Stephen, Jesus, and the Early Church
Reflections on Acts 5-7
I’m currently working my way through a series on Acts. What I’m sharing are my reflections as I read through it. In most cases I did not seek out a commentary, if I did I’ll make sure to make note of it. I may share some things I learned in class as we reflected together on what we can glean from this rich document regarding the Early Church.
A Quick Recap
Last time I wrote about
Syncretism, pluralism, and Peter & John attending the Temple
The concept of hell still missing from Peter’s sermons
The importance of a “cornerstone”
Salvation, Kingdom, and Kin*dom
The amazing pattern of prayer used by the believers at the end of Acts 4
A brand-new sharing community
A reminder, or if you’re new here, this is how my random thoughts appear in the post.
After the high note, where everyone is working together, selling possessions, and pooling their resources, we begin Acts 5 with a stark contrast. Two people, Ananias and Sapphira, have sold a piece of their property, and brought the money to be shared with the community. Well… they brought most of the money.
Peter knows what’s up. How? That’s a great question! Maybe it was the Spirit. Maybe they were terrible liars. I mean, they were terrible liars but what I’m trying to say is that they were terrible at lying. Either way, I marked this in my notes as another process in Peter’s Redemptive arc. Remember when Jesus confronted Peter? “Get behind me Satan,” and all that. In this story, Peter is the one who confronts. First Ananias, then Sapphira. And they were killed! Actually, they “dropped dead” after hearing the words from Peter.
Ananias and Sapphira weren’t wrong in what they did with their property, or the money from the sale. It was theirs to do with as they pleased. It was that they lied about it.
It’s brings tithing into question, doesn’t it? Peter says “After you sold [the property], wasn’t the money yours to do with whatever you wanted?” (Acts 5:4). That was a huge difference from the tithing of before. This would indicate that there was no percentage of funds that were required by the apostles from the sale of the property. Ananias and Sapphira could have given nothing. What does this mean for tithing now?
And what was the point of lying? To look good? Oh dear, that message could rattle some bones in many churches. To stay at a certain level of comfort? Maybe fear was the driver. Anxiety over how they would live if they gave everything away. I can certainly relate to that. Can you?
Because of Ananias and Sapphira’s situation, and death, this is when “trepidation and dread seized the whole church and all who heard what happened” (5:11).
All who heard what happened? Interesting.
I’m not sure how long after the Passover this little situation took place but by all accounts they’re still in the city, and while many may be part of the community, it’s likely only a fraction of the people that were there.
So now, this whole thing is reaching the ears outside of the believers. I wonder what type of witness that was.
I made another note in Acts 5 about Peter’s Redemptive Arc x2, because in 5:15 we learn that people are bringing others to him, and even his shadow heals them. Of course jealousy rears its ugly head among the religious leaders, and once again Peter and the apostles are brought before the Jerusalem Council. Second was how Peter responded to the council. Good for them, they stick to their convictions saying “We must obey God rather than humans!” (Acts 5:29). After a speech by Gamliel, the apostles were beaten and released.
I want to focus on v. 41 - “The apostles left the council rejoicing because they had been regarded as worthy to suffer disgrace for the name.”
Through my research, interactions with others, and personal experience, suffering in the Christian faith is an interesting topic. Sometimes to suffer means to be closer to God. The more you suffer, the more you’re “like Jesus.” Since Jesus suffered for us, it’s only right that we should suffer also.
Sorry, I may offend you here, but I don’t agree. Will we be persecuted? Jesus said we will. Does that mean suffering? Maybe, in some parts of the world, certainly. I believe that our Western culture doesn’t really have a firm grasp on “persecution for the sake of the Gospel.” Being disagreed with, is not persecution. Having someone point out the hypocrisy of the church… not persecution. Did Isaiah, Jeremiah, or even Jesus persecute God’s followers when they did the same? Not talking to friends or family because they don’t attend church… also not persecution.
This verse can, and has been, easily proof-texted to support that we should “suffer” for the Gospel. Where is the “good news” in that? This could be a whole series on it’s own, but I have to stop somewhere, so I guess here is as good a place as any. Just know, that this verse has been used to coerce, and manipulate others into “enduring” for the sake of the gospel, and that’s not a good thing.
Concerns continue to arise in the community, and there are some noted differences between how much was given to Greek-speaking widows as compared to Aramaic-speaking ones. In response, the apostles gathered the disciples together, and appointed some leaders to oversee the distribution of needs.
This is the first time that choosing leadership according to gifts occurs in the community, and perhaps the New Testament, Jesus aside. If you’ve been part of a church, or Christian community, you may have heard about “spiritual gifts.” Sadly, while they seem important, many are overlooked despite their giftings. Ask a woman gifted in leadership how she leads in a complementarian church - is it in a “Pastor” titled role? I doubt it.
One of these people was Stephen. I noticed something really interesting as I was reading what happened to him so I went back, and dig a little comparison between him and Jesus. Here’s what I came up with.
I find it interesting that Stephen was martyred according to Jewish law, whereas Jesus was martyred according to Roman law, with the title “King of the Jews.” Jesus’s death represents his apparent threat to the Roman empire - a political death.
So, who started this whole thing against Stephen? Depending on your translation you may read “The Synagogue of Former Slaves/Free Slaves/Freedmen” (Acts 6:9). According to Marshall, who wrote Tyndale’s New Testament Commentary on Acts, this group may have consisted of Roman prisoners who had been freed, and made their way back to Jerusalem.1 Here’s some food for thought:
These were those who knew slavery either personally or of parental memory, and their commitment to Israel and its way of life was woven into their legacy of hard-won freedom (v. 9). These men were faithful to God and faithful to their covenantal identity formed in foreign places. Before we turn this story into the heroic, into the moment of Stephen’s witness, we must see the tragic unfolding here. These faithful of Israel’s far off places perceive Stephen as a threat. Like the religious leaders who interrogated the apostles earlier in our story, these anxious souls cannot hear and see the new order coming from Stephen. They only hear one who would take away hard-won freedom to be true to the ancestors and one who would render unrecognizable the identity of the faithful to God.2
- Willie James Jennings
I like how Jennings stops before our natural inclination to jump into the heroic actions of Stephen, and gives us some context as to how members of the Synagogue of Freedmen may perceive the situation. How often do we read with our cultural blinders on? Like jumping to the heroic actions of Stephen? Don’t worry, I’m guilty of it too.
Okay, back to Stephen. When he’s brought before the Jerusalem Council he gives an enormous speech. From Abraham to Moses, to David, to Solomon, the prophets, and Jesus, Stephen reminds the council of their own story.
In 7:19 Stephen says this “he [the king of Egypt in Moses’ time] exploited our people and abused our ancestors. He even forced them to abandon their newly born babies.”
This reminds me of the actions of the early church. It was common practice in the Roman world for babies, often girls, to be victims of “exposure.” Leaving babies to die by the elements. Early Christians would often go the areas that this occurred, take the babies home, and care for them. This always gets me, the true actions of someone caring for those who physically cannot care for themselves.
Here’s an interesting parallel that I noted while reading:
Moses ran away after he killed the Egyptian.
Elijah ran away from Jezebel after defeating the prophets of Ba’al.
Jonah ran away after being told to go to Nineveh.
David ran away from Saul into the desert.
The disciples ran away.
But…
Stephen stayed.
Jesus stayed.
The women stayed.
When he finished the council is enraged, and stone him. Stephen, for his part, pleads that God will not hold their actions against them, and in this moment, he sees Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father right before his death.
My final thought is this, Stephen makes the comments “the Most Hight doesn’t live in houses built by human hands” (7:48).
… where could you build a house for me,
and where could my resting place be?
My hand made all these things
and brought them into being, says the Lord.
But here is where I will look:
to the humble and contrite in spirit,
who tremble at my word.
- Isaiah 66:1-2, CEB
What does this mean for the Church? For those of us who are concerned about how the numbers of people attending church are dwindling?
Could this be a time of rethinking what “church” is? Many will say that church is not a building, but we certainly struggle with letting that building go if, or when, the time comes. Yet the Spirit is everywhere. God created everything. Jesus came so that “all” may be restored. Hmmm, that interesting.
We covered a lot today, and for good reason. If I didn’t, I could be writing about Acts for months! As much as I enjoyed reading it, and writing my thoughts down, I have other things I’d like to write about.
Next…
We’re heading into Acts 8-10 next week where we meet some interesting people:
Saul
hmm, I wonder who that could be?
An Ethiopian eunuch
I have lots to say about them
A reluctant helper
Tabitha
and we continue on Peter’s Redemptive Arc. (Hint: It’s pretty awesome!)
Marshall, I. Howard. 2008. Acts : An Introduction and Commentary. [North American version]. Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Academic.
Jennings, Willie James. 2017. Acts : A Theological Commentary on the Bible. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, ProQuest E-book, p. 61.