life?  In the life of the church?

Philadelphia means "City of Brotherly Love." What would a community built on mutual love look like? What is the most significant first step toward building such a community?

PRAYER

Living God, make our love genuine. Even as we acknowledge our own need for love, remind us that others need it too. Teach us to reach out beyond ourselves, showing your radical love to all your children, even when it is inconvenient or pushes us further than we'd like to be pushed. May your love spill over onto everything we do.  Amen.

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2012 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.

Scripture

Hebrews 12:18-29

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe. —Hebrews 12:28

12:18 You have not come to something that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest, ¹⁹and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them. ²⁰ (For they could not endure the order that was given, "If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death." ²¹Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I tremble with fear.") ²²But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, ²³and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

²⁵ See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking; for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven! ²⁶At that time his voice shook the earth; but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven." ²⁷This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of what is shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. ²⁸Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; ²⁹for indeed our God is a consuming fire.

 

FAITH INSPIRES GRATITUDE

Before weather apps, the weather channel, or weather satellites, people had no warning when violent storms approached. Thunder storms, tornados, even hurricanes, struck with little or no warning. People were terrified and felt vulnerable.

Many people feel this way about God. While they love God, they feel vulnerable to this powerful and seemingly sometimes vengeful God. They are terrified of making the wrong move for fear that they might land as "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," as early American preacher Jonathan Edwards put it. Ancient peoples were terrified of God. The people in Exodus could not imagine that anyone would be so close as to see God face to face. Even Moses was riddled with fear (Heb. 12:21).

"Fear sells," we hear. It does: We work to have the right body and the best car because we're afraid that we won't be well regarded if we don't. We buy insurance and extended warranties because we're fearful that something might break or go wrong. We spring into hysteria when there is a safety recall on foods or toys or cars. Fear has also been used to "sell" Christianity. While fear could "sell" us on the need to be in a relationship with Christ, the writer of Hebrews does not use this tactic. God could indeed be a terrifying presence. "But," he says, "this is not your experience."

A TALE OF TWO MOUNTAINS

So what is our experience? The writer of Hebrews speaks of two places of covenant, but he uses them as representatives of the old and new covenants. He wants us to realize that there is a world of difference between these covenants.

In the Old Testament, Mount Sinai was the place where the law was given. Though the thought of it inspired fear, it was regarded favorably within the Scriptures. Yet the writer of Hebrews is using it to reflect of the negative implications of the old covenant. In his eyes, Sinai is the place where we became interested in rule keeping. Sinai is the place of fear, where we come, terrified, to stand before our God. The people are frozen with fear that God might speak directly to them, and they believe that they might actually die if God were to speak to them.

Things are different with the new covenant. People don't come terror stricken to Mt. Zion as they did at Mt. Sinai. Instead, they approach it excitedly and with the expectation of good things. In Ps. 137 we read that Zion was a place that people loved—and they wept when they were away from it. "Zion" has come to represent a number of things, including Solomon's temple and the promised land.

The writer of Hebrews wants to make sure we know which mountain to set our sights on. As our travel agent, he's going to sell us on all the things that Mt. Zion has to offer us. When we walk the path to Zion, we can expect to see three major things: the new Jerusalem, the angels in joyful assembly, and God's chosen people.

Certainly, we'd book our tickets for Zion, right? What would possess us to set out for the bleak, terror-fraught Sinai? Only one thing: familiarity. We know the rules, just as our ancestors knew the rules. Our culture likes things that are black and white, without a lot of "gray area." The grace offered to us in Christ sometimes feels a little too easy. It seems a little ambiguous. It doesn't ask us to "do" much of anything, whereas rules tell us exactly what is expected. The author of Hebrews wants to make sure we understand that if we decide to go against his "travel advice," we'll never know the joy of Zion. We cannot be worried both about saving ourselves and about experiencing life lived in the presence of God's grace.

A GRATEFUL HEART

We read in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works" (Eph. 2:8-9).

While we understand that, at least on some level, it's hard for us to hear because our society tells us that we must earn everything we get. The Message paraphrases v. 25 this way; "Don't turn a deaf ear to these gracious words." This is one of several warnings not to reject God's offer of salvation, which is exactly what happens when we are caught up in the rule-keeping furor of Mt. Sinai.

For the writer of Hebrews, the solution is clear: choose grace, and worship with a thankful heart because we've been set free from the bondage of rule keeping. We have no reason to approach God in terror. Though we may think we understand this message while we're living, we still tend to fear the coming judgment. The truth is that we want to believe that God will judge us. How awful would it be to discover in the end that God didn't care about how we treat one another or how we lived our lives! We don't want a doting grandparent for God but a God who takes our sin seriously and works to help us escape the tyranny of it.

God does take our sin seriously. Just because we're Zion people doesn't mean that we'll escape the shaking of the earth (12:26). When God gave the earth a good shakedown before, it brought about major destruction. It was a testimony to the wrath of an angry God. The earth will again shake, but for the children of God, these experiences will not be terrifying. Singer/songwriter David LaMotte has a song titled "Crawl Inside." LaMotte had a friend who was filled with such negativity and guilt that it kept her from enjoying life. His heart broke for his friend, and he wanted her to see her worth and to get rid of the junk that was weighing her down. In the song, he sets up a metaphor of crawling inside her head and doing some serious housecleaning. In the same way, God is going to shake the world to get rid of the things that make us less than we were created to be.

The people of the new covenant will experience God's judgment just as our ancestors did. What changes for us is that Christ made the sacrifice of his life so that we might stand before God as beloved children. Christ's death means that we have been forgiven. This is a hard idea for us to grasp. Often when we forgive someone, we may choose to let go of someone's offense, but the relationship is forever altered. God's forgiveness is completely different. Because Christ has paid for the cost of our sins, it is as if we've never sinned in the first place. How can we best respond to this gift?

Writer Anne Lamott says she has only two types of prayers: "Help me! Help me! Help me!" and "Thank you! Thank you! Thank You!" Perhaps as the truth of God's life-changing grace sinks into our hearts, the latter of these prayers will be the only words we need. The way that we can best respond to Christ's sacrifice is in humbled gratitude.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

What efforts have you made to "live in peace with all"? What has that experience been like?

How would you describe your spiritual life? Do you go along more with a "spirituality of grace" or a "spirituality of the law?"

How does the understanding of the grace that is offered to you help alleviate your fears about dying?

What places have been Mt. Sinai for you, where God has seemed to be a terrifying presence? What places have been Mt. Zion, where you've seen God as a joy-filled welcome? What have you learned from each of these types of experiences?

PRAYER

Holy God, teach us what it is to live in light of your grace, allowing our gratitude to touch every aspect of our lives. Let us draw close to you, knowing that we are indeed your beloved children. Let us come to meet you with joy in our hearts, because there is no reason for us to come with fear. Shatter our fear-flooded hearts as we learn that your love is the only reality about which we need to be concerned. Amen.

 

Compiled from The Present Word and Congregational Ministries Publishing is not liable for for the content of this Bible Study and Blog.

From The Present Word © 2012 Congregational Ministries Publishing. Used by permission.