02.08 | The Wisdom & the Spirit
Acts 6:8-7:29
‘But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.’
Acts 7:10
How do we advance when we are opposed?
This was a question that the Early Church continually had to deal with. As we move into chapter 7, we’re getting the hang of this rhythm in Acts now: the Spirit empowers the mission; the Kingdom advances; the power bases of the world push back. Spirit, advance, opposition. And then, out of the persecution, more Spirit, more advance, and more opposition.
Today we begin two days with Stephen. He’s a brief part of the biblical story. Within two chapters, he’s been introduced, and he’s been martyred.
He was introduced to us in yesterday’s passage. The Church had been growing rapidly, and the demands of feeding the vulnerable was becoming more than the apostles could carry. Knowing that their core role was not the management of ministries, but ‘prayer and the ministry of the word’,1 they delegated the distribution of food to seven Greek-speaking Jewish men.2 The job description included two characteristics: full of the Spirit, and full of wisdom. Spirit and wisdom. One of these chosen men was Stephen.
He was appointed to wait tables.
And yet, within a few verses, we read this:
Stephen … was doing great wonders and signs among the people.
What God can do with a waiter who is full of His Spirit would blow your mind.
And yet, we remember the rhythm. Spirit, advance, opposition. And the opposition in this instance, is this group from one particular synagogue: the synagogue of the (somewhat ironically named) Freedmen.
They come and they oppose Stephen. But they are unable to withstand him because of two things.
They could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.
They could not withstand the wisdom.
They could not withstand the Spirit.
Wisdom and the Spirit are a mighty combination. They draw together the skill and intellect and understanding, alongside the power and vitality of God’s own presence. They unite the understanding of the deep life—a life lived immersed in and out from the truths of God—with the power of the Spirit-filled life. It is the combination of a heavenly-minded human with the heavenly power of God.
The temptation, for many of us, is to pursue just one of these things.
It is tempting to pursue wisdom but without the Spirit—giving our lives to study and prayer, to learning and intellect. To focus our time on the knowledge base required to win an argument. Wisdom without the Spirit inhabits the ways of the world, looking to overcome the ideologies of others with superior ideology. Wisdom without the Spirit is impressive, but it struggles to change the hearts of its hearers.
And it is also tempting to pursue the Spirit but without wisdom—seeking manifestations of His power and presence, yet living lives that are devoid of wholeness and truth and reflection and depth. Spirit without wisdom leads to showmanship and the theatrical, and is can be common when power is abused.
Stephen models the heavenly way—bringing all the intellect and learning of his wisdom and insight together with the presence of God that has been delighted to alight upon his life.
The wisdom and the Spirit. The way of learning and of prayer, Spirit and truth, proclamation and demonstration, humankind and God, serving the purposes of the Kingdom in beautiful synergy.
Reflect:
Has there been a preference of either wisdom or Spirit in my life?
Turn this to prayer.
Pray:
Father,
Grant me wisdom;
Grant me the ability to grow my understanding—
Through study and listening,
Learning and humility,
Suffering and truth.
May I walk with the wise,
And may you grow in me
Great skill in the art of living
And the dynamics of truth.
Father,
Grant me more of your Spirit,
That my words and deeds be empowered
With your might;
That the truths that I tell
Be fire that ignites
And water that soothes
And wind that moves.
Work wonders through me,
That showcase your character to this world.
And Father,
As you establish and grow these things in my life,
May none be able to withstand
The realities of the Kingdom
And the increase of your fame.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Old Testament:
For those also reading the Old Testament this year, your additional readings are here:
Jeremiah 31 | Proverbs 20:14-19
Acts 6:4
For leaders out there, this corrective is so essential, for far too often we do the opposite—squeezing prayer and the word gradually out of our diaries as we become managers of ministry activity. But prayer and the ministry of the word remain the staples of Christian leadership.