Acts 6

Introducing Stephen ?

Thank you guys, and thank you Kristi & Eloise for that wonderful music, but before we continue in our studies of the book of Acts tonight, please if you would:

“Join me in a word of prayer.”

I’ve titled the message tonight, “Introducing Stephen”

Last week in our study of the book of Acts, We talked about the severity of deceiving God by the death off Ananias and Sapphira. The power given to Peter by the Holy Spirit, and how the apostles were put back in jail for a second time for healing and preaching about Jesus. And also a miraculous escape from jail without anyone even noticing them being gone until the next morning

With the number of disciples steadily increasing in the church, problems were to be expected. But discrimination should not have been one of them.

“Grecian Jews” also called “Hellenistic Jews”, were Jews who had at one time lived outside of Palestine. They spoke Greek as their primary language and were culturally and socially distinct from the Hebraic Jews. The Hebraic Jews had never left Palestine and spoke Aramaic as their native tongue. The tension between these two groups is understandable, but it prevented the complete unity of the church. Lets look at the very 1st verse of chapter 6. (“1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution of food.”)

To say the apostles waited on tables may sound condescending today when we think of the wait staff in a contemporary restaurant, but that was not the apostles’ intent here at all. Notice verses 2-4. (“2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”). Their leadership role involved teaching and preaching, and they wanted to maintain their focus on what God was calling them to do. So they enlisted a group of 7 other men who were called to minister in a more physical, and material way. The fact that the apostles sought out men known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom in verse 3, indicated that the ministry of waiting-on-tables was just as much a spiritual calling as teaching and preaching.

In addition to acknowledging the spiritual significance of this new ministry, the plan of the disciples was wise for a number of other reasons. They did not appoint a committee; they appointed a ministry team and delegated the responsibility and authority to get the job done. In addition, they chose seven men to oversee the new program rather than a single person. There is great wisdom in the sharing of leadership in the church, with ministry exercised in community. Finally, the names of the men chosen were Greek. Notice verse 5. (“5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,”) The church selected men who would be the most understanding about the problem at hand, and would be more inclusive towards it rather than exclusive.

The apostles’ proposal pleased everyone, so the seven candidates were commissioned with prayer and the laying on of hands. Look at verse 6. (“6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.”) After the new Deacons went to work, the church not only kept growing, but also began to see Jewish priests coming to believe in Jesus. Notice verse 7. (“7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.”).

The book of Acts will have more to say about Stephen and Philip, the first two on the on the list, later. Stephen almost immediately, and Philip reappears in chapter 8.

Only one verse is devoted to the wonderfully positive ministry of Stephen before we read of the conflicts he encountered. Look at verse 8. (“8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.”). His high and upright character becomes evident in contrast to the actions and statements of his accusers.

The Synagogue of the “Freedmen”, as talked about in verse 9. (“9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen.”), may have been composed by descendants of Jewish prisoners of war enslaved by the Roman general Pompey, when he conquered Palestine back in 63 BC and later released. It’s unclear whether Luke has in mind one synagogue, made up of Jews from various places, or whether he is referring to two or more synagogues. In any case, these Jews opposed Stephen’s preaching about Jesus.

The topic of their argument with Stephen is not mentioned, but they were no match for his wisdom. But rather than admit that he knew more than they did, they used the same tactic the Pharisees had used with Jesus: Get him to say something and then gather several false witnesses to twist his words around. Notice verse 11. (“11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”).

Stephen’s supposed offense was a double charge of blasphemy: speaking against the temple and speaking against the Law of Moses. The Law was God’s Word, and the temple was God’s house. So for Jews to speak out against either one of these was to speak against God Himself. Once more in Acts, the Sanhedrin was convened for a hearing about the new teachings of Christianity. Yet even before the trial began, everyone there noticed that Stephen’s face was like that of an angel. Look at verse 15. (“15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.”). Some people believe that his face had the appearance of innocence, while others feel they were frightened by him like other incidents in scripture when people encountered Angels. What do you think?

The high priest (president and moderator of the Sanhedrin) began by asking if the charges against Stephen were true. Notice verse 1 of chapter 7. (“1 Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?”) In response, Stephen launched into a lengthy sermon practically summarizing the whole Old Testament in one chapter, as his answer to the question. With this incredible response of God’s dealings with His people, the people of Israel, Stephen focused on four main periods of Israel’s history, each one with a major contributing character.

Abraham (7:2–8)

It was thanks to Abraham’s obedience to God that the Israelites got to Israel in the first place. He had left a comfortable home in Mesopotamia only because God told him to. He was later rewarded with land, a child of his own, and descendants too numerous to be counted. It was through Abraham that God’s covenant of circumcision was established. God also shared with Abraham what would happen during the next phase of history—slavery in Egypt.

Joseph (7:9–19)

It was thanks to Joseph’s obedience to God that the Israelites didn’t starve during a seven-year famine. Joseph’s brothers’ hostility toward him had actually been God’s method of placing Joseph in Egypt, where he was put in charge of Pharaoh’s kingdom. It was at Pharaoh’s invitation that Joseph’s entire family moved to Egypt to survive the famine. But four hundred years later the family had grown into an immense force that threatened the Egyptian leaders who no longer remembered Joseph. Therefore, the members of the family of Israel (the Israelites) were enslaved.

Moses (7:20–43)

God had told Abraham that his descendants would become slaves in Egypt, but that He would punish the nation that enslaved them (7:6–7). It was thanks to Moses’ (reluctant) obedience to God that the Israelites at last departed from Egypt and (after numerous trials and lapses of faith) finally made it to the promised land. Had Moses’ parents obeyed Pharaoh’s instructions, Moses would have been put to death as an infant. But through a series of God-directed events, he grew up as Pharaoh’s grandson instead. He spent forty years in the palace, forty years in a lonely existence in the wilderness, and forty years leading his people. His final forty years were especially challenging because the people continually complained to him, wishing they were back in Egypt and constructed a golden calf as soon as Moses was gone for a while.

David and Solomon (7:44–50))

While in the wilderness, the Israelites had a portable tabernacle, created just as God instructed, that allowed the priests to operate and the people to worship and offer sacrifices. Joshua continued with it into the promised land. David wanted to build a permanent structure (“dwelling place” [7:46]) for God, but his request was denied. Instead, God allowed Solomon to construct the temple. But Solomon realized at the time, and Stephen reiterated in his speech, that God cannot be limited to any physical space—not even a temple dedicated in His name (1 Kings 8:27).

Why did Stephen single out these four periods of Israel’s history? They were not random thoughts. The connecting feature of these four epochs is that in none of them was God’s presence limited to any particular place. On the contrary, the God of the Old Testament was a living God, a God on the move who was always calling His people to fresh adventures and always accompanying them wherever they went. God does not live in buildings made by the hands of people.

Peter and Paul would later build on Stephen’s theme and explain that the Spirit of God now dwells in the hearts of believers, and together we are the living stones of God’s house (Ephesians 2:19–22; 1 Peter 2:4–5).

Stephen appears to be one of the first Christians to understand, and certainly the first to declare it publicly, that God could never be contained in the buildings or boxes we try to put Him in. Heaven is God’s throne and earth is His footstool. Stephen also understood that the patterns of the Old Covenant were passing away.

The false witnesses had accused Stephen of two blasphemies—that he spoke against the holy place (the temple) and that he spoke against the holy law (6:13). In response to both accusations, his defense was that nothing he said had been out of line with scripture. He showed that the Old Testament placed less emphasis on the temple and more emphasis on the Law than did his accusers.

At this point, Stephen the accused became the accuser. He used unflattering names to call out the members of the Sanhedrin and put them in the same category with their ancestors who had resisted the Holy Spirit and persecuted God’s prophets (7:51). Although they placed such an emphasis on circumcision, their eyes and ears remained “uncircumcised”—just like those of the unbelieving Gentiles. And not only had they not obeyed the Law they claimed to hold so highly, they also had betrayed and murdered Jesus (7:52–53).

Stephen’s words were not at all well received (7:54). The furious council members could hardly control themselves. It was then that Stephen saw a vision of Jesus and told them what he had observed (7:55–56). His use of the title “Son of Man” is significant. It had been how Jesus most often referred to Himself and subtly combined both the human and divine nature of His messianic role. (This is the final use of the term in the New Testament.) In addition, biblical references to Jesus at God’s right hand refer to Him as seated (Psalm 110:1; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 8:1; etc.). The fact that He is standing here, some speculate, is to receive Stephen into His presence.

The Sanhedrin was supposed to be a Supreme-Court-like body with strict rules and procedures. But here its members acted no better than a lynch mob (7:57–58). They didn’t have the authority to carry out a death sentence, yet they dragged Stephen outside the city and began to stone him. It is here where we find the first biblical mention of a young man named Saul who would soon, due only to the grace of God, become the dynamic apostle Paul (7:58). Stonings could be messy, so Saul was tending to the coats of the participants—a role that indicates his endorsement of what was going on.

But in his final moments of what was intended to be agony, Stephen was still filled with the Holy Spirit (7:55) and responded very much the same way Jesus had during His crucifixion. Like Jesus, Stephen had been charged with blasphemy, and false witnesses were produced to testify against him. And Stephen’s two final statements reflected two of his Lord’s last words from the cross. First, he asked Jesus to receive his spirit, and then he prayed for forgiveness for those who were in the process of killing him (7:59–60). Finally, he fell asleep, a common biblical euphemism for death (7:60).

Stephen was the first Christian martyr, but certainly not the last. Dying for one’s beliefs is not a problem that has been left in the past. According to statisticians, more Christians died for their faith during the twentieth century than in all the previous centuries combined. These days we may hear more about suicide bombers dying for radical Islamic causes than about Christians dying around the world, but both are realities. The freedoms of the Western world may make martyrdom seem distant and unreal to us. So perhaps the harder question for the Western church is not, “Do you think you would be willing to die for your faith if it came down to it?” but instead, “Are you willing to live out your faith boldly and publicly?” On an individual level, are you making the most of the spiritual freedom you enjoy?

Lets pray together: ..........................

Invitation:

As Kristi and Eloise are getting us ready to sing our last hymn tonight, and as we’re considering all the things we’ve learned together, about the beginning of the church in the book of Acts, and if you have never honored God before by asking His Son Jesus, to save you from what we all deserve, which is spiritual death, this would be the perfect time to do just that. God has made that so easy for us to do. The Bible says that anyone, and I do mean anyone, who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus SHALL BE SAVED. It doesn’t matter what your past may look like. The Lord just cares about your future. And He wants everyone to spend that future with Him in eternity, in that place He calls heaven. Don’t wait another second. If you have any doubt at all about your eternal security, or what’s going to happen to you when you die physically, I beg you to get it settled right now. Don’t wait another second. Get it taken care of right this minute, right here,----- just quietly, ----- with your eyes closed, ----- with your heads bowed, ----- and with your heart’s toward God, ----- just pray a little prayer like this......just pray......Lord, thank you that you love me. I am a sinner, in need of a savior. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins and for the sins of the whole world. I also believe that after three days He was raised from the dead by Your power, so that I also may live in newness of life. Save me Lord, so I may live the rest of my life for You.----- The Bible says if you prayed a simple little prayer like this “you will be saved”.

Please, as we’re singing our last hymn tonight, and if you still need too, just pray that little prayer I mentioned as we sing. And God will save you !! Lets sing together.