“The Spirit’s Work Expands” Acts 6:1-7:53

Jesus’ last words to His disciples in Acts were, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (1:8). It took some time, but, as with any worthwhile cause, the message did begin to spread.

Background

The Church started in a house in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. On that day, the Spirit descended upon Jesus’ disciples, and they began to spread the Gospel from that point. As a crowd gathered to see what was going on, Peter used the opportunity to testify to the resurrection and saving power of Jesus. Three thousand came to Christ after that message.

Again, in the Temple area, Peter and John used the miraculous healing of a lame man to share the news. Many more joined the Church that day.

As Acts records, the Church was slowly growing, and with that growth, the opposition grew with it. The religious leaders threatened the apostles, demanding that they stop preaching about Jesus and doing things in His name. Yet, the Church persisted, and the opposition continued to grow.

In Acts 6, we see the first rumblings of trouble within the Church itself. The ministry of the Church included taking care of widows. This led to a rift between the Hebraic and the Grecian Jews. The Hebraic Jews were direct descendants of Abraham, while the Grecian Jews were Gentiles converted to the Jewish faith. It would seem that the vast majority of the Church’s growth was from the Jewish faith, both Hebraic and Grecian.

The solution to the problem was to assign the task of distributing food to the widows to a group of men who were described as “known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom” (6:3a). The Church elected seven men to become the first deacons of the Church. Tellingly, all seven men had Greek names, suggesting they were from the Grecian Jews. The seven men began their ministry, and the Church continued to add members, including a large number of priests.

Among the seven men was a man named Stephen. Stephen is described in v. 5 as someone who was full of faith and the Holy Spirit. In v. 8, Luke writes of Stephen that he was a “man full of God’s grace and power” and that he did “great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.” Just as with Peter and the other apostles, such acts as doing great wonders and miraculous signs would draw attention, both favorable and unfavorable, to Stephen.

And it is here that we take up Stephen’s story.

Central Truth: God’s plan in spreading His message to the world began with small steps.

Stephen’s heritage (8-11)

As we discussed earlier, Stephen was probably a Grecian Jew, and it would stand to reason that he would feel more comfortable fellowshipping with others like him. Coming from a Gentile background, he would be able to better identify with others like him, and it was to this group that Stephen probably began to minister and share with.

And the Bible tells us that opposition arose from this group of Jews. His opposition came from the Synagogue of the Freedman, and the congregation consisted of Grecian Jews like Stephen. It should come as no surprise that there would be opposition. Stephen came into a group of people that had already abandoned the belief system in which they had grown to embrace Judaism. Now, Stephen was telling them that there was an even better way, a truer way, to come to God. In fact, Stephen would no doubt have told them these men had a good first step, but that they needed to follow Jesus if they really wanted to be saved.

To some, there would be a willingness to listen. But to most, such talk was heresy. They had turned their back on one false religion and they insisted that the religion they now practiced was the true one. God gave His laws to Moses, and Moses conveyed them to God’s people. These converts were probably well-versed in the history of Israel, from Genesis through Malachi, and to suddenly hear someone say that all of that was wrong must have infuriated them.

Judging from Acts 6:9b-10, there must have been many spirited debates between Stephen and these Grecian Jews, and despite their devotion to the Jewish faith, they could not get the better of Stephen, because the Bible says Stephen’s wisdom came from the Holy Spirit.

The result was that the Synagogue of the Freedmen began to plot against Stephen, even going so far as to find witnesses to twist Stephen’s words into threats against the Jewish faith, words tantamount to blasphemy against Moses and God.

Unknown to them, the Freedmen were helping the Church to take the next step, and that would lead to sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ into Judea and Samaria. God’s message was starting to spread.

The claims against him (12-14)

The pattern we see in vs. 12-14 are very similar to what took place against Jesus. If you recall, the crowd that had hailed Jesus as He entered Jerusalem for the last time had been turned against Him. The crowd that once shouted, “Hosanna” then shouted “Crucify Him!” Jesus’ trial was filled with slanderous accusations, none of which could stand. It was Jesus’ affirmation that He is Messiah that eventually led the Sanhedrin to find their cause of condemnation.

Now, Stephen stands before the Sanhedrin, and the crowd has been stirred against him. The members of the Synagogue of the Freedman seized Stephen and took him to the Sanhedrin. This august body of religious leaders and rulers of Jerusalem was already on record as condemning Jesus and the early Church. Now they would try someone who had not been a part of Jesus’ inner circle. Their condemnation was spreading beyond the central leadership of the Church to other leaders.

The testimony against Stephen was not that he preached Jesus, but that he spoke against the Temple and the law. It would be the equivalent of saying someone in America was preaching for the destruction of the U.S. Capitol and the burning of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the American flag.

The specific charge was, “We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us” (v. 14b).

These were serious charges to bring before the Sanhedrin. Their distaste for Jesus of Nazareth was already well recorded, and the Pharisaic devotion to Mosaic custom and law was equally well-known. Invoking Jesus’ name before the Sanhedrin could only help the accusers’ cause. Despite Gamaliel’s advice, the Sanhedrin still seemed to be determined to stamp out this Jesus and His followers. The religious leaders’ hatred of all things Christ was spreading to any and all who would profess His name.

Stephen’s demeanor (15)

Having heard the charges against Stephen, the attention of the body turned to Stephen to hear what he would say in his defense. Would he be like Jesus and stand silently before them, knowing the charges were false and that they couldn’t stand? Unlike in Jesus’ case, Luke seems to indicate that the witnesses were consistent in their testimony. It only takes two witnesses to condemn, and there is all likelihood that more than two had spoken out against Stephen.

So the eyes of the Sanhedrin and the accusers turned to look at Stephen, and what they saw must have amazed, startled and frightened them all at the same time. When they looked at him, they could see that Stephen’s face was “like that of an angel” (v. 15b).

But what does that mean, “the face like that of an angel?” Was his face glowing as if reflecting God’s glory, not unlike Moses’ face after his meetings with God in the Tabernacle. If that was the case, then the similar appearance could not have been lost on the accusers and religious leaders. Here was someone being accused of blaspheming Moses, yet his face shown just as Moses’ face did after he met with God.

My guess is that his face reflected a man at peace with himself and with his God. Jesus had told His disciples not to worry about what they would say before kings and governors and rulers, because the Holy Spirit would give them the words to speak. That being the case, it would seem only reasonable to see that this same Spirit would give men like Stephen a serene confidence as they stood before their accusers.

Look at Stephen. He was a man who is described as being filled with God’s Spirit and wisdom, as one who was full of grace and power. He had a wisdom from God that allowed him to speak eloquently and forcefully against his detractors.

Whether his face glowed with an angelic light or simply showed someone who had no worries in this world, there can be no doubt that those who saw Stephen in the docket saw something they had never seen before, or least nothing like they had seen since they condemned Jesus only months before.

What follows in Acts 7 is Stephen’s message to the Sanhedrin. His message begins with God calling Abraham, then quickly turns to Moses and the escape from Egypt. In his message, he reminds his accusers that Moses had not always been revered. “This is the same Moses whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’” (7:35). As Stephen’s message continues, he repeatedly reminds his listeners that the nation of Israel constantly turned its back on God and His word.

Stephen ends his message with these words: “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered Him—you who have received the Law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it” (7:51-53).

These last words so enraged the listeners that they dragged Stephen from the building and from the city, where they stoned him to death. And with it began a persecution of the Church that went far beyond anything the believers had ever seen.

And God’s plan to spread His message was taking effect.

Conclusion

There are times when it’s best to keep one’s mouth shut. There are times when it’s best to speak up. Wisdom comes in knowing when the time is right to be quiet or to speak up. By all accounts, Stephen was filled with God’s wisdom, and the Spirit was strong in him. God had a message and a purpose and He used Stephen to convey the message so the purpose could be fulfilled.

There are people in our world who do not like us. They may not like the way we wear our hair, or the music we listen to or the food we eat. They may not like the way we look or the way we talk. They may not like our faith in Jesus.

What God is letting us know in this passage is that we cannot change people. God can, and He does, but you and I cannot change people. The only thing we can do is stay true to God, and let our faith in Him guide us through His Spirit to tell us what to say and when to say it, to tell us what to do and when to do it.

It all comes back to trusting Jesus.