But many who are still in the flesh will not agree with us, and even hate those who are of God's Spirit, as it has always been this way since Cain killed Abel. It was also many of the religious folk that persecuted and killed some of the prophets, apostles, they even had our Lord turned over to be killed. So it is of no surprise to me that this falling away from the faith is in full swing, and this hatred from the children of the flesh toward the children of the Spirit would also be manifest in the man made church system, as it was also with the carnal priesthood of Israel.
But some of those from the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up [and] disputed with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God!” And they incited the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came up [and] seized him and brought [him] to the Sanhedrin. And they put forward false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop speaking words against this holy place and the law! For we have heard him saying that this Nazarene Jesus will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed down to us.” Acts 6:9-14
“[You] stiff-necked [people] and uncircumcised in hearts and in [your] ears! You constantly resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers [did], [so] also [do] you! Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand about the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become, [you] who received the law by directions of angels and have not observed [it]!”
Now [when they] heard these [things], they were infuriated in their hearts and gnashed [their] teeth at him. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven [and] saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” But crying out with a loud voice, they stopped their ears and rushed at him with one purpose. And [after they] had driven [him] out of the city, they began to stone [him], and the witnesses laid aside their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. Acts 7:51-58
“[You] stiff-necked [people] and uncircumcised in hearts and in [your] ears! You constantly resist the Holy Spirit! As your fathers [did], [so] also [do] you! Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand about the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become, [you] who received the law by directions of angels and have not observed [it]!”
Now [when they] heard these [things], they were infuriated in their hearts and gnashed [their] teeth at him. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven [and] saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” But crying out with a loud voice, they stopped their ears and rushed at him with one purpose. And [after they] had driven [him] out of the city, they began to stone [him], and the witnesses laid aside their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. Acts 7:51-58