CHAPTER 6
Stephen “Receive Plenty Favor and Power From God”
We go learn from Stephen as e no fear when e preach for the Sanhedrin
As e dey for Acts 6:8–8:3
1-3. (a) Which kind condition Stephen see imself wey fit make person fear, but wetin e do? (b) Which questions we go answer?
STEPHEN de face the judges for the court. E fit be say the court dey near the temple for Jerusalem. Na 71 men sitdown for there. Them arrange their chairs to form big half circle. This place fit make person fear. This court na the Sanhedrin. Them gather today to judge Stephen. The judges na men wey people de fear and respect and many of them see Stephen as nobody. Na High Priest Caiaphas arrange the meeting. Na this man lead the Sanhedrin when them want kill Jesus. This one make Stephen fear?
2 E get something about Stephen face this time wey dey wonderful. As the judges de look-am them see say Stephen face be like angel own. (Acts 6:15) Angels de deliver message for Jehovah so them no de ever fear and them dey cool and calm. Na so Stephen be this time. Even the wicked judges fit see-am. But wetin make Stephen dey calm?
3 Today, Christians get plenty things to learn from the answer to that question. We need to know wetin make Stephen dey this kind hard condition. How e don defend im faith before? And how we go fit follow im example?
‘Them Make the People Vex’ (Acts 6:8-15)
4, 5. (a) Wetin make Stephen really dey useful to the new congregation? (b) Bible say Stephen “receive plenty favor and power from God,” wetin this one mean?
4 We don already learn say Stephen na man wey de help the new congregation. For Chapter 5, we see say Stephen dey among the seven men wey no carry body up and ready to work for the apostles when them select them. Stephen show say im na person wey humble even with the plenty gift wey Jehovah use bless-am. For example, Acts 6:8 talk say Stephen “de do big-big wonderful things and signs” like some of the apostles. Bible still talk say e “receive plenty favor and power from God.” Wetin this one mean?
5 When Stephen de talk, e sabi help people see say wetin e de talk na true and say the truths wey e de teach them go help them. Stephen na person wey dey kind and gentle and this one make people like-am. Stephen receive plenty power because, e dey humble and e allow Jehovah spirit direct im life. Stephen no carry body up because of all the blessing wey Jehovah give-am, but e praise Jehovah because of them and show say e care about the people wey e talk to. Na this one make them see-am as enemy to their religion.
6-8. (a) Which two things them accuse Stephen of, and why them talk like that? (b) Why Stephen example go fit help us today?
6 Some men try to go against Stephen, “but them no fit win the sense and the spirit wey Stephen de use talk.” a Because them no fit prove say wetin them de talk correct, them arrange people wey go lie against Stephen. Them still make the people, the elders, and the scribes vex for Stephen. Because of this one, them use force carry Stephen go the Sanhedrin. (Acts 6:9-12) Them accuse Stephen of two things. Them say, e de talk bad things against God and Moses. How?
7 When them say Stephen de talk bad things against God, them mean say e de talk bad things about the temple for Jerusalem wey be the “holy place.” When them accuse-am say e de talk bad things against Moses, them mean say e de talk bad things against the Law wey Moses give. This one na serious matter because that time, the temple, the law wey Moses give, and the other traditions wey them don add join the law, really dey important to Jew people. So them mean say Stephen fit cause problem for their religion, and them need to kill-am.
8 E dey normal to see say people for lie-lie religion de use the same method to cause problem for God servants today. Sometimes, them de make government to suffer Jehovah people. Wetin we go do if them lie against us? Stephen example fit help us.
E No Fear to Preach About “the God Wey Get Honor” (Acts 7:1-53)
9, 10. Wetin some people talk about the answer wey Stephen give the Sanhedrin, and wetin we need to remember?
9 As we learn for the beginning of this chapter, Stephen face be like angel own, e dey calm and e no worry when them de accuse-am. When them talk finish, Caiaphas ask-am say: “This things na true?” (Acts 7:1) Now, e don reach Stephen time to talk and e no fear to answer them.
10 Some people talk say even though Stephen answer really long, e no prove say e dey innocent. The truth be say, Stephen answer na better example wey go fit help us “answer anybody” wey ask about the good news. (1 Pet. 3:15) Remember say, them accuse Stephen say e de talk bad things against God and Moses because them talk say e talk bad things about “the holy place” wey be the temple for Jerusalem and against the Law. For Stephen answer, e talk about three different period for Israel people life and e really make some points clear. Make we talk about this three period one by one.
11, 12. (a) Why we fit say Stephen use Abraham example well? (b) Why Joseph story dey important for wetin Stephen de talk?
11 For the time of their great-great grand papa them. (Acts 7:1-16) Stephen start to talk about Abraham wey Jew people de respect well-well because of im faith. As Stephen start with this topic wey all of them believe, e make-am dey clear say Jehovah wey be “the God wey get honor” first show imself to Abraham for Mesopotamia. (Acts 7:2) Abraham na stranger for the promise land, e no get any temple wey e de go and Moses Law never dey that time. So, how anybody go talk say person must follow this things before e go fit serve God well?
12 The people still de respect Joseph wey be Abraham great-great grand pikin. Stephen come remind them say the people wey sell Joseph as slave, na im own brothers and na them all the tribe of Israel come from. Even with wetin them do, na Joseph God still use save Israel people when food no dey Israel. Stephen know say Jesus and Joseph na people wey Jehovah choose to save im people but them treat two of them for bad way. But Stephen no mention this one give the Sanhedrin so that them go continue to listen to-am.
13. How the things wey Stephen talk about Moses show say wetin them talk about Stephen na lie, and which point e make clear about God people?
13 For Moses time. (Acts 7:17-43) E really make sense say Stephen talk many things about Moses because, many of the people wey dey the Sanhedrin na Sadducees and na only the Bible books wey Moses write them accept. Remember say them accuse Stephen say e de talk bad about Moses. The things wey Stephen talk make-am dey clear say wetin them talk na lie because e show say e really get respect for Moses and the Law. (Acts 7:38) E make them know say the people wey Moses de try save still reject-am. That time, Moses dey 40 years. After another 40 years, them challenge im authority many times. b So, small-small, Stephen make one point clear: Many times, God people de reject the people wey Jehovah don choose to lead them.
14. For wetin Stephen talk, which important point Moses example prove?
14 Stephen remind the Sanhedrin say Moses don already talk say another prophet like Moses go come from Israel. Who that person go be and how them go treat-am? Stephen keep the answer for the things wey e go talk last. E still talk another important point: Moses don learn say any place fit be holy ground, like wetin happen when Jehovah talk to-am for the place wey fire de burn chuku-chuku tree. So, na only for one particular place like the temple for Jerusalem person go fit worship God? Make we see.
15, 16. (a) Wetin make Stephen talk about the tabernacle? (b) Wetin Stephen talk about Solomon temple?
15 The tabernacle and the temple. (Acts 7:44-50) Stephen remind the people say before them build the temple for Jerusalem, God don use Moses make tabernacle for worship. The tabernacle be like tent and them fit de carry-am from place to place. The people no fit argue say the temple dey important pass the tabernacle because na there Moses worship Jehovah.
16 When Solomon build the temple for Jerusalem, e talk something wey dey important for im prayer. Stephen talk this thing when e say, “the Person Wey High Pass no de stay for house wey them make with hand.” (Acts 7:48; 2 Chron. 6:18) Jehovah fit use temple do the things wey e want, but e fit still do this things without the temple. So people wey de worship Jehovah no suppose feel say them must worship-am for one particular place wey them use their hand build. Stephen end this point for better way when e use wetin dey the book of Isaiah wey talk say: “Heaven na my throne and the earth na stool wey I de put my leg ontop. Which kind house una go build for me? Na so Jehovah talk. Or where the place wey I go stay? Na my hand make all this things, no be so?”—Acts 7:49, 50; Isa. 66:1, 2.
17. How the things wey Stephen talk (a) show say the way the people de reason and behave no correct and (b) show say e no do anything wey bad?
17 If you think about everything wey Stephen don talk, you go see say e use sense show say the way the people de reason and behave no correct. E show say Jehovah fit use any method do things to make wetin e want happen. E no get any tradition wey e de follow and e fit do wetin e want for any condition. The people de over respect the temple for Jerusalem and the customs and traditions wey them add join the Law wey Moses give, but them no understand this Law and why Jehovah even give them temple. The things wey Stephen talk prove say the best way for them to show say them value the temple and the Law, na to obey Jehovah. The things wey Stephen talk show say wetin e de do correct because e don do im best to obey Jehovah.
18. How we fit imitate Stephen?
18 Wetin we fit learn from the things wey Stephen talk? E really know the things wey dey the Scriptures. If we want be like Stephen wey ‘handle the word of God for correct way,’ we need to de study Bible well. (2 Tim. 2:15) Stephen example still teach us how to talk with sense and how to talk to people for kind way so that them no go vex. The people wey e de talk to na people wey fit vex quick but them listen to-am for long time because e talk about things wey dey important to them wey im and them believe. E still talk to them with respect as e call the men wey dey for high position “papa.” (Acts 7:2) Like Stephen, when we de teach people Bible, we need to de do-am with “cool mind and deep respect.”—1 Pet. 3:15.
19. Wetin Stephen do wey show say e no fear to tell the Sanhedrin the judgment message from Jehovah?
19 Wetin we don talk no mean say we no go preach because we de fear say people fit vex, or say we go change the judgment message because we want make people happy. Stephen na better example for us. E see say the judges for the Sanhedrin no ready to change their mind even with all the truth wey e don tell them. Because of this one, holy spirit move-am, and e no fear to tell them say, them just be like their great-great grand papa them wey reject Joseph, Moses and all the prophets. (Acts 7:51-53) In fact, the Messiah wey Moses and the other prophets don talk say e go come, na all this judges for the Sanhedrin kill-am. The truth be say, them don go against the Law wey Moses give for the worst way!
“Lord Jesus, Receive My Spirit” (Acts 7:54–8:3)
“As them hear this things, them really vex for inside their heart and start to grind their teeth as them de look-am.”—Acts 7:54
20, 21. Wetin the Sanhedrin do and how Jehovah help Stephen?
20 Because wetin Stephen talk na truth and the judges no fit deny-am, e really make them vex. Them no fit hold theirself again and their anger burst. Stephen go don know say them go kill-am the way them kill im Master, Jesus.
21 Stephen need to get strong mind so that e go fit face the big problem wey dey im front. Jehovah come help Stephen see one vision wey really help-am. For the vision, e see the glory of God and e still see Jesus stand for Jehovah right hand side! As Stephen de talk wetin e de see for the vision, the judges come use their hand cover their ear. Why them cover their ear? Before this time, Jesus don tell this same court say, na im be the Messiah and e go soon dey the right hand side of im Papa. (Mark 14:62) So, wetin Stephen see for vision show say wetin Jesus talk na true. Na this Sanhedrin kill Jesus wey be Messiah! All of them rush go meet Stephen together and them start to stone-am until e die. c
22, 23. How Stephen death take be like Jesus own, and how we fit get strong mind like Stephen?
22 When Stephen de die, e show say e trust Jehovah. E know say e no do wrong and e forgive the people wey de kill-am. Na so e be for Jesus when e de die. Stephen talk say, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” E fit be say e talk this one because e still de see Jesus and Jehovah for the vision. We dey sure say Stephen know this better word wey Jesus talk: “Na me be the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25) Finally, Stephen pray to Jehovah for loud voice: “Jehovah, no hold them for this sin.” And after e talk this one, e die.—Acts 7:59, 60.
23 Stephen na the first person wey people kill because e be Jesus disciple. (Check the box “ Stephen Die Because E Witness About Jesus.”) But, e no go be the last. Till today, leaders for religion, government people and other people don kill some of Jehovah servants. Even with all this one, we get reason to get strong heart like Stephen. Jesus don de rule as King now, and e de use the power wey im Papa don give-am. Nothing go fit stop-am make e no resurrect im followers wey don die.—John 5:28, 29.
24. Wetin Saul do wey show say e get hand for Stephen death, and how Stephen example continue to help other Christians for long time?
24 One person wey de look all this things as them de happen na Saul. E agree make them kill Stephen and e even de help the people wey de stone Stephen look their cloth wey them keep for ground. After small time pass, e start to de suffer Jesus disciples well-well. Stephen death no put fear for the disciples mind, instead e go help them for long time to continue to hold Jehovah tight go reach the end like Stephen. Some years after this time, Saul wey im name later change to Paul, come de regret wetin e do when them de kill Stephen. (Acts 22:20) E get hand for Stephen death, but after, e come talk say: “I de talk bad about God, I de suffer im people, and I no get respect for anybody at all.” (1 Tim. 1:13) E clear say Paul no ever forget Stephen and the better things wey e talk that day. In fact, Paul later talk and write about some things wey Stephen talk. (Acts 7:48; 17:24; Heb. 9:24) Later, Paul show say e don really learn to show strong faith and strong heart like Stephen wey “receive plenty favor and power from God.” The question now na, We go follow Stephen example too?
a Some of the men wey dey against Stephen dey one group wey them de call “Synagogue of Free People.” Them fit be people wey Rome don free after them capture them, or slaves wey don free wey come convert to Jew people religion. Some come from Cilicia, the same place wey Saul from Tarsus come from. Bible no talk whether Saul dey among the men from Cilicia wey no fit prove say them correct.
b Stephen talk some things wey we no go fit see for any other place for Bible, like how Moses go school for Egypt, the age wey Moses dey when e first run comot from Egypt, and how long e stay for Midian.
c E be like say Rome people law no give the Sanhedrin power to kill any person. (John 18:31) From wetin happen, e just be like say na group of people wey de vex, gather kill Stephen, no be because the court judge im matter and see say e dey guilty.
