Did Stephen believe he would have to wait 2000 years for a resurrection?

by Socrateswannabe 47 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • Band on the Run
    Band on the Run

    I don't know but the events in Acts showcase the Holy Spirit and a post Pentecost Christiany. This incident may predate Paul's conversion. The Jewish diaspra was broad. People love to repeat stories. Not all Christisns waited for a Paul. I am certain belief was spreading in all sorts of human ways.

    Things trend in NY even before cell phones and the internet. One day I had errands to do. As I walked crosstown, strangers stopped me to tell me about some oranges at the best produce store in the city. I was not going to check out an orange.More and more people on the street were orgasmic about the oranges. Some say if I don't go immediately, I will regret it for.the rest of my life. I decide to go expecting to be furious about a run of the mill orange. When I arrive, a large crowd is present. The store now has a one orange per person limit.Paying more than usual, I start eating in the store. In my entire life, I never have had such a spiritual experience with any food.I thank whatever forcr led me to the orange. Forget the Times or any chef--a review would not do it.People were envious for months that I tasted the orange. Books, pressno way..

  • Acluetofindtheuser
    Acluetofindtheuser

    I think Stephen believed his spirit would leave him when he died. Jesus also said the same thing when he was about to die. Some scriptures imply that spirit animates the body and when you die that spirit leaves you and goes back to God from where it came. It appears to be the breath of life. When you stop breathing you will die in minutes unless you are resuscitated. The two were yielding up their life giving air which belongs to God.

    These are the scriptures that come to mind:

    Job 27:3 "The spirit of God is in my nostrils."

    Psalms 104:29 "If you take away their spirit, they expire and back to dust they go."

    Psalms 146:4 "His spirit goes out he goes back to his ground, in that day his thoughts perish."

    Ecclesiastes 12:7 "Then the dust returns to the earth just as it happened to be and the spirit itself returns to the true God who gave it."

    Luke 8:55 "And her spirit returned and she rose instantly."

    Just exchange the word spirit with oxygen or the ability to breath.

  • Socrateswannabe
    Socrateswannabe

    Acluetofindtheuser, I'm not sure I can agree to that, in Stephen's case anyway. "Lord Jesus, receive my oxygen or my ability to breathe"? Maybe I'm missing something.

  • mP
    mP

    The speech of Stephen is the longest one in the bible and yet he demonstrates no knowledge of Jesus the man. Given his lack of specifics Stephen almost certainly didnt believe in our modern Jesus. His Jesus was a God up in heaven, never a man. Dont blieve me read the text, what do you learn ?

  • Socrateswannabe
    Socrateswannabe

    mP, I learned that Stephen has one hell of a windup but not much of a pitch! He took 50 verses to set up Acts 7:51-53, which is ostensibly about Jesus. So what was the purpose for reeling off the entire history of Israel, just to say, you killed the prophets and now you've killed the righteous one? Seems sort of weird to me.

  • Band on the Run
    Band on the Run

    Luke, author of the gospel, never wrote Acts. There are major theological differences. I cannot recall the details. Certainly, others know it.Also, I doubt there Iis a literal altar in heaven to be placed under, over, or aadjacent. It helps to stick with one writer at one time in a certsin area. Only Leo is capable of mixing it.

    ,

  • DATA-DOG
    DATA-DOG

    " What is the official WT spin on Stephan's words "lord Jesus...etc?" "

    I think the WT hates this scripture. They wish it had just said "LORD", so that they could have written" *Jehovah" at the bottom of the page. The fact that Jesus is written must piss them off..

  • DATA-DOG
    DATA-DOG

    LOL!!! Fear not those who can kill the body, but not the " breath/air/oxygen/ability to breathe."

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