October 14, 2012
Lesson: Acts 7:51-8:1a;
Golden Text: “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 7:60).
INTRODUCTION. Believing in Jesus is one thing, but giving our lives for what we believe is quite another. In our lifetime we have had some very special martyrs who have given their loves for what they believed. Rachel Scott, a teen-ager at Columbine High School died at the hands of her assassins because she believed in Jesus Christ and wouldn’t deny it. Jim Elliot died in Ecuador for sharing the good news of Jesus. They were willing to die for their faith in Christ and their deaths were not in vain. In this week’s lesson, we will learn about the first martyr in the New Testament, Stephen. He was willing to pay the ultimate price for his faith in Jesus. Are you prepared to do the same?
II. A SCATHING INDICTMENT (Acts 7:51-53). Last week’s lesson ended with Stephen preparing to address the members of the Sanhedrin council in defense of false accusations against him. In Acts 7:2-50, Stephen responded to the Jewish religious leaders with a remarkable historical outline of Old Testament history that would put most Bible teachers to shame. As he spoke to the members of the Sanhedrin council, Stephen stressed the fact that God’s presence was not limited to one place as they all thought.God had been active in the lives of the patriarchs in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Midian and the Sinai wilderness. He also told them that the Israelites had been able to worship God long before there was a temple. Stephen also reminded them that Israel had a long history of disobeying God.
A.Resisting the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51). Then in this verse, Stephen said “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.” Instead of cowering in fear before his accusers, Stephen referred to his listeners and accusers as “stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears.” The word “stiffnecked” means “stubborn” or “hard-headed.” The term “uncircumcised” implies that their hearts were so hardened that they could not respond to God. These Jews prided themselves on physical circumcision, but spiritually their “hearts and ears” were so hard against God that it was as if they had developed a hard covering that needed to be cut away. This is the same way God described Israel through Moses and the prophets (see Exodus 33:5; Leviticus 26:41; Jeremiah 6:10; 9:26). Stephen also declared that they “do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.” Israel’s leaders were guilty of continually resisting the Holy Spirit and the truth that was shown to them. They were just like their forefathers who were guilty of the same things.
B. Persecuting God’s spokesmen (Acts 7:52). Stephen then asked, “Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers.” The evidence of Israel’s opposition to the Holy Spirit was seen in their repeated persecution of God’s prophets. Note: Indeed many prophets were persecuted and killed. Uriah (not the Bathsheba’s husband) was killed (see Jeremiah 26:20-23); Jeremiah was persecuted (see Jeremiah 38:1-6); Zechariah (not the author of the book, but the son of Jehoiada the priest) was killed (see II Chronicles 24:20-22); Elijah was persecuted (see I Kings 19:1-2). Jesus even condemned His own generation of scribes and Pharisees for being just as murderous to the prophets as their forefathers had been (see Matthew 23:29-37. Stephen was speaking to the same generation that Jesus spoke to. In addition, Stephen said their forefathers had also “slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One.” Earlier generations of Jews had murdered the prophets who prophesied the coming of the “Just One” or the Messiah. And these Jewish leaders that Stephen was addressing were also the “betrayers and murderers” of the “Just One,” or Jesus. Stephen was really telling his listeners that the faithless and wicked actions committed by men of a prior generation, their forefathers, eventually ended up with the betrayal and murder of the Messiah.
C. Disobeying the law (Acts 7:53). Stephen went on to describe his accusers as “Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.” When the law was given at Mt. Sinai, there is no mention of angels being involved. However, later references to the law do mention angels (see Psalms 68:17; Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 2:2). The Scriptures don’t tell us what part the angels played in the giving of the law, but the mere mention of them stresses how important the law was. Yet, Stephen said, the Jews “have not kept it.” It’s interesting that the Jewish people gloried in being the only ones to receive the law but they chose to disobey it.
III. A FIERCE REACTION (Acts 7:54-8:1a)
a. The accusers’ anger (Acts 7:54). At this point Luke writes that “When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.” Stephen’s listeners were so infuriated by what he had said that “they were cut to the heart.” This is the same reaction the Sanhedrin council had to the apostles’ defense earlier (see Acts 5:33). As Stephen exposed the council members’ depraved hearts “they gnashed on him with their teeth.” This was another expression of extreme anger at what Stephen had said to them.They were curious but at this time they had no answer to his burning indictment of their disobedient behavior.
B. Stephen’s vision (Acts 7:55-56).
1. (vs. 55). As Stephen’s enemies demonstrated their anger, Luke writes “But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.” The description “being full of the Holy Ghost” indicates that Stephen’s entire life was characterized by the Holy Spirit, not just some moments. Looking intently into heaven, God gave him a vision to strengthen his faith. Stephen “saw the glory of God” which may have been an overwhelming brightness of light (see Ezekiel 10:4; Acts 26:13). In the midst of God’s glory, Stephen also saw “Jesus standing on the right hand of God.” Standing on the right side of God, Jesus was both visible and recognizable to Stephen. Note: Remember, this all takes place within months after Jesus’ death, so Stephen no doubt had seen Jesus during His ministry and therefore recognized Him in his vision. This vision also validated the gospel message that Jesus had risen from the dead and completed His saving work (see Psalms 110:1; Hebrews 1:3). Many passages of Scripture refer to the glorified Jesus as sitting (see Matthew 26:64; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 12:2), but here we are told that Stephen saw Him “standing.” It may be that Jesus was standing in order to welcome and receive Stephen into His presence as the first Christian martyr. It was almost as if Jesus was giving Stephen a standing ovation.
2. (vs. 56). Then Stephen looking at his accusers said “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” Delighted by what he saw, Stephen described his vision to his accusers. He described Jesus as “the Son of man.” The use of this identification identifies Jesus with mankind and it also was a messianic title for Jesus (see Daniel 7:13-14). Jesus often referred to Himself as the “Son of man” (see Matthew 8:20; 9:20; 10:23; 12:8). As noted previously, Stephen may have heard Jesus call Himself the “Son of man” or more likely the Holy Spirit led him to use this term at this particular time. As far as the Sanhedrin council was concerned the use of this term would remind them of Jesus’ own words during His trial before them. Jesus declared that He would fulfill the prophecies regarding the “Son of man” in Psalms 110:1 and Daniel 7:13-14 (see Matthew 26:64-65; Mark 14:62-63). At that time the Sanhedrin accused Him of blasphemy.C. The crowd’s murderous rage (Acts 7:57-58).
1. (vs. 57). Stephen’s words brought even greater rage from his enemies. This verse says “Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord.” Believing Stephen’s words were blasphemous, his accusers yelled out loudly and, “stopped (or covered) their ears” and rushed at him in a mad frenzy.
2. (vs. 58). After grabbing hold of Stephen they “cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.” Stephen’s accusers were out of control and they took him outside the city and stoned him. The Jewish leaders did follow certain requirements of the Mosaic Law in this so-called execution. They did stone Stephen outside the city of Jerusalem as the law required (see Leviticus 24:11-14). There were also witnesses, though they were false witnesses, present who were to throw the first stones (see Deuteronomy 17:7). Note: Although Stephen’s stoning could be seen as a legal execution, it really was a lynching. The legal requirements that the crowd followed were just to cover up this murder by a mob. There was no stated verdict or sentence pronounced. Neither did the Sanhedrin council obtained Roman consent that was required to carry out capital punishment (see John 18:31). They may have attempted to make this look like a legal trial but it soon turned into a raging mob. In the midst of all of this, Luke added what seems like a small detail. He said “and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.” However, this was not a small detail because it introduced the man who Jesus would eventually transform and use to establish many churches in the first century. But at this time, this “young man… whose name was Saul,” was still an enemy of Christ and the church. The term “young man” to the Jews normally meant a person between twenty and forty years of age. Saul was educated by Gamaliel (see Acts 22:3) and became a Pharisee (see Philippians 3:5). Whether or not he was a member of the Sanhedrin council is not known but he no doubt had a close relationship with them. We are told that he “witnesses laid down their clothes” at Saul’s feet. These witnesses were to be the first ones to throw stones. To do this they took off their outer garments and laid them down where Saul could watch over them. This was evidence that Saul approved of what was happening as he admitted later (see Acts 22:20).
D. Stephen’s dying prayer (Acts 7:59-60).
1. (vs. 59). This verse says “And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” While this mob was stoning Stephen, he called “upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” It is interesting that this verse says that Stephen called upon God, but he prayed to Jesus. There is no problem here because to call upon God simply means to pray. Stephen prayed to Jesus because he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God and asked Him to “receive my spirit.” Stephen was well aware that even though his body was being destroyed, his spirit would live on (see Ecclesiastes 12:7). Note: Here is another similarity between Stephen’s and Jesus’ experiences at their deaths. While on the cross, Jesus prayed “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (see Luke 23:46). Stephen prayed basically the same prayer, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” but he directed it to Jesus. This is proof that the early Christians believed in the full deity of Christ. Praying to Him is the same as praying to the Father.
2. (vs. 60). In this verse Luke writes “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.” While being stoned and praying, Stephen fell to his knees and yelled out his last words “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” He was asking the Lord not to hold his persecutors’ sin against them. What a forgiving attitude toward one’s enemies! Note: An Old Testament prophet named Zechariah was stoned to death in the temple area and as he died he prayed “The Lord look upon it, and require it” (see II Chronicles 24:22). He was asking God to judge his murderers. Stephen would’ve been justified in asking God to do the same thing to his enemies but he asked mercy for them instead. Stephen learned well from the example of Jesus. Here is another similarity between Stephen and Jesus. Jesus prayed “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (see Luke 23:41). And now Stephen, Jesus’ martyr, prayed for the same thing. There is no clearer witness to the superiority of Christianity than a prayer for God to have mercy upon the enemies of Christianity (see Matthew 5:43-44).
E. Saul’s response (Acts 8:1a). In the last verse of our lesson, Luke comments “And Saul was consenting unto his death.” The word “consenting” has the idea of strong approval. Saul was in full compliance with the illegal and sinful murder of Stephen. Note: Saul continued as a persecutor of the church (see Acts 8:3; 9:1-2) until he was converted by Christ on his way to Damascus to find Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem. However, he didn’t become know as Paul until sometime later when he began his first missionary journey (see Acts 13:1-13). “Saul” was his Hebrew name and “Paul” was his Greek name used when he began his ministry to the Gentiles.
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