Happens all the time.... you see these crazy sort of stories all over the internet.
1.What happens all the time? This did not originate from the internet. Denial I see.
One thing I know is there is no wardrobe big enough for you to fit in so you can reach Narnia.
So evasion rather than denial.
Why not answer the simpliest of answers. God told us Jesus is to be called the Son of God.
Awww Naw... Not "John" again, somebody would think, that you think, that everything you read written by "John" is true.
I suppose that is a sign of a good story-teller.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Or in this case whether you know both God and Christ by believing in him.
Did you ever try? Not a good story teller then but the understanding of the reader to see what is before them.
Have you ever had something right under your nose and got it so wrong?
Another lesson in good story-telling. The fact that Acts was probably written between 80-130 C.E. seems to allude you, can you guess why this is significant?
How long is it, since Charles Dickens wrote his works? How long since the Magna Carta written. When Peter said these things
is not the issue. It is a fact that what people say can be long remembered after their death. Take Winston Churchill for
instance. You think on...
The Author of this tract is claiming that "Stephen" (a good Greek name BTW) saw the "Son of Man" standing beside God, who he thinks may be Jesus, but never having met Jesus may have been mistaken.
Also, this whole chapter throws up an interesting paradox.
If a Sanhedrin had the power to stone a blasphemer in this instance, why did they not just stone Jesus?
The answer is that he was full of the Holy Ghost so knew automatically whom Christ and God were.
As for Christ, they could do him no harm till the time appointed. He had done no wrong.
Yup you have a point, this does apply to Jesus:
18 I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which he shall speak in My name, I will require it of him.
20 But the prophet, that shall speak a word presumptuously in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.'
21 And if thou say in thy heart: 'How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?'
22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken; the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him.
Of course it applies to Jesus. He did all the things the Messiah was meant to do.
Understanding Gods words has never been one of the plus points for the Jews when it came to the Messiah.
But Jesus did all the things like opening the eyes of the blind and ears of the deaf.
I suppose it better than his usual answer. Flood, death, destruction and start again... Oh hang on!!
It is about life, life in all it's fullness with hope and truth at the centre.
The final outcome a world without suffering. Nothing wrong with that, is there?
But not something you want to be part of? Some people are so hurt and damaged here they do not realise even that can
be healed in Christ.