Open Heaven

<p>If you have been protecting the purity of the faith in one God, and his presence in the temple, and his laws for 4000 years, how can you put up with such a dramatic different interpretation of the scriptures that you have protected for so long? This is a major attack on our way of life, our historians, our traditions, our beliefs, our hope? For the Sanhedrin, it means their jobs, their livelihood, their way of life, their purpose in life. How could we have made such a wrong decision about Jesus? How can he be the Messiah if he doesn’t deliver us from Rome, and lead us into a new Jewish Kingdom? It can’t be a cursed one.</p><p>A door of salvation to the Gentiles like Jesus to the Jews and second chance.</p><p>This leads to the stoning of Stephen outside the city. In this, there is a lot of similarity to Jesus by a Hellenistic believer:  which answers the question posed by Theophilus: for assurance: 1:4. Parallels to Jesus:</p><p>Stephen has grace and power, works wonders and signs among the people 6:8</p><p>Enters into dispute with those who challenge him 6:9 including spies 6:11</p><p>Arrested 6:12 and brought to trial before the Sanhedrin 6:12-15</p><p>False witnesses 6:13 (see Mk 14:56, Mt 26:59; taken outside the city 7:58</p><p>The matter of clothing discarded 7:58; Stephen prays 7:59; asks forgiveness of murderers 7:60;</p><p>Buried by pious people 8:2.  This is a correlation as a witness of Jesus who possesses the same Spirit.</p><p>Jesus was silent, but he said he would give the words to say in times like these: Lk 21:15: “for I will provide you eloquence and wisdom which none of your adversaries will be able to oppose or refute.”</p><p>The introduction and role of Saul/Paul: 1. Accusers throw the stones, the cloaks at Paul’s feet show that he had authority, and his approval May have been more like instigator. Stephen like him was a hellenist Jew – a Roman citizen, and from a Hellenistic synagogue. He may have even known him. Prior to his conviction that Jesus was the Messiah.  This ends the Jerusalem N