Sep 12
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Did Deacon Stephen commit suicide?
ChristianGovernance eletter – September 4, 2012
Did Stephen commit suicide?
The first seven chapters of Acts are amazing in their record of bold, in your face, joyful, fearful, sacrificial, worldview-oriented Christian living.
I read Acts a few months ago, and picked up on things I’d never noticed before.
I’m reading the book again, and I’m stuck on the first seven chapters.
I think that previously I was reading it through my “Sunday School” grid, only noticing the “positive” parts that make for good Sunday School children’s lessons: sharing their stuff so that they all had their material needs met, the excitement of the tongues of fire and speaking in tongues so that everybody heard them in their own language. An exception for positive stories, but a dramatic one nonetheless, was Ananias and Sapphira seeing an abrupt end to life on this earth (Ch. 5).
But now I’m reading it, and it’s remarkable how in your face and abrasive and confrontational the Apostles are with their opponents.
It is striking how they consistently, time after time, pointedly accuse these Jewish leaders of killing the Christ. They beat on them repeatedly. Pow. Thwack. Smack. They knock ‘em down. They get up. And they knock ‘em down again.
Acts 2:22-40. Acts 3:14-21. Acts 4:8-12. Acts 5:29-32. Then Stephen on his suicide mission in Acts 7:51-53.
The apostles are just pummelling these religious leaders. Those leaders were getting so angry at the apostles over this that Acts 5 records their objection. The high priest and the Sadducees, etc. (v. 17), haul the apostles into jail, then the next day, after they call them back from the temple courts (because an angel delivered them from jail overnight), they object to TWO things related to the apostles (v. 28): 1) that their doctrine is spreading all over Jerusalem, and 2) “you are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
It’s the apostles’ constant refrain as anointed ones, proclaiming the truth of God that is seeing thousands converted, making up the first members of the new covenant people of God, the early days of the Christian community.
You won’t find this tactic in “How to Win Friends and Influence People”!
So what does Peter say? “Sorry, sir. We’ll be more respectful next time.”?
No. It’s another thwack. Bleeding nose. He’s right there in their face again. The first words out of his mouth (vs. 29-30) are: “We must obey God rather than men! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead – whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. …”
“What? You don’t like being told that you killed the Son of the living God? Well, guess what? YOU KILLED HIM… And the judgment of God is upon you. Repent now or face the consequences of your actions!”
What’s with that? Where’s that in the latest Seeker-Friendly manual or Missional handbook?
This is explosive stuff.
What I also find very fascinating is the account of Stephen and how relevant it is for our day.
Stephen was living a bold public Christian life. That’s in chapter 6, verse 8 and 9. He was living a public Christian life, and was a recognized leader presumably with financial expertise and a servant’s heart, since he was chosen to be one of the first deacons.
What a surprise! His life offended influential religious leaders. They decided to argue with him. But they couldn’t defeat him by argument (v. 10). So what was their next move? It was to leverage governmental power – the courts – to destroy Stephen, maybe even kill him (6:11-7:1). They found some false witnesses and dragged him to court using trumped up charges.
In our day, who manipulates the law, uses courts and maybe even vigilante behavior to get their way? Who has given up on the use of reason, debate and argumentation, except in the rarest of circumstances? Animal rights activists come to mind. So do abortion advocates. Likewise, homosexual activists. And of course the fundamentalist atheists like Richard Dawkins. Non-Christians don’t have access to reason, truth and facts to make the case for their views, so in the face of compelling resistance, they eventually have to concede or turn to force of one kind or another. There’s nothing new under the sun.
What is truly astounding is that Stephen knew the “predicament” he was in. He knew what was in store for him. Being as wise as he was, he could have smooth-talked his way out of that situation to fight another day.
In parallel situations today, how many Christians support those who are outspoken? True some outspoken activists are hotheaded fools who lack credibility. But not all of them. But who wants to support them? How many Christians say, “Well, they’re asking for trouble the way they behave. There are more responsible ways of getting the message across.”
“They’re asking for trouble. They got themselves in that mess.” If Stephen was put before us in place of the modern person about whom we said that, we would in effect be saying, “Well he asked for it. He essentially committed suicide.”
After all, Stephen didn’t smooth-talk his way out of his situation. He didn’t try to ingratiate himself to his oppressors. He gave them a roundhouse kick and broke about four noses all at the same time (vs. 51-53): “”You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him – you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”
In these comments, Stephen didn’t waste a single word. H was insane. He might as well have put a gun to his own head… IF one was judging him by the standards of decorum and sophistication and the parameters of acceptable communication in the modern Western church…
To be continued…