WEEK 9
PERSECUTION OF THE EARLY BELIEVERS
Persecution is an act done against a person in a manner to injure, grieve, afflict, beset with cruelty, malign, harass, punish or put a person to death as a result of the person’s race, sexual identity, adherence to a particular religious creed or mode of worship. The early believers suffered a lot of persecution which mostly resulted in death and imprisonment.
ARREST OF PETER AND JOHN AND THEIR TRIAL BEFORE THE COUNCIL – Acts 4:1-31
While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple and the Sad′ducees being annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead, they arrested them and put them in custody until the following day because it was already evening. About five thousand men had believed the teaching of Peter and John.
On the following day, their rulers, elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Ca′iaphas, John, Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. When they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” Peter, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a cripple, by what means this man has been healed, be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man is standing before you well. This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, but which has become the head of the corner. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and just common men, they wondered. Then they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man that had been healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. They excused themselves and conferred with one another, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is manifest to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” So, they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” They further threatened them before they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people who were praising God for what had happened. The man on whom the sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.
THE BELIEVERS PRAY FOR BOLDNESS
When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who by the mouth of our father David, thy servant, didst say by the Holy Spirit, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples imagine vain things? The kings of the earth set themselves in array, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’—
for truly in this city there were gathered together against thy holy servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever thy hand and thy plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness, while thou stretchest out thy hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of thy holy servant Jesus.”
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.
Martyrdom of Stephen Acts 6:8, Acts 7: 1- 60
Stephen was a man full of grace and power. He also performed great wonders and signs among the people. Some of those who belonged to the Synagogue instigated some people against him having discovered that they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. They falsely accused him of speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.
So he was summoned by the council to defend himself. When he stood, they saw his face like the face of angel. He spoke to them boldly dissecting the scriptures to them from the time of Abraham to Jacob to Joseph and Moses and how the people rejected and persecuted all the prophets God had sent especially those who proclaimed the coming of the Righteous One. He also condemned their action of crucifying Jesus and their hypocrisy for not receiving God’s message.
When they heard these things, they were enraged. But Stephen, being full of the Holy Spirit gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God. He said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.” At that time, they cried out with a loud voice, blocked their ears and rushed together at him. They took him out of the city and the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of Saul, who supervised the stoning of Stephen. As they were stoning him, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He knelt down and also cried with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” After this, he fell asleep (died).
Unprecedented 