Stephen (Acts 6:1–15; Acts 7:1–60; Acts 8:1–2; Acts 11:19; Acts 22:20)

A Man Full of Faith and of the Holy Spirit

One of the seven chosen at Jerusalem to oversee the daily ministration, full of grace and power, who was seized, answered the council, saw Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and was stoned praying for those who stoned him.

When the Grecian Jews murmured that their widows were neglected, the multitude of the disciples chose seven men, first of them “Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5). Of him Acts says that he, “full of grace and power, wrought great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8).

Men of the synagogue of the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and of Cilicia and Asia, disputed with him; “they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spake” (Acts 6:10). They set up false witnesses and brought him to the council, where all who sat there saw “his face as it had been the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15).

Asked by the high priest, “Are these things so?” (Acts 7:1), he answered at length, from Abraham through Joseph, Moses, the tabernacle and Solomon's house (Acts 7:2-50), and ended by charging the council: “ye do always resist the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51), calling them “betrayers and murderers” (Acts 7:52) of the Righteous One. Then they stoned him; he said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59) and “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge” (Acts 7:60).

Strengths

• Faith and the Spirit
• Wisdom in dispute
• Plain speech before the council
• Steadfast gaze toward heaven
• Prayer for his killers

Themes

• Witness
• Service
• Opposition and false witness
• Forgiving enemies
• The church scattered

Chosen with six others (Acts 6:1–6)

The twelve ask the disciples to look out seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom; the multitude chooses Stephen first and sets the seven before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

Wonders, and disputing in the synagogues (Acts 6:7–10)

Full of grace and power, Stephen works wonders and signs, and men of the synagogue of the Libertines and others dispute with him but cannot withstand his wisdom.

Seized and brought to the council (Acts 6:11–15)

Men are suborned to say he spoke blasphemous words; the people, elders and scribes seize him, and false witnesses speak against him.

Seized and brought to the council

“Then they suborned men, who said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God” (Acts 6:11). They “came upon him, and seized him, and brought him into the council, and set up false witnesses, who said, This man ceaseth not to speak words against this holy place, and the law” (Acts 6:12-13).

“And all that sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15).

Stephen answers the council (Acts 7:1–53)

Asked by the high priest whether these things are so, Stephen recounts Israel's history from Abraham: Joseph sold by the patriarchs, Moses whom the people refused, the calf, the tabernacle and Solomon's house. He says the Most High dwells not in houses made with hands, and charges the council with resisting the Holy Spirit, betraying and murdering the Righteous One, and not keeping the law.

Stephen answers the council

“And the high priest said, Are these things so?” (Acts 7:1). Stephen replied, “The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran” (Acts 7:2). He told of Joseph, sold by the patriarchs “moved with jealousy” (Acts 7:9), and of Moses: “This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? him hath God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer” (Acts 7:35). He told of the calf the fathers made in the wilderness (Acts 7:41).

The charge against him was that he spoke “against this holy place, and the law” (Acts 6:13). On the first point he said, “Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in houses made with hands” (Acts 7:48); on the second, he told the council that they had “received the law as it was ordained by angels, and kept it not” (Acts 7:53).

He ended: “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye” (Acts 7:51) … “of whom ye have now become betrayers and murderers” (Acts 7:52).

Stephen sees Jesus, and is stoned (Acts 7:54–60)

Full of the Holy Spirit he sees the heavens opened and the Son of Man on the right hand of God; the council casts him out of the city and stones him as he prays.

Stephen sees Jesus, and is stoned

“But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55-56).

“And they stoned Stephen, calling upon the Lord, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:59-60). The witnesses laid their garments at the feet of “a young man named Saul” (Acts 7:58).

Buried; the church scattered (Acts 8:1–2; Acts 11:19)

Devout men bury Stephen and lament over him; a great persecution scatters the church, and some travel as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch.

Saul (Acts 7:58; Acts 8:1; Acts 22:20)

The witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul, who was consenting to Stephen's death.

The council (Acts 6:12; Acts 7:54–59)

The people, elders and scribes seized him and brought him to the council, which cast him out and stoned him.

The apostles (Acts 6:2–6)

The seven were set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid their hands upon them.

Philip the evangelist (Acts 6:5; Acts 21:8)

Named next after Stephen among the seven chosen; later called Philip the evangelist (Acts 21:8).

Major sections

• Acts 6:1–8:2

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