Stephen, Full of Grace and Power

Introduction

Good morning!

Today, we’ll be picking up towards the beginning of chapter 6, and reading all the way to the end of chapter 7. It’s a long passage, so before we begin reading, lets take a moment to get situated.

We’re going to read about a man named Stephen. And his story here is actually rather short. But it’s powerful. And it takes some time to read, because this guy goes on trial, and basically gives a brilliant survey of Hebrew scriptures, to authorities on Hebrew scriptures, shining a light on Jesus as the Messiah, and on those who reject him as being those who reject God.

Quick reference of where we are in Acts.

Remember, we’re in the early days of the Christian church. Jesus has left, but the Holy Spirit is being poured out, and the number of people is growing rapidly who claim the risen Jesus as the Messiah. But they’re still figuring things out! The last couple weeks, we’ve seen some of the challenges that came even have from within, whether from outright corruption, like we saw with Ananias & Sapphira, or simply figuring out how to make sure everyone is taken care of, taking care of each other.

Meanwhile, the mainstream Jewish leaders are very upset by this new teaching. Killing the man who started it all didn’t seem to have any effect in squashing his message. Especially since his followers claimed he came back to life three days later.

So far, the apostles have been opposed by the other leaders; they’ve been told to stop preaching. They’ve been thrown in jail, threatened, but so far their popularity with the general public has insulated them from being treated too harshly by the Sanhedrin.

Last week, we read the beginning of chapter 6, which lists seven men, in verse 5 “of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom,” who were put in charge of a specific need that arose, of Hellenist widows not receiving food in the daily distribution of food.

One of those men is Stephen, who is described as a man “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.”

Verse seven gives us a summary statement about how effective they were, overall, before zooming in on Stephen to tell his story in more detail.

Verse seven says this:

Acts 6:7 LSB

7 And the word of God kept on spreading, and the number of the disciples continued to multiply greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

How cool is it that some of the priests, too, were coming to the faith!?

But then, in verse 8, we zoom in on Stephen, and again, Luke reiterates how impressive this guy Stephen is!

Passage

Acts 6:8 LSB

8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.

It sounds like, out of those seven listed, he really stood out, and perhaps drew more attention because of how much he was doing .

Acts 6:9–10 LSB

9 But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and were arguing with Stephen. 10 But they were unable to oppose the wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking.

So, this particular group is made up of men from a certain school, Most likely made up of Greek speaking Jews who had been freed from slavery, and whose influence in the dispersion apparently spread at least as far as Egypt and Northern Africa, to modern-day Turkey and Asia-minor.

It sounds like they were perhaps unaccustomed to not winning debates. They didn’t like having this opponent who they cannot overcome when it comes down to genuine theological debate.

They were unable to oppose the wisdom and the Spirit by whom Stephen was speaking. Because he was speaking with the wisdom and Spirit of Christ. Nobody can win an argument with God.

So, they resort to evil, deceptive tactics in order to try to wrongfully convict him:

Acts 6:11–14 LSB

11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, and they came up to him, dragged him away, and brought him to the Sanhedrin. 13 And they put forward false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases speaking words against this holy place and the Law; 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us.”

This deceit and slander brings to mind the similar tactics which were used against Jesus during his trial and wrongful execution. And referencing Jesus, their accusations ring with a twist on what Jesus actually did say. Jesus used the temple as an analogy to make a reference to his own death and resurrection, in John 2:19-21.

And he does predict its destruction, which took place in AD 70. (Mark 13:1-2)

In neither case is he threatening to destroy the temple, rather predicting that the Jews will be destroying it or allowing it to be destroyed.

But if Stephen repeated such teachings, it’s not hard to see how they could be deliberately misconstrued as an assault on Moses and the law, and by extension an overt rebellion against the ways of God, and of trying to overturn the temple from within.

Of course, upon careful examination, Jesus never claimed to overturn any of that, but to fulfill it. To bring it to its full fruition. To be, himself, a fulfilment of God’s covenant with Moses.

Speaking of Moses, verse fifteen says that Stephen’s face looks…like an “angel” which is language that sounds very similar to Moses.

Acts 6:15 LSB

15 And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin saw his face like the face of an angel.

That’s all we really get about that though. It’s unclear how literally that’s meant to be taken. If his attackers noticed a difference, it didn’t stop them. With Moses, after he came down from the mountain all shiny, people were afraid to go near him! But with Stephen, they just keep grilling him with questions.

Acts 7:1 LSB

1 And the high priest said, “Are these things so?”

“Is it so, concerning these things?”

“Are these accusations true?”

Stephen doesn’t exactly answer that question directly, does he? But he does address the topic of God’s presence and the Temple in his response. Let’s continue reading:

Abraham

Acts 7:2 LSB

2 And he said, “Hear me, brothers and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

So, right off the bat he’s taking them back to the beginning of Jewish history, to their founding patriarch, the ancestor of all Jews. Abraham. Notice the attention to God’s glory appearing to Abraham, even long before the Temple, and in a far distant land. This is a reminder, right away, that God has never been confined to a single location, even though lots of emphasis is put on location throughout the story of Israel.

Acts 7:3–5 LSB

3 and said to him, ‘LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR RELATIVES, AND COME INTO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU.’ 4 “Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now living. 5 “But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, and He promised that HE WOULD GIVE IT TO HIM AS A POSSESSION, AND TO HIS SEED AFTER HIM, even when he had no child.

Jacob

Acts 7:6–8 LSB

6 “But God spoke in this way, that his SEED WOULD BE SOJOURNERS IN A FOREIGN LAND, AND THAT THEY WOULD BE ENSLAVED AND MISTREATED FOR FOUR HUNDRED YEARS. 7 “‘AND I MYSELF WILL JUDGE THE NATION TO WHICH THEY WILL BE ENSLAVED,’ said God, ‘AND AFTER THAT THEY WILL COME OUT AND SERVE ME IN THIS PLACE.’ 8 “And He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham was the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac was the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

So, God promised Abraham a multitude of descendants even when he had no children, and a land for them to possess, even though Abraham didn’t live to see it personally. The promise is fulfilled through his descendants, after their long sojourn in Egypt. Their time in Egypt is foretold to Abraham, and fulfilled through Joseph.

Joseph

Acts 7:9–16 LSB

9 “And the patriarchs, becoming jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt. Yet God was with him, 10 and rescued him from all his afflictions, and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he appointed him governor over Egypt and all his household. 11 “Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with it, and our fathers could find no food. 12 “But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time. 13 “And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was disclosed to Pharaoh. 14 “Then Joseph sent word and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all. 15 “And Jacob went down to Egypt and there he and our fathers died. 16 “And from there they were removed to Shechem and placed in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

The story of Joseph is bring presented as analogous to the story of Jesus, in that he was rejected by his own brothers out of jealousy, but whose story of betrayal and tragedy was really the beginning of redemption for the whole family.

Lets keep reading:

Moses

Acts 7:17–43 LSB

17 “But as the time of the promise was drawing near which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, 18 until ANOTHER KING AROSE OVER EGYPT WHO DID NOT KNOW ABOUT JOSEPH. 19 “It was he who deceitfully took advantage of our family and mistreated our fathers to set their infants outside so that they would not survive. 20 “It was at this time that Moses was born, and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home. 21 “And after he had been set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son. 22 “And Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in words and deeds. 23 “But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel. 24 “And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took justice for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. 25 “And he supposed that his brothers understood that God was granting them salvation through him, but they did not understand. 26 “On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers, why are you treating one another unjustly?’ 27 “But the one who was treating his neighbor unjustly pushed him away, saying, ‘WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND JUDGE OVER US? 28 ‘DO YOU INTEND TO KILL ME AS YOU KILLED THE EGYPTIAN YESTERDAY?’ 29 “At this remark, MOSES FLED AND BECAME A SOJOURNER IN THE LAND OF MIDIAN, where he was the father of two sons. 30 “And after forty years had passed, AN ANGEL APPEARED TO HIM IN THE WILDERNESS OF MOUNT Sinai, IN THE FLAME OF A BURNING BUSH. 31 “When Moses saw it, he was marveling at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 ‘I AM THE GOD OF YOUR FATHERS, THE GOD OF ABRAHAM AND ISAAC AND JACOB.’ Moses trembled with fear and would not dare to look. 33 “BUT THE LORD SAID TO HIM, ‘REMOVE THE SANDALS FROM YOUR FEET, FOR THE PLACE ON WHICH YOU ARE STANDING IS HOLY GROUND. 34 ‘I HAVE SURELY SEEN THE OPPRESSION OF MY PEOPLE IN EGYPT AND HAVE HEARD THEIR GROANS, AND I HAVE COME DOWN TO DELIVER THEM; COME NOW, AND I WILL SEND YOU TO EGYPT.’ 35 “This Moses whom they disowned, saying, ‘WHO MADE YOU A RULER AND A JUDGE?’ is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 “This man led them out, doing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. 37 “This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BROTHERS.’ 38 “This is the one who, in the congregation in the wilderness, was with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai and with our fathers; the one who received living oracles to pass on to you. 39 “Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, 40 SAYING TO AARON, ‘MAKE FOR US GODS WHO WILL GO BEFORE US; FOR THIS MOSES WHO LED US OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT—WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAS BECOME OF HIM.’ 41 “At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42 “But God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘DID YOU PRESENT ME WITH SLAIN BEASTS AND SACRIFICES FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL? 43 ‘YOU ALSO TOOK ALONG THE TABERNACLE OF MOLOCH AND THE STAR OF THE GOD ROMPHA, THE IMAGES WHICH YOU MADE TO WORSHIP. I ALSO WILL REMOVE YOU BEYOND BABYLON.’

Messiah

Acts 7:44–53 LSB

44 “Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He, who spoke to Moses, directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen. 45 “And having received it in their turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David. 46 “David found favor in the sight of God, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 “But Solomon built a house for Him. 48 “However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands, as the prophet says: 49 ‘HEAVEN IS MY THRONE, AND EARTH IS THE FOOTSTOOL OF MY FEET. WHAT KIND OF HOUSE WILL YOU BUILD FOR ME?’ says the Lord, ‘OR WHAT PLACE IS THERE FOR MY REST? 50 ‘WAS IT NOT MY HAND WHICH MADE ALL THESE THINGS?’ 51 “You men—stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears—are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 “And which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; 53 you who received the Law as ordained by angels, and yet did not observe it.”

Summary

The accusations against Stephen centered on the temple and on Moses, so a lot of his response his centered on the temple and the tabernacle, and Moses, but ultimately he’s giving them the big picture of how they fit into the pattern of Israel’s rejection of God and his prophets.

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 7

Israel has consistently misjudged and rejected Yahweh’s chosen leaders; in doing so, they fought against Yahweh. Rejecting Jesus as Messiah is the ultimate example of this pattern.

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 7

The religious leaders had accused Stephen—and Jesus—of threatening the temple (Acts 6:13), which was the permanent successor to the tabernacle (or tent) Yahweh had instructed them to build to accompany them in the wilderness (Exod 26; compare Acts 7:44). Stephen reminds them that, by turning to the tabernacles of other gods, Israel has consistently failed to respond in faith to the one true God present in their midst.

He calls them:

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 7

7:51 stiff-necked people By using Yahweh’s words against the wilderness generation (Exod 32:9; 33:3) against his accusers, Stephen turns the full force of the implications of Israel’s history against his opponents.

Stoned to Death

Well, none of this goes over well with the leaders, and they choose to murder this innocent man. They are blinded by their jealousy and fury.

Acts 7:54–60 LSB

54 Now when they heard this, they became furious in their hearts, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But crying out with a loud voice, they covered their ears and rushed at him with one accord. 58 And when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 They went on stoning Stephen as he was calling out and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And having said this, he fell asleep.

Acts 8:1–4 LSB

1 Now Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And some devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him. 3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he was delivering them into prison. 4 Therefore, those who had been scattered went about, proclaiming the good news of the word.

Why this story?

Summary & Overview

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 8

Luke has just set up his account of the church’s witness beyond Jerusalem with two men who are (at this point) opposites: Saul, a zealous enemy of the church (Acts 7:58), and Stephen, the Christian who has just laid down his life as a witness to Jesus (7:60). In very different ways both men motivate the church’s growth, as God continues to build His Church in spite of persecution. The story of Saul and the events following Stephen’s death act as a backdrop for the Church’s efforts and Saul’s later, changed life

Aside from understanding this story in its context, which is a perfectly good end to itself, is there any other kind of application or encouragement that can be had?

Conclusion

The Word Spreads

For one thing, we can be encouraged to see how, even in the most vulnerable and defenseless infancy of the church, nothing can stop the gospel. No matter what, the word of God spreads.

In fact, the beginning of where we read today, chapter 6 verse 7 says this:

Acts 6:7 LSB

7 And the word of God kept on spreading, and the number of the disciples continued to multiply greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

And the last verse I read is this:

Acts 8:4 LSB

4 Therefore, those who had been scattered went about, proclaiming the good news of the word.

Before and after Stephen’s story, the word of God is spreading. And in order for the word to keep spreading, the people were spread out too. This marks an important transition, or milestone, in the outward expansion of the church.

Stephen’s Example

We can certainly learn from Stephens example…grim, and disturbing as it is that they would kill an innocent man, it’s amazing to see how Stephen was unflinching in the face of his accusers. Humble, not rebellious, but faithfully willing to answer them with boldness and confidence. His trial and execution becomes yet another witness for Christ, rather than accomplishing anything against Christ. And he himself bears literal, visual witness to seeing the resurrected Jesus, while being killed for it.

Stephen was already performing signs and wonders among the people, and even in death proclaims not only his faith in Jesus, but beholds him standing at the right hand of God, and prays for his persecutors, as Christ did, as they were stoning him to death.

Stephen was the first “martyr” of the church, the first to be killed for proclaiming his faith in Jesus. Certainly not the last.

I don’t think any of us has to worry about being stoned to death for professing faith in Jesus. But we should have such unwavering willingness to speak up for him if we need to. Even if it’s scary. Even if the consequences could potentially be life-changing, even if not life-ending.

Stephen show us that we need to be courageous and compassionate in sharing the gospel, even in the face of opposition and suffering, and trust that God will be with us through whatever situation we are in.

Big Picture

One last application, or encouragement from this story that I would share with you today, is to just appreciate the wisdom in stepping back and seeing the bigger picture of God’s plan, and God’s story.

This can be helpful when our own lives seem so overwhelming and big that it’s out of our control. There is a LOT that’s out of our control, but it can actually be encouraging to remember how small we are, and how small our lives our, in that it helps us realize how powerful God is, and how willing and able he is to take care of us, even when our life circumstances may seem like he’s abandoned us.

Stephen’s speech before the Sanhedrin was a big-picture look at how God had been working with his people, from Abraham to Moses to David to Jesus. He showed how God had chosen, blessed, delivered, and guided his people, but also how they had rebelled, rejected, and resisted him, time after time again.

Furthermore, he brings their attention to the betrayal and murder of Jesus, at their own hands! He’s on trial, but confronting Jesus’s murderers! He challenges them to repent, even now, and believe in Jesus. Stephen demonstrates an understanding of scriptures: how they testify to Jesus, and how he is the fulfillment of God’s promises and purposes for his people.

That, ultimately, is the core of the message we are all here to proclaim and celebrate together today. Let us praise God for his glorious works and many gifts, whether looking at the big picture, or the small details of every joy and struggle we go through. Praise God for giving us life, and for promising to go through it with us together.

Let us always extend our breath to proclaim God’s goodness, to praise him, and to spread the news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, whether from the mountain tops of our lives or when feeling crushed by the oppressive and destructive consequences of sin, be it our own or otherwise, let us walk in Stephens example of courage, compassion, and commitment to the gospel.

Benediction

Lord, we ask you to fill us with your Spirit and wisdom, as you did with Stephen, your faithful servant and witness. Not to bring attention to ourselves, but so we can serve each other with love and humility, and to proclaim the gospel with boldness and clarity. Father, grant us the grace to see your glory and the glory of your Son, Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again for our justification. Show us, Jesus, the peace and joy that surpasses all understanding, even in the midst of trials and tribulations. And we do ask that you bring us peace. Bless us, and keep us, and make your face shine upon us, and be gracious to us, and give you us your favor and peace. Amen.