Acts 6:8-15 | Facing OppositionIhe Atụ

Let’s look closer at the accusation the men of the synagogue were making.

The claim was that Stephen, representing the entire Jesus movement, was speaking against the temple, the law of Moses, and therefore blaspheming God.

It had a ring of truth. Jesus prophesied that the temple would be cast down (you can read it in Mark 13 or Matthew 24). Jesus did challenge the religious leaders to destroy the temple, and that he would raise it again in three days (you can read it in John 2:19). And Jesus also told a parable about how his new way would be incompatible with the prior way (you can read it in Luke 5:36-39). He even prophesies in this parable what we see happening here in Acts 6 – some would prefer the old way better!

It had a ring of truth, but it was a distortion of the truth. Because Jesus wasn’t blaspheming God’s truth revealed in Moses or against God’s temple-dwelling among his people. Jesus was showing how he fulfilled it! How all these good things of God were pointing to him as the fuller truth and more intimate temple-dwelling of God among his people.

But they just didn’t get it.

It’s tempting to be overly judgmental of Jews in the Synagogue of the Freedmen. Being open to interpreting Scripture in a new way requires a lot of convincing and faith. Being open to change and growth requires yielding to the Holy Spirit.

Today, consider this: How do you see people missing what Jesus is actually teaching and what Christianity actually believes? What are the stumbling blocks getting in the way? What mixed motives are at work? And how about you? Where might you be guilty of misunderstanding or distorting God’s truth, too?