Bible Reading: Acts 6
2023 Winter Bible Reading
Start by finding a quiet spot to study, and be sure to have a notebook/journal and a pen. Then ask God for guidance and focus as the Holy Spirit works on your heart through this special time with Him.
Acts 6 (NLT)
1 But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.
2 So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. 3 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. 4 Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.”
5 Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). 6 These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.
7 So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.
8 Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. 9 But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia. 10 None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.
11 So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, “We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.” 12 This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council.
13 The lying witnesses said, “This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses. 14 We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”
15 At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.
2 So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. 3 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. 4 Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.”
5 Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). 6 These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.
7 So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.
8 Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. 9 But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia. 10 None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.
11 So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, “We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.” 12 This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council.
13 The lying witnesses said, “This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses. 14 We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”
15 At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.
SOAP Bible Study Method
Posted in Bible Reading
2 Comments
I love the fact that when Satan works to divide the church from within, the Holy Spirit always provides wisdom in order to unite. Even though both groups were Jewish by culture, Greek and Hebrew speaking believers had varying opinions and ideals about day to day life. Satan tried to take advantage of that but the church was so in tune with the Holy Spirit they recognized the differences, had a heart for unifying the church, then implemented a plan to address the expressed needs. What a great example of how to build consensus and work together. Lord, unify your church. Help us to have a heart full of care and concern for each other. Give us wisdom on how to stand together when the enemy tries to separate us.
My focus when reading today kept going to Stephen. He was immediately described as being “full of faith and the Holy Spirit”. (I would love that to be how people describe me someday) Of course, with that description came responsibilities. Stephen was chosen to serve in the food ministry that was needed at the time. He was also active in teaching and evangelism as the Spirit used him to spread the gospel. This made him dangerous and put a target on his back. We need to understand that we too will become targets when we publicly stand up for Jesus. The enemy will always try to stop us, but we can defeat the enemy by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Lord, I’m so grateful that I no longer live by my power alone. I’m way too good at messing things up. I’m happy to turn it all over to You and just obey whatever You tell me to do. Thanks for carrying all of the burden. Amen.