Stephen is the first martyr of the church,
a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.
They could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.
Behold,
I see the heavens opened,
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
Lord,
do not hold this sin against them.
The widows of the Hellenists were being neglected. The twelve asked the church to pick seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, to serve tables. Stephen is named first. He is not only a waiter. He is full of grace and power, and he does great wonders and signs among the people. Men from the synagogue of the Freedmen argue with him and cannot stand against the wisdom and the Spirit. They bring him to the council and set up false witnesses. The charge is that he speaks against Moses, the temple, and the customs.
Saul is there, approving, and the witnesses lay their garments at his feet. Philip is another of the seven. The scattering that follows Stephen’s death carries the word to Judea and Samaria. A man who served tables preached the whole story, saw the Son standing, and died with a prayer that sounds like the cross. The council could not answer the wisdom. They answered with stones.
He saw the Son of Man standing.
He asked for his killers.
The garments were at Saul’s feet.
The word went out with the scattered.
- Stephen is chosen to serve tables and is full of the Spirit. The two are not opposites.
- The wisdom they cannot withstand is the Spirit’s, not a trick of speech.
- His sermon is the Old Testament aimed at the Righteous One they killed.
- The Son of Man standing is the sight they stone him for.
- His last prayers match the Lord’s: receive my spirit, and do not hold this sin against them.
- Saul is in the crowd, consenting. The martyr and the apostle are in one scene.
- Death scatters the church, and the scattered preach. The stones do not stop the word.
- The Seven – Chosen to serve; full of the Spirit and wisdom.
- The Signs – Grace and power; wonders among the people.
- The Council – False witnesses; his face like an angel.
- The Sermon – Abraham to Solomon; you always resist the Holy Spirit.
- The Sight – Heavens opened; the Son of Man standing.
- The Prayer – Receive my spirit; do not hold this sin against them.
- The Witness – Saul consenting; the church scattered and preaching.
- Acts 6:5 – “And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus.”
- Acts 6:8 – “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.”
- Acts 6:10 – “But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.”
- Acts 6:15 – “And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”
- Acts 7:51-52 – “You stiff-necked people… you always resist the Holy Spirit… they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered.”
- Acts 7:55-56 – “But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’”
- Acts 7:59-60 – “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 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 8:1-4 – “And Saul approved of his execution… there arose on that day a great persecution… Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.”
- Acts 22:20 – “When the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.”
They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.
They could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.
You always resist the Holy Spirit. They killed those who announced the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered.
I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Lord, do not hold this sin against them.
Saul approved of his execution. Those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
Serving tables did not keep him from the council. The wisdom was the Spirit’s. He saw the Son standing, and he died asking mercy for the men with the stones. The garments were at Saul’s feet. The word left Jerusalem with the scattered.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.