Wednesday 29 April 2015

Psalm: Psalm 146

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" (Acts6:3), including Stephen, were appointed to respond to one ofthe disputes between Hellenists and 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 very earliest daysof the Church. Does this reassure you or does it dismay you thatreligion appears so often to be divisive? What current divisionsamongst Christians are you aware of and how might they beresolved?

• One example of division in Britain and in the Church is betweenurban and rural communities. How do you think the Church could helpin bridging this specific divide?

• Dying well is an enormously powerful witness to the gospel ofresurrection but requires considerable grace and resourcefulness.Have you witnessed anyone 'dying well' and what factors do youthink help in generating this grace and resourcefulness?