Acts 6:8-15 | Facing OppositionSample

Opposition was rising.

This should come as no surprise to anyone reading Acts. We’ve seen it building throughout the story. First, from the religious leaders in Acts 3-4. Now, from the members of a synagogue. That’s how opposition often works. What starts as a seedbed among a select group of leaders and influencers quickly germinates.

In this case, Luke tells us that the opposition Stephen faced came from the members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen. We don’t know much about them, except what Luke tells us: They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and Asia. The irony is that these represent the very same Hellenistic Jews we just met a few verses prior that Stephen was serving! That’s how it sometimes works. Those whom you think would be closest to you can become critics and enemies. It happened to Jesus with Judas. You may face it, too.

Luke doesn’t come out and tell us the specific reason for their opposition, but given the storyline of Acts, it’s not hard to infer. Stephen was proclaiming Jesus as the Jewish messiah. These Jews saw it as traitorous, blasphemous, and a threat. But when they argued with him, they couldn’t refute what Stephen was saying. And that can be infuriating.

Today, simply consider: Where do you see opposition in your life to Christ or his way from the people you’re a part of, the people you serve, or the people you care for?