July 17, 2008 - Acts 6:9b-10

“These men began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.” Acts 6:9b-10.
Stephen, one of the seven new servant leaders of the early community of followers of Jesus, was being used of God to do amazing wonders and miracles in Jerusalem. As he was performing these acts, Stephen was telling the story of Jesus, the Messiah, who was the one responsible for these amazing things. Not only did he attract those who were in need and who were curious, Stephen attracted those who were hostile to the message, and it was these men who “began to argue with” him. As today’s verse indicates, these men were unable to stand up to Stephen’s arguments, as he was guided by the Holy Spirit.
I do not believe that Stephen was looking for an argument, yet he did not back away from one, when it came his way. I tend to be the type of person that avoids conflict, so I would be very uncomfortable in this scene. I know other people who love a good argument and would not back away from one. In fact, these people may tend to say things that “bait” the conversation just to see if there is the possibility of arguing about something. These people just seem to like a good fight, for it is sport to them. This was not the case for Stephen and his confronters. The issues for these men were very serious and were matters of life and death. They argued with Stephen because they believed that he proclaimed a false or heretical message. Yet, Stephen frustrated their efforts.
Questions to consider: How do you respond to when arguments start occurring around you? If you tend to avoid arguments, like me, what would it take for you to “argue” on God’s behalf? What issues are worth arguing for?
Prayer: Father, help us to not argue for arguments’ sake. Help us to always have Your Spirit in those times and to have a sense of Your love for those that we face in the moment of confrontation. Amen.