You’re Here On Purpose

This rewrite summarizes key insights from the biblical account of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, drawing upon the principle that God strategically spends good leaders to secure the salvation of others. This narrative illustrates a profound exchange fundamental to the expansion of God’s Kingdom, asserting that if God is “spending a Christian leader” or martyr today, it is only because He is “buying a new generation”.

1. Stephen: The Non-Traditional Christian Leader and Martyr

The story of Stephen is detailed in Acts chapters 6 and 7. Stephen holds the distinction of being the first martyr (the first one to be slaughtered, assassinated, and killed) of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Crucially, the sources emphasize that Stephen was not a typical religious leader:

• Non-Clerical Role: Stephen was not a preacher, a prophet, or an apostle.
• Administrative Focus: He was appointed by the apostles as one of seven men selected to manage the administration and secular duties of the church, allowing the apostles to dedicate themselves to the word, fasting, and prayer.
• Qualities: Despite his administrative role, Stephen was characterized as a Christian leader who was full of faith and full of the Holy Spirit.

The spiritual lessons derived from Stephen’s life often focus on parallels seen in the scriptures.

2. The Unstoppable Power of Godly Wisdom

Stephen’s assassination took place in a public, uncovered area. Before the stoning, he engaged in intense verbal conflict with his accusers:

• The Dispute: The men began to dispute, debate, or argue with Stephen.
• The Wisdom that Prevailed: Although the debate caused the accusers to become angry, they faced an insurmountable obstacle: they could not resist the wisdom by which he spoke. This resistance was impossible because Stephen was intelligent, studied on every issue, and his speech was accompanied by godly wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke.
• The Response: When Stephen began to expose their lies, the accusers plotted his death. Stephen’s last message to them was about Christ.

The sources highlight the need for this type of respectful, intelligent back-and-forth debate in the nation today, where people can argue without losing care for one another. Celebrating or saying “insane things” during moments of disagreement is characterized as evil and “full of the enemy of their soul”.

3. The Divine Transaction: Spending a Good Man to Buy a Bad One

The climax of the story occurs during Stephen’s stoning. This moment illustrates the central theme: God spends someone to buy someone.

• Stephen’s Sacrifice (The Spend): While the crowd was stoning Stephen to death, he echoed Jesus’s words on the cross, praying, “Don’t lay this to their charge, Lord”. Stephen, the “good man” full of faith and the Holy Spirit, was being spent.
• Paul’s Conversion (The Purchase): Unbeknownst to the crowd, God was utilizing this sacrifice to buy a future leader. As the stoning commenced, the people laid their coats down at the feet of a man named Saul of Tarsus. Saul was known for wasting, persecuting, and mocking the church.
• Transformation: Saul would later encounter Jesus on the road to Damascus and become the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul went on to write 14 books of the New Testament.

God “spent a good man” (Stephen) so that He could “buy a bad man” (Saul/Paul), demonstrating that great sacrifice secures great destiny.

4. Unlocking Generational Destiny

The ultimate takeaway of the Stephen-Paul story is its application to the contemporary church. If God allows a Christian leader or martyr to be “spent” in the current era, it is strictly because He is actively “buying a new generation”. This principle suggests that current hardships and sacrifices pave the way for a powerful movement of redemption and salvation in the future.