A Lesson from Stephen
By Nick Bibile
This is the longest speech given in the book of Acts. Stephen was one of the seven deacons who was appointed to take care of the neglected Greek widows in the daily distribution of food. Stephen was a Greek Christian. Let us see some of the highlights of Stephen’s speech.
The religious leaders of that day accused Stephen of saying blasphemous words against Moses and God, this was their accusation, let us see Stephen’s defense, his apologia.
Stephen gives great respect to Abraham and Moses. (Acts 7:1-34)
Here we learn that we can never separate the covenant of grace which God gave to Abraham in Genesis 3 and the Mosaic covenant in the Book of Exodus. There is continuity from Abraham to Moses.
The dispensational churches don’t believe that the church existed in the Old Testament. According to Stephen this is not true.
Acts 7:38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us.
The Greek word for congregation is ekklhsia ekklesia, which means the church. Referring to the church
in the wilderness. Also in the above
verse it says, he (Moses) received the living oracles to give to us, the living
word of God. But it was Israel that
rejected the living word of God, see the verse below.
Acts 7:39 Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt.
They rejected Moses, see verse 35.
Acts 7:35 “This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
In reality it was not Stephen who rejected Moses but his accusers. Stephen’s accusers are the offspring of the Israelites who rejected the living divine word, they rejected Moses. In reality they rejected God.
Acts 7: 51 You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.
Moses predicted the coming of the Messiah, he is the one we are to obey, but the Jewish leaders of Stephen’s time they rejected the Messiah.
Acts 7:37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’ 38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us. 39 Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt.
Deut 18: 15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—
It was Jesus who was in the church in the wilderness; it was Jesus who spoke to Moses in Mt. Sinai, the Israelites in the wilderness refused to obey Jesus that day so it’s the same the Jewish religious leaders who accused Stephen refused to obey the Messiah. The Israelites rejected the leadership of Moses of that day but Stephen points out the same way it was they who accused Stephen they are the ones who are rejecting the leadership of Moses, just like their fathers did in the wilderness.
The Jewish religious leaders have a high regard to Moses, Jesus said to them:
John 5:45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who
accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses,
you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my
words?”
God’s sanctuary, from the tabernacle
to the temple.
Acts 7: 44 Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen.
Acts 7: 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him.
The children of Israel moved from place to place and they dwelt in tents, so does God moved among them as God dwelt among them. But later Solomon built a temple. However this is what Solomon had to say:
2 Chron 6: 18 But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built!
Acts 7: 49 Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest?
John 4: 21 Jesus said to
her, Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this
mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
Stephen was accusing the Israelites of
idolatry. Idolatry of localizing the temple. Solomon’s temple was built to
focus on God and to worship God. But the worship of God deteriorated and in the
time of Jesus and in Acts people worshipped the temple rather than God.
It is possible even today for a church
building to be an idol of worship. Many churches are pouring out a lot of money
for their church buildings, and many are idolizing the church buildings rather
than worshipping God. Christians
gathered in a little mud hut in Africa might have a true worship of God than
people gathered in a million dollar building with all kinds of distractions.
We need to remember the after the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit upon the people of God, the temple of God is no longer a
building but lives among the believers.
1 Cor 6: 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.
Believers
are ‘in Christ’ before they were of Christ. Temple of God still remains not as
a building but among the believers, it is not localized in Jerusalem but to the
very ends of the earth.
They accused Stephen that Jesus will come
and destroy the temple.
Acts 6: 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.
They remembered the words of Jesus, see below.
John 2:19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body.
Mark 14:58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.
Mark 15: 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!”
The Lord destroyed the temple anyway in 70 AD and this opened the door for the Gentiles. Acts never records the destruction of the temple, because Luke wrote the book of Acts before the destruction of the temple.
False witnesses rose against both. Each one was innocent, they didn’t commit a crime but condemned to death. Each one was executed by the planning of the Jews. Stephen is the first martyr of the New Testament church. Stephen’s closing words echoes that of Jesus.
Acts 7: 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 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.
Luke 23: 34 And Jesus
said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.
Acts 7:56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
This is the only place where it says Son of Man standing at the right hand of God! Other places say Jesus sitting at the right hand of God.
Mark 14:
62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son
of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of
heaven.”
Some people
wrestle with this, is Jesus standing or sitting at the right hand of God? Here
in Acts the only place, which says the Son of Man is standing at the right hand
of God, we need to understand there is a heavenly court.
Daniel 7: 9 “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the
Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of
his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning
fire. 10 A stream of fire issued and came out
from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten
thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were
opened.
The earthly court accused
Stephen, condemned him to death, and stoned him to death, however the heavenly
court reversed that judgment! Jesus is standing to give witness on behalf of
his faithful servant Stephen and judgment to those who accuse him. Stephen is
received into heaven to the arms of Jesus!