Sin Ordained, Repentance Demanded, Salvation Purchased

“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as [did] also your rulers. But what God foretold through the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he fulfilled in this manner. Repent therefore, and turn again in order that your sins may be blotted out…” (Acts 3:17-19).

“For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him…” (Acts 13:27).

“…for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you annointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate [i.e. rulers] along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place” (Acts 4:27-28).

I find these excerpts from Acts of the Apostles humbling and awesome. Rather plainly, we see that God fulfilled what he purposed in Christ’s sufferings by means of the ignorant acts of the people and their authorities. In other words, their ignorance and blindness only served what was already ordained by God and announced beforehand by God through the prophets concerning Christ. Thus, God ordained the dark ignorance that despised the prophets’ teachings and the gross sin that delivered Jesus over to the cross; and what is more, he demands those same people (and others like them, you and me) to repent.

This is humbling to me because from these texts I learn not to be the haughty objector of Romans 9:19, who asks, “How can he [God] still find fault; for who can resist his will?”. Instead, I learn to remain silent before him, believe his word concerning his sovereignty and my responsiblity, and obey his command to repent. 

This is also awesome for me to read because I learn that God meticulously and sovereignly orchestrates all things, even sin, in order to fulfill his purposes in glorifying Christ in the fullness of his personhood and bring a joyful salvation for his people through Christ who enables them to celebrate his fullness. Thus, in the words of Jonathan Edwards, “God may will that evil come to pass, and permit that it may come to pass, that good may come of it” (“Concerning the Divine Decrees,” in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol. 2 [Peabody: Hendrickson, 2004], 540).

Gleanings from Stephen’s Faithfulness to the Righteous One

The account of Stephen’s trial, speech, and subsequent martyrdom found in Acts 6:8-7:60 always sets before me afresh the gravity and seriousness of the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ, a life that consists of both dying and hating one’s life in this world to gain the everlasting joys of presence with the Redeemer (e.g. Mark 8:34-38; John 12:24-26). When I need to observe a genuine Christian, a devoted follower of Jesus and reader/doer of his word, Luke’s portrait of Stephen helps me. There are a few more things I gleaned from this text as I read it this time around and I pray they would be beneficial to your faith also.

First, throughout Stephen’s message he makes numerous references to angels of the Lord mediating God’s words (and/or presence) to Moses and to the people (Acts 7:35, 38, 53; [cf. also Gal 3:19]). The text also notes that Stephen’s face “was like the face of an angel” in 6:15, and throughout chapter 7 Luke seems to portray him no differently than those very angels mentioned in his speech, at least in the sense of a kind of mediating deliverer/interpreter of God’s word. Surely, this highlights that the message concerning the Righteous One (Acts 7:52), in accord with the whole of Scripture, was something they rejected not only in Stephen’s day, but throughout the time Moses and the Prophets announced him.

Second, it seems rather obvious from his speech that Stephen not only read his Bible (i.e. the “Old” Testament), but also (and crucially) did so from the standpoint of faith (Acts 6:5), filled with the Holy Spirit (6:5, 10), and in light of its focus and aim, namely, the Righteous One (7:52). Ought we not learn from this faith-filled, Spirit-wrought, Christ-focused reading the Old Testament Scripture? Furthermore, do take note that Stephen finds that Scripture interprets Scripture. He sees that the Prophets interpret the Law when he quotes Amos 5:25-27 to better understand the people’s rebellion in Exodus; and notice that he interprets the Former Prophets (Josh-Kings) by the testimony of the Latter (in this case Isaiah 66:1-2 [Acts 7:44-50]). Surely by reading the Old Testament with Stephen, we might behold the Righteous One as he did, as well as letting it expose our own rebellion and unbelief.

Third, Acts 6:5 highlights that Stephen is a man “full of faith and and of the Holy Spirit.” We do know the others are ”of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” from Acts 6:3, assuming the Twelve were faithful to this criteria (as this is clearly implied in verse 5). Surely then, Luke repeats this only concerning Stephen because it anticipates the two forthcoming scenarios he encounters. The first points out the foolish arguing of those belonging to the synagogue (who have not the Spirit), in contrast to “the wisdom and the Spirit with which [Stephen] was speaking” (6:8-11). The second exposes the rebellion of the same crowd in that they are “stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, always resisting the Holy Spirit” (6:51). The connection is straightforward: Stephen speaks filled with the Holy Spirit; the people reject Stephen’s message; the people resist the Holy Spirit. Surely this is highlighted again in 7:55-57. 

Fourth, Stephen’s vision at the end of Luke’s narrative serves to confirm Stephen’s testimony concerning the Righteous One and gives hope to suffering Christians. Stephen just finished bearing witness to the Righteous One whom the people murdered (7:52), and he exposes the fact that in this the people did not heed the Law, nor pay attention to the Prophets. At this crucial point the question becomes, “Who has a correct view and interpretation of the Scripture, Stephen or the synagogue officials?” And, for those readers joining Stephen in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of the Gospel, the question becomes, “What shall become of this faithfulness of mine?” The vision leaves Luke’s readers with no doubts: Stephen “gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, that is, Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God’” (7:55-56).

Fifth, Stephen’s salvation-historical overview with special attention to the people’s rebellion against God’s aim/purpose in the Law and temple, for the most part, contains a similar summary and highlights the same conclusions found in Nehemiah’s overview (cf. Acts 7:2 [Neh 9:7], 4-5 [Neh 9:8], 34-36 [Neh 9:9-10], 38 [Neh 9:13-14], 39-40 [Neh 9:16-17], 41 [Neh 9:18], 42-43 [Neh 9:26-27], 45-46 [Neh 9:24], and 51-53 [Neh 9:30]). Here (again), we find clear evidence of the unity of both Testaments, and thus all of Scripture.

An Outline of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as Revealed in the Apostolic Preaching of the Cross

I have recently added an outline of the Gospel at the bottom of the page entitled, “Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I used this outline to help the two young men I am discipling to better understand the essentials of the gospel, in order that we might be better prepared to preach the gospel to others in our evangelism as well as to ourselves on a daily basis.

It is broken up into five main headings which are easy to remember: 1) God the Father Reveals Himself in God the Son; 2) Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was crucified; 3) God the Father Raised Jesus from the Dead; 4) Jesus Christ Sent God the Holy Spirit; 5) Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is Coming Again. I did my best in these main headings to summarize the apostolic witness found in Acts and the New Testament epistles. Also, there are twenty-four subheadings that explain what is meant by the assertions made in the main headings, each of which are followed by an abundance of biblical support.

I have found the outline a very helpful resource in sharing the gospel with others and preaching to myself. I pray it might do the same for others.