Angel Face

Acts 6:15 "And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his (Stephen's) face as it had been the face of an angel."

Stephen had an aura about him. He was truly filled with the Holy Ghost! Stephen fully realized something few did in apostolic times, and proportionately few realize even today: "Scripture is all about Jesus!" Scripture, at that time, was the Law, poetry and prophecy. When Stephen's face beamed, the next thing he did was relate all the actions of the patriarchs to the coming of Jesus. Stephen was telling the doubters who professed belief in scripture "What you believe about God missed the point entirely!"

Stephen had an epiphany. The Holy Ghost revealed to him "the mystery of Christ". I have written on that "mystery" twice recently: The Mystery of God: The Mystery of Christ and Everybody Loves a Mystery.  Stephen then told about it!

An "epiphany" is "a sudden and striking realization." (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Let me tell the reader of my epiphany:

I was making my weekly drive to Michigan from Indianapolis on business, thinking about Abraham and his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac. All of a sudden I realized the significance of his willingness to do this awful thing to please God! That's right! My previous thought was that it was terrible that God would ask Abraham to do such a dire thing and merciless of Abraham's willingness to do the cruel deed! (Please read Genesis 22).

God tested Abraham! Abraham passed the test. He was willing to sacrifice his "only son" and because he was willing to, Abraham had faith in God! In the New Testament "the faith of Abraham" is the standard for the Christian! My epiphany, however, was not about a test of faith, but that Abraham's sacrifice of "his only son" was symbolic of God's sacrifice of his ownly son, Jesus! Not only was it symbolic, but archaeologists believe that Mt. Moriah was the same place as cavalry! I asked myself "Why didn't anyone ever tell me this before? Why haven't preachers ever preached this?"

My epiphany resulted in a method of standardized study. I no longer merely read scripture; I asked "What does this have to do with Jesus?" All the Old Testament has something to do with Jesus! That's what the entire Bible is about! My face lit up! I was illuminated. Because the Holy Ghost revealed to me the mystery of Christ, I had seen the proverbial "light". Now, I write. My blog is because I'm an "angel", not in behavior, but in the sense that I'm a messenger (what an angel does).

Stephen went on to present his message. He made a parallel to the Jews between Judaism and the faith of who were to be called "Christians". The mystery of which he told was that the patriarchs all had faith in the Messiah, that salvation was for everyone and it was always by faith! That's why his face shined! He knew the mystery and was about to share it! Jews were saved as a result of the apostle's revealing the "mystery of Christ" to them.

Most of what I write is to reveal the mystery to modern Christians. It seems to have been forgotten over the years that salvation has always been through faith in Jesus and is available for everyone! The patriarchs have greater faith than we do (the faith of Abraham, Noah, Moses, etc) because they believed in "what will happen" whereas we believe in "what did happen". Who has "the greater faith"?

Romans 4:16 "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all..."

Grace was for those "of the Law" and it's the same for those who have faith, just like Abraham had! What was "the faith of Abraham"? He realized that because God would sacrifice his only son for the salvation of mankind, that Abraham was willing to do the same as what God would do! Abraham was willing to do it, but God actually did it! Abraham had faith in the sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of mankind and that was the  way and only way anyone ever was or ever will be saved!

Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name (Jesus) under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Luke didn't say "Before Jesus came." or make any exceptions at all! Salvation is and was by Jesus and Jesus only! Believing in God the Father is not even sufficient because his son and his sacrifice for our sins is ignored! Abraham was in heaven when Lazarus died. It was by Jesus' name and blood that Abraham resides with God yet today!

Stephen knew that, and as an "angel", that was the message he spilled in Acts Chapter 7!