Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, pastor at St. Paul and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Churches in Austin, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 6:1-15.
As the Word of God continued to increase, the task of distributing to widows in the Church caused a complaint to arise: the Greek-speaking Jews were being neglected. The apostles quickly recognize the validity of this complaint, but also the necessity that they continue devoted to prayer and preaching the Word of God. They suggest that the Church set aside seven men with good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom for the necessary vocation. The Church does so, and the apostles set the seven aside for the task. St. Luke turns our attention to one of these seven, Stephen. The great wonders and signs done by Stephen draw the ire of many Jews in Jerusalem, who begin to dispute with him and bring him up on false charges. The Lord keeps His promise by filling Stephen with the Holy Spirit so that none of his opponents can withstand him. The angelic appearance of Stephen’s face testifies to the confidence that he has in the crucified and risen Savior.
“To the End of the Earth” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Acts. In his second volume, St. Luke records all the things that Jesus continued to do through the ministry of His Church. By the end of the book, the proclamation of the Lord’s Word that began in Jerusalem grows all the way to Rome. By God’s grace, even now, that same Word is proclaimed to us.
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