Acts 8:1-7

Stephen did not run, but everyone else did. That does not mean Stephen was right and everyone else was wrong; it means that we cannot decide what to do simply by what others have done. Whenever we face a difficult choice, it is wise to consider how other Christians have responded in similar circumstances. However, the choice will still be ours, and ultimately we must allow God’s will to determine our decision.

Stephen did not run from his confrontation with the Sanhedrin and even though it ended up with his death, he made the right choice. By choosing to remain and defend the faith, he gave the leadership of the Sanhedrin a pivotal opportunity to respond to the gospel. There was a possibility that they would repent. They could have changed the course of human history if they had done so. Imagine the difference it would have made for the early church and for the world if the entirety of Israel had chosen to follow Jesus. The outcome could have been truly amazing. The possibility was worth Stephen sacrificing his life.

The decision of the Sanhedrin to kill Stephen had pivotal consequences for themselves, their nation and the church. Individual Jews could still choose to believe in Jesus, but for the Nation of Israel as a whole, their opportunity had passed.

When the persecution of the church broke out there was no longer a good reason to remain in Jerusalem. God does not have his children sacrifice their lives meaninglessly. They fled throughout Judea and Samaria. However, even when it appears the church is on the defensive, and running for its life, God is at work. Wherever Christians go, they take the gospel of with them. The persecution in Jerusalem did not end the teaching and preaching of the gospel. It spread faster and farther than the Sanhedrin could have an imagined.

When persecuted, Christians seek God’s will and obey. Sometimes He has them stay and other times they run. Either way they always share the gospel.