Acts 4-6

Reading for Thursday November 14, 2019
Acts 4-6

Acts 6: 8-15
And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.  Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.  And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.  Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.  And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council,  And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:  For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs  which Moses delivered us.  And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

The idea that angels have angelic faces came about long after the Bible.  In the Bible, angels are soldiers and messengers.  So when the council thought that Stephen's face had been that of an angel.  I believe that it was that of a messenger.  Jesus told the disciples to not worry about what they would say to defend themselves when they are brought before rulers and the authorities, for the Holy Spirit will provide it for them in that very hour.  (Matthew 12: 11-12).  Perhaps Stephen had the face of an angel, because at that very hour a messenger angel sent from the Holy Spirit was providing the dialog.