Stone him!!

By Rhiannonw

Sun, 23 Nov 2025
  • 663 reads
14 comments
 

[Continuing the hymn-for-Sundays series]

Stephen, full of faith and wisdom,
disputed, argued cogently,
exasperating his oppressors
who accused deceitfully.

In the Counsel, all were spellbound
– Stephen told of how the nation
knew God’s care but often scorned
to honour, heed his revelation.

Persecuting many prophets
just like now the One foretold
as the coming righteous Saviour
they’d ignored, had wanted killed.

Gnashed their teeth, and rushed to stone him,
Saul approving of this death.
Stephen saw Jesus awaiting
and then with his final breath –

asked this not be held against them.
Saul then led in persecution,
hounding, scattering the church –
so spread out news of redemption!
.
Saul asked letters to pursue the
Christians in Damascus, bind,
bring them back, imprisoned, but Christ
met him – Saul saw he’d been blind.

book of Acts chapters 6-8:3; 9:1-19

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Comments

Submitted by TJW on

I know this one.  Saul became the Apostle Paul.  Sometimes I go to the chapel at WWP and the chaplain told us about a woman he met who said that when she moved down South she learned that being a Catholic and being Christian here are considered two different things.  Hear me out:  when she had some trouble, as a Catholic, she was instructed to go to a deacon and then to a priest and then pray to her guardian angel and then . . . there was always someone else she had to contact before she was told to pray to God.  In the South, as Christians, we go directly to God, first thing.  

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

It's sad, because it’s belittling Jesus as a complete and willing Saviour, and the way to God now opened, through faith in Him and his work. In him we can each come to God straight.

Hebrews 4:16 says, 'Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.' Whatever the problem, we can take it to him personally. Rh

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

"Stephen, full of faith and wisdom, disputed, argued cogently, "Persecuting many prophets just like now the One foretold"

One wonders why it is necessary, I mean you can always just lie about it (ask forgiveness later if must? "with his final breath - Sounds like a waste.

All the best - Tom

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Not quite sure what's on your mind, Tom. 

Are you saying that Stephen and the other persecuted prophets could have lied, or denied the faith to escape death or ill-treatment? They couldn't and shouldn't deny Christ. That would be such a disservice to their listeners to whom they are trying to share the Way of salvation in Christ. And they were not afraid of death. Paul said, 'For to me, to live is Christ (enjoy him, serve him) and to die is gain.' (Philippians 1:21) and goes on to say, he would desire to depart to be with Christ, but that there were those that needed him to remain to help and serve. And so his time was not yet.

There has been a saying too that 'the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church' as persecution and killing of Christians often leads to inspire others to listen to the message as they see the character of those who lived and died as Christians. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Sorry it doesn't make much sense to me.

 

Submitted by TJW on

Doesn't make sense.  We call it faith.

Timshel

Jack

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks. There are things we don't understand, for we are but human,

But faith isn't a blind 'leap in thhe dark' that some think, for the evidence of a Creator is clear in nature, and the historical evidence for Jesus and his resurrection strong. Some have thought to investigate to disprove that and been amazed as they did so, and found it strong, and come to faith too (eg‘Who moved the stone?’ by Frank Morrison’and ‘The case for Christ,’ and ‘The case for Easter’ by Lee Strobel). Well respected investigations.

But still faith is a gift of God, as naturally people seem to not see, or maybe don't want to see, think (mistakenly) if will curatil freedom, wheras it releases to peace and happiness and God's help in life – which will still be far from easy! 

But I'm not sure if these were Tom's puzzles! Didn't mean to write to so long a piece!

Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Nolan on

I think Tom was just being very practical about it, for instance, blackmail is something different altogether. To just straightface lie about it is a different matter, you don't stand to lose anything, except only making an "example" and for other believers? And "proving" of your own faith?

But it is as you say Rhiannon, the Church in history has always been strongest in times of persecution, but honestly I think Tom does have a point.

See you & Nolan

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Sorry, 

I still don’t understand Tom’s point or yours, Nolan. If it is that you feel he stirred up the opposition then that is not so. The record (Acts 6:9,10) says that these men started arguing with him, and he was only answering them. Then they brought false witnesses against him (6:11-14). He spoke well of their history and did end up reminding of how the prophets sent by God has been persecuted and now they had killed the Righteous One. Maybe you think he shouldn’t have challenged them. But there is no indication that God disapproved of him doing so, rather the opposite. And on the day of Pentecost, Peter was very clear that they had killed the Christ, and they were cut to the heart and asked what they should do and were told to repent, and be baptized in Jesus’ name for forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:36-38) and many did.

How could it possibly be right to lie. And they were to be witnesses of the good news.

Rhiannon

 

 

Submitted by TJW on

I'm just a Christian.  Not a Biblical scholar.  I worship God our Father and Jesus our Savior and the Holy Ghost our Sanctifier.  I worship because of Timshel, thou mayest, we  have been given free will.  God does not demand our faith.  We have a choice and I choose Him.  And now I choose vodka with a splash of coke, you know, for color, dig?  My personal reasons for being a Christian are personal.  I will admit that even if faith is the only thing given me, faith meaning without evidence, that I am satisfied.  By all rights I should be dead.  Blown out of a APC.  Burned.  And the unscathed in that attack died later anyway.  There's gotta be a reason.  We can even go all James Bond:  Once is happenstance (should've been shot in the head, wasn't); twice is coincidence (alright, so the airstrike messed up the sniper); three times in enemy warfare or God's intervention.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Humbling to realise we've been spared to live, and to pray help to use it better. Like Paul said, as mentioned above, 'For to me, to live is Christ (enjoy him, serve him) and to die is gain.' (Philippians 1:21) He knew that death would take him straight to Christ, but that wasn't to be awhile as there was work for him to do here.

 

Submitted by TJW on

I've take a knee three times in my life: to ask a woman to marry me, to calm a crown of hostile civvies and to ask God to take my life.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks for sharing that. Rh

 

Submitted by Nolan on

I just want to make one more small contribution, some of us here are speaking of church history, the very beginning of gospel, and a few are of speaking of now, today. Things are a lot different and there are other totally different circumstances.

Indeed Stephen had great courage and did not die in vain, I don't think I would have been able to. But to be quite honest I don't see much point of all these complications? Crossed lines mostly, frankly I'm not very keen on this discussion so please excuse me.

And if I ever have to lie, I will.

With respect & Nolan