MNC Fellowship

In spite of a brilliant defense, Stephen suffers the death penalty (unjustly). The human tendency is to get fighting mad at those who threw their stones, but wait to see how Stephen reacted.

I talk about a seared conscience and the need to repent TODAY, then I begin looking at the historical reason some false teachers forbade marriage. But is it always wrong to forbid marriage?

After writing about a common confession (everyone in the assembly agrees upon) Paul reminds Timothy not to fret about those leaving the assembly; the Spirit of Yahweh promised this would happen. We must learn to guard our heart and mind from deceitful spirits.

Here I answer the fourth reason on the CSBible website as to why they discontinued any use of the name Yahweh in their updated translation. Manuscript detail, Older Testament primacy, prophecy, and Yeshua’s ministry are all covered in this lesson.

I’ve used the HCSB from 2004 to early 2026, but I’ve recently made a change in my primary Bible to the Legacy Standard Bible. Why? I begin to look at the CSBible website, answering their reasons for abandoning their 656 uses of the name Yahweh in the Old Testament.

Brother Stephen brings things to a head as he finishes his own defense of the holy place, Moses, and the Torah. In the end, he turns the accusation against him back on whom it belongs, the Jewish leaders. They were following in the footsteps of many Israelites of old, rejecting the prophet who was sent to them. 

I first look at different Bible translation methodologies (across the spectrum) and then turn my attention to the 2004 HCSB and its use of the name Yahweh in key passages.

There is a HUGE difference between someone who disobeys because they are new and learning, and someone who knows and turns their face away from what Yahweh says. 

The Prophets always called the people of Israel back to Moses, because it was Moses that was given the Living Oracles from Yahweh on the Mountain.

In the same way Israel of old had rejected Moses, Israel in the first century rejected Yeshua, and Stephen called them out on it.