(The following is the May 14 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Acts 7 and pay close attention to verses 1-53.)
False witnesses wrongly accused Stephen of blasphemy. The high priest of the Sanhedrin asked him, “Are these things true?” (v. 1). Stephen replied with a lengthy discourse that walked the hearers through critical events in Abraham’s life, the patriarchs in Egypt, Moses’ call from God, Israel’s repeated rebellion against God, and the tabernacle. Why did Stephen recite historical facts in response to their inquiry? He was leading up to the dagger of truth he would thrust at the end. Stephen first needed to lay a solid historical foundation for his conclusion. He argued that the spiritually blind members of the Sanhedrin were failing in their faith just as their ancestors did. And like their ancestors who persecuted and killed God’s messengers in generations past, present leaders were guilty of killing Christ.
Stephen knew his people’s spiritual history. He knew Scripture. Through God-given wisdom, Stephen saw the big picture beyond his current moment on trial and tied it all together. Through Holy Spirit-inspired words, he shared a message of hard-hitting truth to those in power, knowing it might result in his death but doing it anyway because gospel truth fears no human.
All but three of the 52 verses in Stephen’s speech provide historical background for the truth bomb he drops in verses 51-53. History matters. We should know it, think about it, understand its significance in the past, and intelligently relate it to current situations. Learning history is time well spent, especially the faith history revealed in the Bible and the church’s history since biblical times.
Even if it was not your favorite subject in school, make history a part of your ongoing learning. Doing so will help you understand and articulate gospel truth more effectively.
Next Step:
What is an area of biblical or church history about which you want to know more? Browse a bookstore, library, or online resource for related information and set aside time to learn.
