SFJ Bible Reading Plan

Philippians 2:19-24

Timothy and Epaphroditus

19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy’s¹ proven worth, how as a son² with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

Footnotes

[1] 2:22 Greek his

[2] 2:22 Greek child

(ESV)

Acts 16:1-5

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16:1 Paul¹ came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers² at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.

Footnotes

[1] 16:1 Greek He

[2] 16:2 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 40

(ESV)

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1 Corinthians 4:14-17

14 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For though you have countless¹ guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me. 17 That is why I sent² you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ,³ as I teach them everywhere in every church.

Footnotes

[1] 4:15 Greek you have ten thousand

[2] 4:17 Or am sending

[3] 4:17 Some manuscripts add Jesus

(ESV)

Going Deeper

Stephen (8-20-16)

In Acts 6:1-15, we read about the elders’ selection of the seven deacons. Stephen was highlighted above the rest as a man “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit”. While we don’t know about Stephen’s family or past, we know he worked hard to make converts among other Jews. While many Jews were converted, opposition arose from members of the Freedmen’s Synagogue.  They tried to debate Stephen, but were always defeated. Thus, they decided to bring false charges against him and Stephen was arrested and put on trial before the Sanhedrin. It was here that he was falsely accused of speaking against the law of Moses and against the temple.

Acts 7 is the record of Stephen’s telling what could be the most detailed and concise history of Israel and their relationship to God of any others in Scripture. God inspired him to speak without fear while rightly accusing Israel of their failure to recognize Jesus as the one true Messiah by rejecting and murdering Him as they had murdered Zechariah and other prophets and faithful men throughout their generations. Stephen’s speech was an indictment against Israel and their failures as the chosen people of God who had been given the law, the holy things of God, and the Messiah and they messed it up. As you can imagine, these were not well received by the Jews. Throughout his speech, he continually reminded them of their ongoing rebellion and idolatry, in spite of the mighty works of God to which they were eyewitnesses, thereby accusing them with their own history which only irritated them until they did not want to hear any more.  They set up to stone him for what they considered was blasphemous talk according to the law of Moses which states the sin of blasphemy deserves death usually by stoning (Numbers 15:30-36). Stephen was also charged with speaking against the temple. He pointed out that the tabernacle and temple of the old covenant were only types and symbols of God’s heavenly temple and that, in the new covenant, the types have been replaced with the reality (vv. 44–50).

In Acts 7:54-60 we read, “Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Stephen is about to be executed for his faith and he raises his eyes to heaven and (verse 55) says he was filled with the Holy Spirit and what does he see? “But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  56 And he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him.” (Acts 7:55-57)

While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

-Stephen is praying here!!!  And by the power of the Holy Spirit what Stephen knew with his mind became real in his heart. He saw Jesus standing at God’s right hand.

– At the very moment while an earthly court was condemning him, he realized that the heavenly court was commending him.

In other words, he was experiencing the covering of the gospel in a crazy moment of pain.

At that moment, he got an extremely vivid, powerful sight of what he already knew intellectually which was that in Christ we are beautiful in God’s sight and free from condemnation.  (Col. 1:22)

But the Spirit took that intellectual concept and electrified his entire soul, mind, heart, and imagination with it.

In his yielding to God by the power of the Holy Spirit, Stephen was able to exhibit the new humanity that God was creating.

-He had courage.

-He forgave his oppressors.

-He faced his accusers not just with boldness, but with calmness and joy!

-He was living spiritual renewal.

May we follow Stephen’s example to preach truth boldly despite the consequences and to trust in God to the very end as each of us, his adopted ones, will be taken up into glory with our risen king.  Lord, our lives are yours.  Do with them what is best for your eternal plan and glory.

By His grace and for His glory,

-Shepherd

Soldiers for Jesus MC

Acts 22:1-29

22:1 “Brothers and fathers, hear the defense that I now make before you.”

2 And when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language,¹ they became even more quiet. And he said:

3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel² according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. 4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, 5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.

6 “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me. 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’ 9 Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand³ the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 10 And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’ 11 And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.

12 “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13 came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. 14 And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; 15 for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’

17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20 And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ 21 And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

Paul and the Roman Tribune

22 Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” 23 And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. 25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips,⁴ Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” 27 So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” 29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.

Footnotes

[1] 22:2 Or the Hebrew dialect (probably Aramaic)

[2] 22:3 Or city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated

[3] 22:9 Or hear with understanding

[4] 22:25 Or when they had tied him up with leather strips

(ESV)

Acts 7:51-60

51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together¹ at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Footnotes

[1] 7:57 Or rushed with one mind

(ESV)

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Acts 8:1-3

Saul Ravages the Church

8:1 And Saul approved of his execution.

And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

(ESV)