The bible often gives focus to contrasting characters;
Cain & Abel, Abraham & Lott, David & Saul etc…. Here in Acts 7-8 we have another fascinating contrast, Saul and Stephen.
While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.
Acts 7 v 60 – 8 v 1
Both are young, passionately committed, men seeking to serve the Lord.
They are both marked by different approaches to God. Saul by the law, Stephen by grace. If ever there was an example of law leading to death and grace to life, outside of the cross, here it is.
On the surface these two men should have been friends, both worshiped the same God, both seeking to advance the cause of God. Yet the gulf between them is vast.
Paul tells us about his credentials as a Pharisee
circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
Philippians 3 5-6
Jesus saved a particular disgust for the Pharisees. He gives His reasons for this
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
Matthew 23 v 13
Saul displayed this kind of religious evil as he stood giving approval to Stephen’s murder. Religion without grace is death, it is just a series of rules actually designed to keep men and women away from God. When the church becomes nothing more than a religious club we should all be fearful.
The Pharisees hated Jesus and his followers because they showed that God’s desire was to dwell with people, ordinary, everyday people. This rendered the livelihoods of the Pharisees meaningless. When the temple curtain was torn in two, demonstrating that God and man could now dwell together, the law became obsolete. It still is.
Stephen was a man full of grace, wisdom and power (Acts 6 v 8). His life and death were a demonstration that the gulf between God and man has been dealt with. He reflected Jesus own example as He faced his accusers, he looked to win them but offered no resistance in is own defense.
My observation is that we each have some of Saul’s attitude and some of Stephen’s in us.
We need to keep watch over our own attitudes and motives the consequences are as dramatic as life and death.