A majority vote [more than half of the total] is used in many areas of life, including education, business, social organizations, non-profit organizations like C2C Church, government, etc. Wisdom and dialogue are important because, without them, we struggle to put forward a godly vision for governing every area of life; we may not position proper boundaries. We can form a majority, raise our voices, and build a strong system of governance, but that does not guarantee we are building on truth. We need to invoke God’s help, vision, and blessing to be successful.
We can agree on many issues and still not be living the truth as God requires. If God is not given authority, then people will simply demand their own way. Human perspective alone is flawed and self-willed. We need to regain a fear of the Lord and call for His counsel because,“There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death” (Proverbs 14:12).
Our passage today, reminds us of something that is deeply human. Stephen is a man living his life according to the Truth—in Christ. Our passage finds Stephen sharing about people’s need for Jesus the Savior who has been made wisdom for eternal life—a life that begins here on earth.
A group of liberated Hellenistic Jews finds themselves arguing with Stephen, who is filled with the Spirit of Truth. These men were unable to refute the teachings of Jesus shared by Stephen, but they were able to lie and form a majority. These Jews encourage others to lie about Stephen, accusing him of wanting to change the laws governing the Israelites. He was then taken to the high council to stand trial. The majority was ready to act without revealing the Truth that the accusations were built on lies.
Divine wisdom and truth are under attack every single day. Research reveals the average person tells 1-2 lies per day (University of Wisconsin-La Crosse). Jesus is the Living Truth of how God created human beings to live in this world and He wants to lead us into a deeper understanding of life with God. He is embodied in Truth-speakers. Let Jesus make you alive with Truth! The world has too many liars trying to silence our Lord.
Acts 6:8-15 NLT Stephen Is Arrested
8 Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. 9 But one day, some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia. 10 None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.
11 So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, “We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.” 12 This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council.[Sanhedrin]
13 The lying witnesses said, “This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses. 14 We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”
15 At this point, everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.
Prayer: Lord, please give us hearts that welcome Your truth. As Your children, guard us from pride that resists correction and from fear that avoids it. Fill us with Your wisdom so that our lives reflect Your presence, even when we face opposition. Help us to stand firm in what is true, with grace and humility, just as Stephen did. We do not serve the father of lies—satan—we serve the Truth—and we live for your glory. In Jesus’ Amen.