Stephen's "Angel Face"

[TK]

Acts 6:15

All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. (NIV)

And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel. (NKJV)

As all those who sat on the High Council looked at Stephen, they found they couldn't take their eyes off him—his face was like the face of an angel! (MSG)

I have been listening to Steve G's lectures on Acts again (one of my favorites) and this passage came up.

Steve was discussing whether this meant that Stephen's face was literally "glowing" (for lack of a better word) or was it rather something about his countenance.

He then went on the say that he knew Christians who "glowed" or "shone," and I don't think me meant they just had bubbly or joyful countenances.

My wife and I were discussing whether we knew any Christians who "glowed." I mentioned one woman who I felt had something of a glow about her, but my wife felt she was just a very bubbly joyous and encouraging person.

Steve, if you read this, can you possibly clarify what you meant when you said you knew Christians who "glowed."

And for everyone else, what do you think the passage means as it pertains to Stephen? And do you know any Christians who have a glow about them?

TK

[Homer]

Hi TK,

Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.
I can feel His mighty power and His grace.
I can hear the brush of angels wings.
I see glory on each face.
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place.

If "glory" and "glow" mean the same thing, it must happen a lot. I doubt the part about angels wings though; not too sure they have them.

Are we worshipping in "spirit and truth" when we sing that song? OK, my apology for running your thread off the track.

[TK]

You're not off track, Homer.

"Glory" and "glow" might be synonymous. Moses' face shone with the glory of the Lord; Stephen's face may have had a literal glow about it, or not.

I am keeping my eye out for glowing Christians.

TK

[steve]

I have seen glowing faces many times. It is striking to see. Of course, they don't actually glow like a light bulb—like Moses' face apparently did, or Christ's on the Mount of Transfiguration. It is common enough for us to think of people of whom we might say they have a "sparkle" in their eyes, or that their smile lights up a room. If all we are saying is that they have glistening eyes or a great smile, it is not what I am referring to.

I do not see the phenomenon often anymore. It is not simply a bubbly personality that I am talking about. My (deceased) wife June was not bubbly, but I noticed this upon her face the first time I saw her across the room at a Bible study, in 1980 (and most of the time thereafter). She was not the prettiest woman in the room, but she was the most luminous. She was very quiet and reticent to speak up. She was friendly enough, but not gregarious or an extrovert. I doubt that her skin literally shined, but one would say that it did. I know it sounds weird, but it is more a glow of purity than of enthusiasm. If anyone here has never seen such a thing, I would not make any effort to convince them of it. If you see such a thing, you will know you saw it.

It may simply be that we seldom see faces of people whose consciences are completely clear, who are entirely at peace and inwardly joyful. When we see someone who is all of that, it may be uncanny enough that they only "seem" to glow, by contrast to the darkened countenances of everyone else. During the Jesus Movement, when I was younger, more innocent and less jaded, people would occasionally say that they saw such a phenomenon on my countenance while I ministered. I could not vouch for it. I have never seen it on myself—only on others.

I suspect that it is, in fact, the glory of the Lord, but I cannot further describe it, and I have no developed theology concerning the phenomenon. I have never liked that song about the angel wings, though, because it just seemed hokey, rather than a description of reality.

[Ian]

The minister at the Baptist Church that I attended in Birmingham, UK, had it - another Stephen, Stephen F Winward. But it was in his eyes. A handsome man admittedly, even at 70. But even as a testosterone-charged teenager who wanted to conquer the sporting world, I knew I was in the presence of someone extraordinary, when I met up with him from time to time in his study. After I`d sat down, he`d draw up his chair, take my hands in his, stroke them and look me penetratingly in the eyes, and just say, "Ian". I squirmed a little at times, but I never doubted his love both for God and for people, and it has left a lifelong impression.

I heard that at the moment of his death from cancer, he said "I can see mountains and trees!" I don`t imagine he was hallucinating but that he was being given a foretaste of what was awaiting him.

As an aside he did say to me that he thought there would be more people in heaven than traditional Christian theology would have us think. But I digress.

[TK]

I really appreciate the responses. Like I said-- I am keeping my eye out.

When I see it, I will report back.

TK

[darinhouston]

I know it's not the same thing, but I have noted something similar in some chief executives and trial lawyers. There seems to be a Rasputin quality to them. It's very awkward and jarring but compelling. Maybe this is the cheap counterfeit of the "other side."