Stephen, Under Pressure
A face nobody expected.
On steadiness when everything is against you.
The big idea
Under accusation, the thing people noticed about Stephen was his face.
Opening scripture
“Everyone sitting in the council looked closely at him, and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”
What does “Stephen, Under Pressure” walk through?
Like The Face Of An Angel
Acts 6:15 · KJV
And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
In plain English
Everyone sitting in the council looked closely at him, and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
The Detail Luke Chose
On trial, surrounded by hostile witnesses, what gets recorded is how he looked. Something was steady in him that the room could see.
Do Not Hold This Against Them
Acts 7:60 · KJV
And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
In plain English
Then he fell on his knees and cried out: Lord, do not hold this sin against them. And with that he died.
He Prayed For Them
His last words are almost exactly Jesus' last words. Under the worst possible pressure, what came out was what had gone in.
“Pressure does not build character so much as reveal how much of it is there.”
Not A Spirit Of Fear
2 Timothy 1:7 · KJV
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
In plain English
God doesn’t lead you by fear. He gives strength, love, and steady thinking.
Love Your Enemies
Matthew 5:44 · KJV
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
In plain English
But I tell you: love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you.
Pray
God, let what comes out of me under pressure be yours. Amen.
Write it down
What comes out of you when you are squeezed?
Steady
What goes in over years is what comes out in seconds.
Which passages does this journey use?
4 passages, drawn from Acts 6:15, Acts 7:60, 2 Timothy 1:7, Matthew 5:44. Every verse appears here in the King James text with a plain-English line beside it, so you can read it without a commentary open. Allow about 7 minutes for the whole thing, or 8 short sittings.
- Acts 6:15
- Acts 7:60
- 2 Timothy 1:7
- Matthew 5:44
Read any of these in full on the complete KJV, or look the wording up independently at Blue Letter Bible.
More in People of the Early Church
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Contentment inside limits you did not choose.
John, Who Stayed Close
Abiding, from the one who wrote the word.
Barnabas, The Encourager
The man who vouched for people.
Thomas, Who Asked
The doubt that got a personal answer.
Philip And The Nudge
Obedience to something small.