The Truth Prevails

"But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke." Acts 6:10

The person spoken of in this verse is Stephen. Stephen was one of the first ministry leaders or deacons in the early church. An earlier verse says he was “full of grace and power”. He was a hardworking, exemplary, bold spokesperson for the cause of Christ.
There are a few especially dedicated individuals who are describes specifically in the Book of Acts of the Apostles. Stephen was such a follower of Christ and so compelling and effective that he became the first martyr. Stephen was stoned to death for preaching Christ’s resurrection. It should be noted that a young Pharisee named Saul (who after his conversion was named Paul), gave approval of his killing. Wow, the interwoven plot and teaching of the Word of God thickens, doesn’t it?

So, now you have some context, back to the verse. I believe that truth prevails. Even in complicated situations. The early church was still operating within the broad scope of Judaism. The break was starting to widen and soon a severing would happen between the followers of Christ and the Jewish leadership. A number of priests had come to Christ and the Sanhedrin wanted to squelch this new “way”. Stephen became the focal point of a growing rage against the threat of those new believers in the Messiah. I digress, back to the verse again. Since truth prevails, when Stephen, full of grace and power speaks wisdom from the Spirit, something has to give since that truth was irrefutable. They (the Jewish leaders) could not stand up against the truth. Unable to do so, they took matters into their own hands. Let me make three observations about what happened.

#1 Stephen’s wisdom came from the Spirit, not from his own self, or ideas, or emotions. He spoke the truth, full of grace and power. We should exercise extreme caution and always make sure our words come from Him.

#2 The truth will not be refuted. The truth will prevail. Look how Paul’s life is impacted going forward. Like it is said, the truth will come out, eventually for sure. Even if it takes time, trouble, or Stephen’s life, you can’t stop the truth.

#3 We have to see the big picture from the get go. Being a Christian is not a picnic, all the time. There will be conflict, persecution, trouble, and grief. But, the truth is more important. We must stand on it, with great conscience and humble reflection, we cling to His truth.

When Stephen stood before the Sanhedrin, the Bible says, they said he had “the face of an angel.” That sincere reflection of God’s Spirit upon Stephen came from Christ in him. Let us reflect Him, speak His truth, and when we stand for Christ, that truth will prevail, as long as we are empowered by Him and full of His grace.

In Him,

Pastor Fred

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