在今天的故事中，我们要面对一个无情的事实，就是那些怀着邪恶意图的人是会犯骇人的罪的。司提反被石头打死，是初代基督教会记录中的第一宗谋杀案。
司提反对当时的宗教领袖所说的话，非常有力地总括了神对祂子民的良善慈爱，但这番话也巧妙地把控方的指控变成他们自己的罪状。司提反热切地把听众的注意力集中在亚伯拉罕、约瑟、和摩西一生的事迹上，而当他这样做时，他表明控方怎样自己定了自己的罪，因为他们不断抗拒圣灵的工作。
接着下来，这些宗教领袖们便勃然大怒，他们暴露自己对基督的偏见，并杀害了司提反。大祭司和其他的领袖们怎么会这样盲目和残酷呢？他们刚硬的心使他们掷石头杀人。
虽然司提反是不应该被石头打死，然而他的表现，显明他有一颗被神的灵充满的心。没有任何事情 — 甚至是被石头打死 — 能够消灭司提反表露出来的生命，一个被圣灵充满和活像基督的生命。
如果有这样的事情临到我们，靠着神的能力，我们也可以有同样的表现。
主啊，求祢救我们脱离任何伤害我们身体、思想、和灵魂的事情。当我们抗拒祢的圣灵时，求祢赦免我们。又求祢充满我们的心，好叫我们无论在任何境况中都能藉着祢的能力，去彰显耶稣的爱和在信心上站立得稳。阿们。
使徒行传 7:51-60
51 你们这硬着颈项、心与耳未受割礼的人，常时抗拒圣灵！你们的祖宗怎样，你们也怎样。
52 哪一个先知不是你们祖宗逼迫呢？他们也把预先传说那义者要来的人杀了，如今你们又把那义者卖了、杀了。
53 你们受了天使所传的律法，竟不遵守！”
54 众人听见这话，就极其恼怒，向司提反咬牙切齿。
55 但司提反被圣灵充满，定睛望天，看见神的荣耀，又看见耶稣站在神的右边，
56 就说：“我看见天开了，人子站在神的右边！”
57 众人大声喊叫，捂着耳朵，齐心拥上前去，
58 把他推到城外，用石头打他。作见证的人把衣裳放在一个少年人名叫扫罗的脚前。
59 他们正用石头打的时候，司提反呼吁主说：“求主耶稣接收我的灵魂！”
60 又跪下大声喊着说：“主啊，不要将这罪归于他们！”说了这话就睡了。扫罗也喜悦他被害。
"While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'" - Acts 7:59
In our story today we face the grim reality that people with evil intentions can commit terrible crimes. The stoning of Stephen was the first recorded murder of someone in the early church of Christ.
Stephen’s speech to the religious leaders of his day was a powerful summary of God’s loving-kindness toward his people, but it was also a clever way of turning the accusers’ charges against them. Stephen passionately drew his listeners’ attention to the history of Abraham, Joseph, and Moses, and as he did that he showed how the accusers incriminated themselves as they repeatedly resisted the work of the Holy Spirit.
Then, furiously, these religious leaders exposed their bias against Christ and murdered Stephen. How could the high priest and the other leaders be so blind and so cruel? Their hearts of stone led them to cast stones.
Though his stoning was undeserved, Stephen showed that he had a heart filled with the Spirit of God. Nothing—not even stoning—could stamp out the Spirit-filled, Christ-like trust that Stephen demonstrated.
If a moment like that ever comes for us, we can do the same—in God’s strength.
Lord, deliver us from whatever might harm us in body, mind, and soul. Forgive us when we unwittingly resist your Holy Spirit. Fill our hearts so that in every circumstance we will reflect the love of Jesus and stand firm in faith, by your power. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
