Acts 7:52 “Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:”
It’s easy to look at the history of Israel and see their failings. So too is the history of all mankind. We are all, and have all been, wicked, sinful people. There are no success stories on the righteousness front for mortal men. It is only God that shines light through the annals of time.
In a way it was not all that surprising that Israel treated Christ like they had treated their prophets. The truth had always been a piercing, unpleasant sound to their ears. Again, it’s the same with all the world. Every one of us has a distaste for reality when it involves the exposure of our own sins.
I assume these words were not easy for Stephen to say. Rebuke is always difficult for the righteous, for they know the words could apply just as easily to their own lives. Let’s always speak the truth with a gentle awareness of our own frailty. And leave finger pointing to the world.
Acts 7:52 “Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:”