Tuesday 28 April 2009

Background

There were many disputes in the early Church and the book ofActs does not shy away from recording them. One dispute ofconsiderable importance was between the 'Hellenists' and the'Hebrews'. The Hellenists were probably so called because theycould speak only Greek, as opposed to the Hebrews who would havemainly spoken Aramaic but also usually some Greek as well. TheHellenists were most likely members of the Jewish populationdispersed around the Mediterranean region, where Greek was the mostcommon language.

As well as speaking different languages, one can assume that thetwo groups also differed culturally and in their thought processes.The "seven men of good standing" (Acts 6:3), including Stephen,were appointed to respond to one of the disputes between Hellenistsand Hebrews (see Acts 6:1). Stephenwas a Christian Hellenist and his controversial preaching causedunrest in Jerusalem and led to his martyrdom. He accused hishearers of murdering Jesus in the same way that their ancestors hadkilled the prophets and he questioned the authority of the Temple.To be "uncircumcised in heart and ears" is to be resistant to theword of God.

Hebrew Christians tended to be still quite attached to the Templeand they would have been a little discomforted by Stephen'spreaching, but the Jews in Jerusalem were outraged. It appears thata spontaneous act of mob violence erupted and he was dragged out ofthe city and stoned to death. This first recorded act of Christianmartyrdom draws parallels with Jesus' own death, as Stephen offersup his spirit and prays for his executioners, that their sin maynot be held against them.

To add to the powerful drama of the scene, the story relates thatthe witnesses to this brutal act "laid their coats at the feet of ayoung man named Saul", thus introducing the reader to this mostsignificant of characters. (Saul was later to become the apostleand prolific evangelist Paul.) And maybe there is the hint that themanner of Stephen's dying did not go unnoticed by this zealouspersecutor of the Church.

To Ponder

Disputes amongst Christians existed from the veryearliest days of the Church. Does this reassure you or does itdismay you that religion appears so often to be divisive? Whatcurrent divisions amongst Christians are you aware of and how mightthey be resolved?

One example of division in Britain and in theChurch is between urban and rural communities. How do you think theChurch could help in bridging this specific divide?

Dying well is an enormously powerful witness tothe gospel of resurrection but requires considerable grace andresourcefulness. Have you witnessed anyone 'dying well' and whatfactors do you think help in generating this grace andresourcefulness?