司提反的见证
使徒行传六章9至15节
9当时有称利百地拿会堂的几个人,并有古利奈、亚力山大、基利家、亚西亚、各处会堂的几个人,都起来和司提反辩论。
10司提反是以智慧和圣灵说话,众人敌挡不住,
11就买出人来说:我们听见他说谤讟摩西和神的话。
12他们又耸动了百姓、长老,并文士,就忽然来捉拿他,把他带到公会去,
13设下假见证,说:这个人说话,不住的蹧践圣所和律法。
14我们曾听见他说:这拿撒勒人耶稣要毁坏此地,也要改变摩西所交给我们的规条。
15在公会里坐着的人都定睛看他,见他的面貌,好像天使的面貌。
信息分享
任何教会若有一位像司提反的会友,就真是要大大感恩了。无论在任何一方面来看,他都是一个可靠而出色的领袖人材。
我们从第9至15节看见第一个有关司提反作见证的记述。当他被捉拿到公会审讯的时候,他有甚么表现呢?请看第15节。在公会坐着的人,当定睛看他时,都见到他的脸上散发出美丽的光芒,仿如天使一般。这岂不是很难能可贵吗?面对着一群诬蔑自己的敌人,司提反竟能保持平和与从容,以致连敌人也可以在他的脸上看见耶稣基督。当面对别人恶言相向或诬蔑中伤,你会如何反应呢?我们会像未得救前那样的恣意还击,还是以基督徒的应有态度去回应?
只要你读完第七章全章,你便会发现司提反是如何的熟悉圣经。他不仅明白神的话语,还乐于传讲神的话语,并用神的话语来劝勉群众去悔改听从。可惜,公会的人不单没有听从,更因为怒火中烧而立即用石头把他打死;司提反便成了第一位殉道者。
然而,司提反却实在为基督作了美好的见证;他的见证影响了谁呢?毫无疑问,司提反的殉道,是导致扫罗最终归信耶稣基督的其中一个重要因素。扫罗怎能忘记司提反在死前的表现和说话呢(七58)?事实上,司提反殉道不久,扫罗就认识了基督,变成了我们所熟悉的出色宣教士保罗。在神的掌管下,司提反的死,结果带来了扫罗的新生。
STEPHEN THE SOUL WINNER
Acts 6: 9 – 15
9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen.
10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.
11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
12 And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.
13 They also set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law;
14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.”
15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.
Message
Any church that has a man like Stephen in its membership ought to be very thankful. He is a man that can be trusted and a man who can be a wonderful leader for the whole church, in every way.
You have read the first part of Stephen’s story in verses 9 to 15. Did you notice what Stephen did when the council was against him? Look at verse 15. When they looked at him, they saw that his face was shining beautifully, in fact it was just like the face of an angel. Isn’t that wonderful? Men had told lies about him, yet he smiled at them in such a way that even his enemies could see Jesus Christ in his face. What do we do when people say unkind of untrue things about us? Do we continue to act like Christians or do we react as if we have never been saved?
If you were to read the rest of chapter seven, you would discover how wonderfully Stephen knew his Bible. He knew the Word of God; he preached the Word of God and he applied it to the lives of those listening to him. They didn’t like it and they killed him because of what he said. He was the first Christian martyr.
But at the top of this page, we called him ‘Stephen the Soul Winner’. Who did he win for Christ? His death could easily have been one of the things that finally brought Saul of Tarsus to Jesus Christ. How could Saul ever forget Stephen? (7:58). It was not long after Stephen’s death, that Saul found Christ and became Paul the mighty missionary. God overruled so that out of the death of one came the wonderful life of another.

