I have been working my way, scene by scene, through the book of the Acts of the Apostles. It has been an eye-opening and heart-shaping experience. How like the Lord to turn such a rag tag bunch of cowardly, blue collar workers into bold proclaimers of his Gospel of Grace. Reading through this book I have been struck by the bravery and faithfulness of Stephen. This man Stephen only makes a very brief appearance in the Scriptures but his impression is a lasting one.
The church was growing rapidly. In fact it was growing at such a rapid rate that the apostles were over burdened in their responsibilities as preachers of the word and servants of the believers. Many of the Hellenist widows in the church were being neglected in the daily distribution of food, clothes etc. It appears the apostles themselves were somehow overseeing if not directly distributing the goods. So they called all the disciples together and told them to choose seven men to serve the church and tend to its needs. One of these men was Stephen. The first line of scripture that describes him is Acts 6:5a:
And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit... - Acts 6:5a
The prerequisites for this early office of deacon were being of good repute, having fullness of faith, and being spirit-filled and Stephen must have met all of these. In v.8 it is recorded that he, in his new role as servant, was doing great signs and wonders among the people and members of a local synagogue rose up against him. The Bible does not explicitly state the setting in which Stephen was empowered to perform these signs, but one can conclude that it was certainly public enough where outsiders were noticing.
The men from these synagogues opposed Stephen but Stephen was a spirit-filled man and and his wisdom was of God. I remember how frustrated I used to get with my Christian friends before I was a true believer. In our fallen state we somehow come to believe our own minds are bastions of truth that cannot be conquered by simple-minded Christians. As it says in the Proverbs:
If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet. - Proverbs 29:9
God poured his wisdom through the lips of Stephen and these foolish men were enveloped in rage. Along with the elders, scribes and the people they seized faithful Stephen and took him to the Jewish council.
Haven't we been here before? We are always asking the Lord to make us more like Jesus. Please O Lord! Make me more like your Son! But, as we examine the Bible and God's will for his servants of old, often times making them more like his son involved putting them in situations that mirrored Christ's own path: namely one of extreme suffering.
So Stephen is taken before this council where a host of false witnesses testify against him. They spew all sorts of wicked lies and distortions hoping for his condemnation. But take a look at verse 15:
And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
How very peculiar! When Scripture records that he was “full of the Holy Spirit” it was not an exaggeration. Before the council, Stephen was so full of the Spirit of God that his face, I think, was aglow. How glorious is our God? Recall with me when Jesus was in this very same situation, the Apostle Peter was full of shame and denied him three times. I like to think that Peter was present once more in the chambers of this council as his brother Stephen stood among the Jewish leaders. But, this time his heart rejoiced as he gazed upon the face of Stephen watching him glow with the Holy Spirit. Obviously, I can't say that with any certainty but I think we can infer from the text that some of the apostles were present. They must have been amazed as God worked in power through Stephen
After the false witnesses spoke their lies the high priest asked Stephen if their accusations were true. How I wish I could be like Stephen in the moment that follows. Instead of offering up a defense he preaches the Gospel! Starting with the patriarch Abraham and drawing a thread all the way to the empty garden tomb he proclaims Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah.
His message only serves to enrage them further as the Gospel tends to do quite often. Then to add to the already remarkable events that have transpired, Stephen is filled even further with the Holy Spirit and gazes up into Heaven where he sees Jesus at the right hand of the Father. His description of this glorious vision is the final straw. They rush him out of the city and begin to stone him. As the jagged bits of rock and stone batter his bruised and broken body he speaks his final words, words that should be on the lips of every believer amidst even the lightest of persecution:
And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. - Acts 7:60
As believers in Christ we are called to suffer. But, why do we turn away from suffering? What is it that grips us with such fear as to deny our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ? As I look at Stephen, I am encouraged and inspired to share in suffering for the Gospel by the power of God (2 Tim. 1:8). Stephen did not suffer by his own accord. Luke records several times that he was full of the Spirit of God, thus in his moment of great persecution and suffering he was doing it all by the power of God.
But, what is God's purpose in all of this? Continue reading in Acts 8 to find out. Or, you can wait for part 2! Hopefully, you will do both.