Around about the time of the great famine in Israel (the famine prophesied by Agabus), Herod the king decided to oppress and maltreat (vex) certain believers in the Church.
Peter’s vision... was God signifying, that salvation is not only for the Jews but the Gentiles as well.
Peter, learns through a very strange vision from God, that salvation is for the Gentiles as well as the Jews.
How the Lord orchestrates this is quite amazing.
we see the miraculous conversion of Saul.
Interestingly the name "Saul" means 'desired.'
At this point in time... what Saul was doing to the believers... he was anything but desired.
Stephen a man full of faith and the Holy Ghost has just been stoned to death by the Jewish Council. Stephen had been accused of blasphemy by accusers who were bribed and set up to say those things against him.
Acts chapter 7 is what I would call a narrative... it's in "story" form.
Stephen preaches his defence message to the Council, who have put him on trial for blasphemy.
He goes as far back as the patriarch Abraham.
From verse 11 we have Stephen being singled out for intense persecution... resulting in his martyrdom.
The Holy Spirit reveals and cleanses.
In the beginning of this chapter take special note of the Holy Spirit doing just this.
He reveals the sin and... He deals with the sin.
The Holy Spirit reveals and cleanses.
In the beginning of this chapter take special note of the Holy Spirit doing just this.
He reveals the sin and... He deals with the sin.
From chapter 4 onwards, we see the start of persecution of the believers in the early Church, and would you believe it, mostly from the Jewish religious leaders...
☆ Acts 4:1...
"And as they spoke unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them..."
As Peter, John continued to preach and teach the people about Jesus and the healing of the lame man, the priests, the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them... came against them... opposed them.