The shocking death of Stephen acted like a catapult, flinging Christians out from Jerusalem in all directions. That was God’s purpose, to carry out the next stage of his plan. That next stage shouldn’t have been a surprise–the LORD had been hinting about it at least as far back as Abraham: “In you all nations shall be blessed.” Prophets from Jonah to Isaiah had prophesied about God’s mercy extending beyond the Jews, out to “the nations.” But as usual, the disciples were slow to catch on, including Peter.
What God is about to do will cause anger, confusion and bewilderment . . and finally acceptance. In the 2000 years since, all nations have indeed been blessed.
To find out more, click below for the printable .pdf, with scripture references, discussion questions, and activities:
Bible Reading Challenge Week 44: The Church – To the Gentiles
(This is a continuation of a series of posts about the “whole story” of the Bible. I plan to run one every week, on Tuesdays, with a printable PDF. The printable includes a brief 2-3 paragraph introduction, Bible passages to read, a key verse, 5-7 thought/discussion questions, and 2-3 activities for the kids. Here’s the Overview of the entire Bible series.)
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