“Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death.
And on that day, a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria , except the apostles. Some devout men buried Stephen and made lamentation over him. But Saul began ravaging the church , entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.
Therefore, those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.
Acts 8:1-5
Stephen’s body had not even gotten cold before the first of his brethren were dragged from their homes and thrown into prison. The community he had come from, known as “The Way”, must be totally wiped out before they contaminated any more of Jerusalem with their heresy. Or so thought Saul of Tarsus as he encouraged the persecution of the church, thinking he was doing service to God.
But he had broken the law in aiding and abetting the murder of Stephen. Under Roman law, no capital punishment was allowed without the approval of the Roman governor. But, he thought, surely he was obeying a “higher law”.
Two non-Christian Jewish men, devout before the Law, were moved by the words and the testimony of Stephen. They saw his brethren fleeing for their lives and the body of Stephen laying there—discarded like so much trash. They took it upon themselves to see that Stephen had a proper burial, even though the Mishnah (Jewish law) forbade funeral observances for a condemned criminal. So it was with courage that they lamented over Stephen’s grave, which is also against the Mishnah, yet they submitted to a higher Law—the law of conscience.
The church as a whole had never suffered persecution like this before. Leaders like Peter, John, and the other apostles were beaten and put in prison, but not the whole church! The dinners and the fellowship and taking care of the widows was nice, but death and prison— that was something else entirely. Behind prison bars, there was a new pathos to their songs of worship.
Then there were those like Philip who took advantage of the scattering to preach the Word in Samaria and everywhere where they found opportunity.
O Samaria! Philip must have realized this was the golden opportunity to preach Christ to his long-lost kinsmen, the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph. Joseph himself was a type of Christ; persecuted by the patriarchs, sold as a slave by his brothers to Egypt. But the Lord was with Joseph and he found favor with Pharaoh such that he was made prime minster of Egypt. Joseph used his position to save Egypt from a severe famine that lasted seven years, and he saved his family in the process. His brothers, fearing retribution for the wrong they had done to Joseph, were brought to their knees by the mercy he showed them:
“Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to…preserve many people alive.” Gen.50:19-20
It was to a Samaritan woman in Sychar that Jesus revealed Himself: “The woman said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He.’”….From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified…”. John 4:25-26, 39
Philip had the groundwork in Samaria laid by the Master Himself. As Jesus said, “But an hour is coming, and now is, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit; those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24)
Philip was serving the highest Law.
Questions To Think About:
And on that day, a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria , except the apostles. Some devout men buried Stephen and made lamentation over him. But Saul began ravaging the church , entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.
Therefore, those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.
Acts 8:1-5
Stephen’s body had not even gotten cold before the first of his brethren were dragged from their homes and thrown into prison. The community he had come from, known as “The Way”, must be totally wiped out before they contaminated any more of Jerusalem with their heresy. Or so thought Saul of Tarsus as he encouraged the persecution of the church, thinking he was doing service to God.
But he had broken the law in aiding and abetting the murder of Stephen. Under Roman law, no capital punishment was allowed without the approval of the Roman governor. But, he thought, surely he was obeying a “higher law”.
Two non-Christian Jewish men, devout before the Law, were moved by the words and the testimony of Stephen. They saw his brethren fleeing for their lives and the body of Stephen laying there—discarded like so much trash. They took it upon themselves to see that Stephen had a proper burial, even though the Mishnah (Jewish law) forbade funeral observances for a condemned criminal. So it was with courage that they lamented over Stephen’s grave, which is also against the Mishnah, yet they submitted to a higher Law—the law of conscience.
The church as a whole had never suffered persecution like this before. Leaders like Peter, John, and the other apostles were beaten and put in prison, but not the whole church! The dinners and the fellowship and taking care of the widows was nice, but death and prison— that was something else entirely. Behind prison bars, there was a new pathos to their songs of worship.
Then there were those like Philip who took advantage of the scattering to preach the Word in Samaria and everywhere where they found opportunity.
O Samaria! Philip must have realized this was the golden opportunity to preach Christ to his long-lost kinsmen, the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh, the sons of Joseph. Joseph himself was a type of Christ; persecuted by the patriarchs, sold as a slave by his brothers to Egypt. But the Lord was with Joseph and he found favor with Pharaoh such that he was made prime minster of Egypt. Joseph used his position to save Egypt from a severe famine that lasted seven years, and he saved his family in the process. His brothers, fearing retribution for the wrong they had done to Joseph, were brought to their knees by the mercy he showed them:
“Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to…preserve many people alive.” Gen.50:19-20
It was to a Samaritan woman in Sychar that Jesus revealed Himself: “The woman said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He.’”….From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified…”. John 4:25-26, 39
Philip had the groundwork in Samaria laid by the Master Himself. As Jesus said, “But an hour is coming, and now is, when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit; those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23-24)
Philip was serving the highest Law.
Questions To Think About:
- The two Jewish men risked their reputation and safety to bury Stephen, breaking the Mishnah to honor a human life. Is there a “social rule” or “tradition” you’ve been following that might be preventing you from showing Christ-like mercy to someone considered an “outcast”?
- When your seasons of comfort are interrupted by hardship, is your first instinct to protect your lifestyle or to look for new opportunities for new opportunities to serve?
- Just as Joseph was sold into slavery to save his family, the church was scattered to save souls in Samaria. Can you identify a “scattering “ in your life—a job loss, a move, or a broken relationship —that God might be using to you in a new “Samaria”?
- When the laws of the land and the laws of God seem to clash, how do you determine which “Higher Law” to prioritize?
- Philip went to the Samaritans—long-lost kinsmen who were often despised. Is there a person or group of people you have “written off” that God might be calling you to reach out to with the message of Christ?
Posted in A Higher Law