The physician Luke wrote, “And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke. Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, and set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceases not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law”, and in chapter six and verse fourteen of the book of Acts Luke shared how, “we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place” where we read:
For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place,
and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.
The verse begins, “For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, ...” Luke began with the words, “for we have heard him say” which means “because, since and on account that we witnesses have been endowed with the faculty for hearing, perceiving and discerning Stephen utter, declare and proclaim”, “that this Jesus of Nazareth” or “that Jesus, whose name means Jehovah is Salvation and is the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate from Nazareth or a Nazarite which means one separated” “shall destroy this place” which means “will abolish, dissolve, disunite and demolish this location or the temple”. Luke shared how the lying witnesses told the religious leaders that Stephen said “Jesus” would “demolish” the “temple” in Jerusalem.
The verse goes on to say, “... and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.” Luke continued with the words, “and shall change the customs” which means “and will alter, transform and make different the manners, usage, institute, prescription and rite by law” “which Moses delivered us” or “that Moses, whose name means drawing out and was the legislator of the Jewish people and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion, gave, presented and transmitted to us, the people of Israel”. Luke shared how the lying witnesses said Stephen also told them Jesus would alter the “rites” that “Moses” gave to the people of Israel.
When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn how the lying witnesses were telling the religious leaders that “Stephen” said Jesus would “destroy” the temple in Jerusalem and alter the “rites” which were given to the people of Israel by Moses. Neither of these statements were true. God sent His Son Jesus into the world to save people from their sins, and by doing so He provided access to the Heavenly Father. God loves people, and the “temple” Jesus spoke of was His “body” that was given sacrificially on the cross. Because He died for the sins of the world and was raised from the dead three days later, He fulfilled the “law of God and Moses”, and now anyone may receive Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord. Let all who read these words carefully examine the statements of the “lying witnesses” and discover how Jesus provided access for all who believe in Him to be “saved”.
Next time Luke shares how, “all that sat in the council … saw his face as it had been the face of an angel”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
No comments:
Post a Comment