45. Stephen and Philip

What the Story Says

1. What lie did the unbelieving Jews tell about Stephen?

   They lied and said he was speaking evil things about Moses and God (#45-02).

2. What evil things did Stephen say the people of Israel had done?

   In the past, the people of Israel had always disobeyed God, rejected the Holy Spirit, and killed God's prophets. But Stephen said that they had now done something even worse—they had killed the Messiah (#45-03).

3. What did the religious leaders do to Stephen when they heard what he said about them?

   They dragged Stephen out of the city and threw stones at him to kill him (#45-04).

4. What did Stephen ask God to do for the religious leaders?

   Stephen asked God not to hold against them that they had killed Stephen (#45-05).

5. What did the believers do when the persecution forced them to leave Jerusalem?

   They fled to other places and continued to preach about Jesus everywhere they went (#45-06).

6. Who did the Holy Spirit tell Philip to go and meet on the road?

   He told Philip to meet an important official from Ethiopia, who was riding in his chariot (#45-07).

7. What was the official reading when Philip approached him?

   He was reading what the prophet Isaiah wrote about a man who was silent as a lamb when he was killed (#45-08).

8. Who did Philip say Isaiah had written about?

   Philip said Isaiah had written about Jesus (#45-10).

9. What did the Ethiopian ask to do when they came to some water?

   The Ethiopian asked Philip if he could be baptized (#45-11).

10. What happened to Philip after he baptized the Ethiopian?

    The Holy Spirit took peter away to another place where he continued to tell people about Jesus (#45-12).

What the Story Means to Us

1. How did Stephen respond when he was arrested and brought before the high priest and other leaders?

   Even though people had lied about Stephen, he boldly proclaimed the message about Jesus. He was not afraid to tell the leaders that they had sinned and disobeyed God.

2. What was Stephen's attitude toward the Jews who killed him?

   Stephen did not condemn the people who killed him. Instead, he was gracious to them and asked God not to punish them for killing him. He loved his enemies even as he was dying.

3. Did the persecution of the believers stop the message about Jesus?

   God used the persecution of the believers to spread the message about Jesus even further than Jerusalem. Before the persecution, the believers only preached in Jerusalem. But after the persecution started, they scattered everywhere and preached the message wherever they went.

4. What was Philip doing when the Holy Spirit told him to go to the wilderness to meet the Ethiopian?

   Philip was preaching in Samaria, and many people were believing in Jesus as a result. However, the Holy Spirit sent Philip away from Samaria to meet only the Ethiopian. It seems that it was so important that the Ethiopian believed that God took Philip away from speaking to many other people. Philip obeyed God and went.

5. When Philip approached the Ethiopian, how was it exactly the right time for the Ethiopian to hear about Jesus?

   The Ethiopian was reading about the Messiah in the book of the prophet Isaiah, but did not know that Isaiah was writing about Jesus. The Holy Spirit brought Philip to the Ethiopian at exactly the right time when he was willing to listen to God's message. Because Philip came to him then, the Ethiopian quickly believed and was baptized.

6. Who suggested that the Ethiopian be baptized?

   The Ethiopian himself knew that he should honor Jesus by being baptized in his name. Therefore, he asked Philip to baptize him. Philip did that, and the Ethiopian continued on to his home, happy to know Jesus.

Summary

At first, the Jews approved of the Christian believers because of the miracles they did, and the way they lived. But they soon turned against them. They accused Stephen of saying evil things about Moses and God, and then killed him. After that, they persecuted the believers and forced them to leave Jerusalem and scatter to other places. But God used the persecution to cause the believers to proclaim the message about Jesus to everyone, everywhere. Many people believed in Jesus at the preaching Philip and others. But God also sought out individual people, such as the Ethiopian official, who needed to hear about Jesus. Even during the persecution, God was at work to powerfully grow his church.