(An Extract from "The Christophanies" now publishing in Treasury of Truth )

It is worthy of note that the free, sovereign, and direct action of the Spirit, begins at the moment of this appearing. In the call of Stephen to the work, the Spirit acts above apostolic authority in the twelve. Their work is recognized in its place; but the Spirit in calling and fitting Stephen, acts independently of their authority. The Spirit is" dividing to every man severally (or in particular) as He will " (i Cor. 12:11). The twelve were called and sent by the Lord when on earth, but Stephen was called by the Lord in glory, and his fitting and sending was by the Holy Spirit, and no one else. Thus we have in Stephen an illustration of the principle of Christian ministry for all time. Only, we must go to the writings of the apostle Paul for the full development of this principle; but this is true of everything connected with the Church. Paul himself was an apostle by the personal call of the Lord in glory, and he was sent forth into the work, not by the twelve, but by the Holy Ghost (Acts 13:4).Man was not the source nor the authority of his apostleship ; he declares expressly that it was "not of man, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead" (Gal. i:i). Then in Eph. 4:7-14 he puts all ministry on the same basis, and shows that evangelists, pastors and teachers are called, fitted and sent, as he was. And he lets us know that this principle is to characterize all Christian ministry until the Church is completed. Christ as the ascended One, and head of His body, the Church, gives " gifts unto men, for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith."

Until Stephen is raised up, the miraculous signs-except the speaking with tongues and prophesying at Pentecost-seem to have been by the twelve only. But now "Stephen full of faith (grace, N. Trans.) and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people " (Acts 6:8). He had been set apart as one of the seven who were to serve tables in the assembly at Jerusalem. His devotedness had fitted him for this place, for before the hands of the twelve were laid on him he was "full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom" (chap. 6:3). His being put into the ministry was entirely apart from the laying on of hands.

Philip, another of the " seven," is also a signal example of the way the Lord is now fitting men and sending them into the work. He and Stephen illustrate what is to characterize the action of the Spirit in the new dispensation. But the principle is of universal application; for it is recorded that all they that were scattered abroad at this time "went everywhere preaching the Word" (Acts 8:1-4). The sovereign choice and action of the Spirit is to characterize all Christian worship, as well as all Christian ministry. Man's authority is not to intrude itself into the sphere of worship nor into the sphere of ministry. Christians "worship by God's Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." The Spirit is to be the leader and power of the Christian Assembly (i Cor. 12; Phil. 3:3). Thus in all the circumstances connected with Stephen atthis twelfth appearing is indicated what was to characterize the full revelation of the truth to be given later through Paul, the minister of the new dispensation. He comes into the history at once, first as Saul the persecutor, consenting to the death of Stephen and taking care of the clothes of those who killed him; then, as the Lord's chosen instrument in sovereign grace, to build up what he sought to destroy. He had witnessed the effect of the glory of Christ in Stephen's face, and may easily have thought of this when he wrote 2 Cor. 4:4.Even more than Stephen, he became a witness of the transforming effect of that glory. Paul, like Stephen, is to be a witness of the glory of Christ and a partaker of His sufferings.