Acts of the Apostles: Stephen ... Faithful Until the End (Ep 134)

Introduction and Overview

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Jason: Thank you for listening, and welcome to the podcast. I'm your host, Jason McConnell. The word martyr might sound heavy, maybe even distant, but Stephen's story isn't just about how he died. It's about how he lived. He was chosen not as an apostle, not as a preacher with a big stage, but as a servant to make sure widows were fed fairly.

Yet in that simple act of service, we see the spirit of God at work. And from there, Stephen steps into boldness, wisdom, and courage that would shake the foundation of the Sanhedrin itself. In this acts of the Apostle episode, we'll be walking through Acts six verse one through Acts eight verse one. We'll see how the early church dealt with growing pains, how Stephen spirit-filled ministry stirred up opposition, and how his final sermon traced Israel's history all the way to Christ.

We will also see how Stephen, even in death, married his savior, praying for his enemies and entrusting his spirit to the Lord. But more than just history, Stephen's story challenges us today. Will we be faithful when it's costly? Will we serve humbly, witness boldly and forgive radically? These are the questions his life presses upon us.

So let's step into the story of Stephen. Faithful until the end.

Stephen's Role in the Early Church

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Jason: The church is expanding in Jerusalem and we're seeing both the wonder and beauty of it all. As well as the growing pains of this community that is quickly growing, thousands are coming to Christ, and it's more important than ever for the church to be well organized through spirit led leadership.

And this is where Steven comes in and he is our focus for this episode. So let's jump into Acts six verses one through seven to see where he first steps onto the stage.

The Appointment of the First Deacons

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Jason: In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews, among them complained against the Hebrewic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

So the 12 gathered all the disciples together and said It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters choose seven men. From among you who are known to be full of the spirit and wisdom. We will turn the responsibility over to them.

We will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. Also Philip Procurious, aor, Timon, pars and Nicholas from Antioch, a Convert, convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and led their, laid their hands on them.

So the word of God spread the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly. And a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. So with this rapid growth came real world challenges. Now, there were two main groups among the believers, the Hebrewic Jews who were native to Jerusalem, and these guys were steeped in Jewish Jewish tradition and language.

The other group were the Hellenistic Jews, and these are people who grew up in, uh, diaspora or the wider Roman empire outside of Israel. Now, Hellenistic Jews spoke Greek and were influenced more by Gentile culture, but both the Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews were from Jewish backgrounds. But because one grew up in Israel and the other outside of Israel, they were very different culturally.

Now, there were widows in both sides who depended on the daily feud distributions, and it seems the Christian widows and orphans were not getting distributions from the temple authorities, so it was really important for the church to take care of them. Then complaints arose that the Hellenistic widows were being overlooked, and this was probably an oversight, but Satan never misses an opportunity to sow discord in the church.

So basically, somebody had to supervise and make sure these people, these tables were being served properly. Well, the apostles felt stepping away from their work, spreading the word of God wasn't the best idea or use of their time. So to resolve this tension, the apostles created a new role. Seven Spirit-filled leaders to oversee the practical needs of the people, and these became the first deacons.

Now, in order to main ba balance, the apostles made a decision that wouldn't diminish the poor, nor neglect the ministry of the word. And, and both of these tasks were, were vital. I mean, they were both important. But understand the Holy Spirit doesn't just anoint preachers. He anoints all kinds, including table servers.

Stephen's Spirit-Filled Ministry

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Jason: Now Luke highlights Stephen first describing him as a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and we'll see that this spirit-filled service would prepare him for spirit-filled, filled witness. And I think it's important to understand that there's really no such thing as small ministry in the kingdom of God.

Sometimes setting up chairs, cooking meals, or caring for widows is, is absolutely just as important as preaching a sermon in converting new believers. God doesn't divide his people into important and unimportant roles. He calls us all to both proclaim and demonstrate the gospel. Serving with love is spirit-led living, and this really reminds me of my first experience in service with my church.

We had this fall festival coming up and I decided to go ahead and sign up as a volunteer. And when asked where I wanted to serve, I mean, I left that open to the church. Now, there were some pretty great opportunities like running games or manning bouncy houses or stuff like that. So when I arrived, they told me I would be handing out street tacos, basically food service.

Now to be honest, I wasn't entirely thrilled with this assignment, but I was there to serve, so I served. Once I got into the groove though, I, I had so much fun. I got to greet people from all over the, the place, uh, all over the neighborhood. I got to feed them. I got to see these proud mothers and fathers with their kids in costumes and, and I was feeding them and I didn't realize it then.

But our church will advertise in the local communities, which is a, a very low income area around the church. So the people who came weren't. All members of the church, they were given this rare opportunity to take their kids somewhere, to have a bunch of fun and get a full belly in the process. And that's gospel in action.

And I, it was one of the reasons I love my church so much, but before I knew it, the night was over and I was exhausted. I mean, that's when it all clicks. Service is service, and my attitude should always be, God, use me. Even to this day, I mean, I'll serve wherever they need me to serve. Um, they've asked me before and I'm like, whatever, put me wherever you need me.

And I mentioned this because I went into it very unsure and initially felt my assignment was kind of tucked away or weak or just didn't feel good. But I was new and I decided guess I have to do my time with these menial tasks. But God showed me something different. He showed me that there are no menial tasks when you're working for him.

And you can have that spirit led experience doing something as simple as handing someone a taco. And that was a great lesson for me to learn. But back to the point to address these growing pains, the early church raised up and like Steven to meet the practical needs with faith and wisdom. But Steven's ministry didn't stop at tables.

Stephen's Bold Witness and Opposition

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Jason: The spirit that filled him for service began to empower him for signs, wonders, and a bold witness that soon drew fierce opposition as well. And we'll see this in Acts six verses eight through 15. Now, Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power performed great wonders and signs among the people.

Opposition arose, however, from members of the synagogue of the freedmen as it was called. Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria, as well as the province of Isha and Asia, who began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against the wisdom the spirit gave him as he spoke. Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, we have heard Stephen speak blasphemy, blasphemous words against Moses and against God.

They stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses who testified this fellow never stopped speaking against the holy place, this holy place, and against the law for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs.

Moses handed down to us. All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. Okay, so let's start with the synagogue of freedmen. This was a gathering of Jews who had once been slaves in the Roman Empire, or they were descendants of those freed slaves.

They were deeply passionate about preserving Jewish law and traditions, especially in a city like Jerusalem. Where tension between Rome culture and religion ran really high. Now, understand synagogues weren't just places of worship. They were also debate halls where heated arguments would happen about the law, about scripture, and, and identity often erupted.

Now, under Roman occupation, the Jews were allowed to keep these places of teaching and discussion, but they were pressure cookers for controversy. Now, Luke describes Steven as. Full of God's grace and power. And to me that's quite a compliment. But it was more than that. It's the mark of of the spirit's presence.

Stephen wasn't operating out of charisma or cleverness. There was nothing to suggest. He was well educated or even a master of debating. His wisdom was given to him by the spirit, and because his opponents were so outmatched, these professionals, these religious leaders were outmatched and they turned. To lies and deceit.

Sound familiar? Maybe this sounds like the trial of Jesus himself where false witnesses twisted his words about the temple. But notice how this passage ends with Stephen's face like the face of an angel in the middle of accusations and hostility, the spirit of God is a visible in him, in the face of the highest and most dangerous religious court.

Stephen was at peace and fully confident. Glorifying Jesus. And it's interesting how Luke knew of the lies and deceit. I mean, perhaps Saul of Tarsus was there among the opponents at the time, and later we know he later became Paul, the Apostle Paul. I mean, he could have told Luke, but regardless, the opponents of these followers of Jesus were helpless until they got popular opinion on their side.

Now I want you to understand popular opinion will ebb and flow the same crowd that praised Jesus in Luke 19 verses 35 through 40 went on to call for his crucifixion in Luke 23 verses 18 through 23. It is possible that the same crowd who loved the Apostles in Acts two verse 47, as well as Acts five, verse 26, went on to cry out against Stephen here.

And this is why it's really important that we don't let popular opinion shape the church. It should always go back to God's eternal word in the Bible, but here's the ugly truth. Following Christ doesn't always win. Applause. I know. Surprising, right? Sometimes it brings misunderstanding, ridicule, even slander, or sometimes worse.

We have the spirit on our side for defending truth with wisdom and grace. When Christ is visible in our lives, people will respond to it. Now, some people will be drawn to you, others are gonna resist, and we can't control that response. That's not our calling. We just have to stay faithful, stay filled with the spirit, and be true to Christ no matter what the cost.

Stephen's Sermon to the Sanhedrin

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Jason: Now Stephen has been dragged before the Sanhedrin on these false charges accused of speaking against Moses, against the temple and against the law. And instead of panicking or scrambling for a defense, Stephen does something quite remarkable. He retells the story of Israel. This is the longest sermon in the book of Acts and and it's a big one, and we're gonna hit the highlights together.

But I strongly encourage you after this episode, go back and read Acts chapter seven verses one through 53 for yourself. Every detail matters and the spirit may highlight something new to you as you read it. So go back and read that part. But let's start with the question that gets the ball rolling in Acts seven verse one.

Then the high priest asked, Stephen, are these charges true? Commentary suggests, the high priest mentioned here was most likely Caiaphas, who was the same one who presided over the trials of Jesus in Matthew 26, verse 57. That makes sense to me. But as we go through this, and when you read it for yourself, I want you to keep in mind it's unlikely Steven was giving the Sanhedrin a history lesson on a topic they forgot.

Like they, they don't, they know what he, what he talks about here. Rather, he was emphasizing some key points that they may not have realized, such as God never confined himself to one place like the temple, and that the Jewish people had a history of rejecting those God sent to them. That's just fact. He also wasn't interested in mounting a defense for himself.

Uh, I believe that he was moved to speak the truth about Jesus regardless of the outcome, and that what, I think that's what brought him peace. Now with that one question, Stephen begins his Spirit Feld monologue with God's call to Abraham in Acts seven verses two and three. Let's read that to this. He replied, brothers and fathers, listen to me.

The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Heron. Leave your country and your people. God said, and go to the land. I will show you. So Stephen emphasizes that the glory of God appeared to Abraham before he ever entered the Promised land. And this begins to demonstrate that the temple is not necessary and the promised land wasn't necessary.

God is so much greater than all of that. So while Stephen was accused of speaking against the temple, you notice he doesn't defend it. He simply explains it in, in his defense that he starts. He goes on in Acts seven, verses four through eight. So he left the land of, uh, Chaldeans and settled in Heron.

After the death of his father, God sent him to the land where you are living now. He gave him no inheritance here, not even enough ground to set foot on, but God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land even though at that time Abraham had no child. God spoke to him in this way.

For 400 years, your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated, but I will punish the nation. They serve as slaves, God said, and afterwards they will come out of that country and worship me in this place. Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth.

Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the 12 patriarchs. So Abraham partially obeyed God's calling. He settled in Heron first, but this partial obedience didn't take away the promise God made. But the fulfillment of that promise didn't actually start until Abraham left Heron and his father behind and went to where God actually asked him to go.

Now, Abraham had no proof of God's promise. He was supposed to be given land and and descendants. Okay, but Abraham set off with faith. This promise wouldn't be easy for Abraham or his descendants. And God promised to judge the nation that put his Israel into bondage. And, and this seems like a hint to the council to me by Stephen, that God would do the same here.

It's kinda like, you know, you're, you see these things happening. God's coming after you too, if you don't straighten up and follow Jesus. Then in Acts seven verses nine through 16, Stephen reminds him that Joseph was rejected by his own brothers and later became their deliverer during the famine. So we're seeing this theme build.

God raises up saviors, Israel rejects them. And then in Acts seven, verses 17 through 43, Stephen moves on to Moses, and this is where he spends most of his time. And again, I'm gonna summarize because it's really long, but I do encourage you to go back and read it for yourself. So when Moses first tried to help his people, one of them said the following, in Acts seven, verse 27, Stephen puts this out there.

Who made you the ruler and judge over us? So the man God sent to Israel once again was rejected and they denied that he had any right to rule or judge over them. Here I believe Stephen is drawing a line between rejecting Moses and rejecting Jesus Who was the greater than Moses guy. We're gonna skip ahead.

I'm gonna skip ahead to Acts seven verses 35 and 36. This is the same Moses they had rejected with words who made you ruler and judge. He was sent to be their ruler and deliver by God himself through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt at the Red Sea and for 40 years in the wilderness.

Okay, so God sent Moses back as the ruler and deliver. From is delivering Israel from Egypt. And to me, this kind of alludes to the return of Jesus one day to deliver all of us from sin and death. Now, that's, that's not necessarily what Stephen was intending, and it's, there's nothing in commentary, but that's something that I feel in my heart that I wanted to share.

Um, but it could be a reminder to us from God who knows. Stephen then reminds him in Acts seven, verse 39, but our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. So after all of that, all the signs and wonders, the people turn their backs on Moses, I mean, it just amazes me how we forget what God has done for us, how we're so willing to turn away from him, even though he's performed wonderful things in our lives.

Here we go. Stephen moves on to a powerful reminder that God gave Israel the tabernacle and later Solomon built the temple, but God himself is not confined to any manmade structure. So it's Acts seven verses 49 and 50. Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or where will my resting place be?

Has not my hand made all of these things. Then Stephen finally turns from history to the present moment in Acts seven, verses 51 through 53, and this is, this is the good part. You'll like this, you stiff neck people. Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors. You always resist the Holy Spirit.

Was there ever a prophet, your ancestors 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 given through the angels, but have not obeyed it. This was a blistering conclusion. Stephen doesn't hold back.

He tells the ugly truth, even though it's gonna cost him his life. And as I already mentioned, this is the longest sermon in Acts and it's no accident. Stephen walks through Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, and Solomon, and what is his point in all of this? That Israel has a pattern again and again and again.

God raises up deliverers, but Israel rejects them, and now they've rejected Jesus the Messiah, just as their ancestors rejected God's chosen leaders in the past. The Spirit gives Stephen incredible boldness here to connect Israel's past to their present rebellion. He shows that God's presence is not tied to the temple.

He met Abraham in Mesopotamia, Joseph in Egypt, and Moses in Midian. And the message here is pretty clear. Resisting God's messenger is akin to resisting, resisting the spirit himself. Now, I want you to understand the message here isn't about a a, a speech for the Sanhedrin. This is for you and me as well.

We should always guard against resisting the Holy Spirit when he convicts us or even when he corrects us. Faith means listening to God's messenger sometimes, even when those words are uncomfortable. We are called to tell God's story with courage and clarity, just, just as Stephen did even when it's not very popular.

God sent us the Messiah, and it's ironic that the people who were accusing Stephen of blasphemy were the blasphemers. Stephen's words must have landed like thunder. I mean, I can only imagine the silence of shock in the rooms as the rage began to boil over. The history of Israel has been laid bare. The accusations against the Sanhedrin, they were pretty evident.

His sermon ended not with a plea for mercy, but with a charge of betrayal and murder against the very leaders who prided themselves on guarding God's law. I mean, you could almost feel what was coming next. This is no longer just about arguments in a courtroom.

Stephen's Martyrdom

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Jason: It's about life and death, and Stephen filled with the spirit will now show us what it truly means to be faithful until the end.

So let's read how all of this unfolds in Acts seven verses 54 through 60, and then the first part of Acts eight, verse one. When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to the heavens and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Look, he said, I see heaven open. The son of man standing at the right hand of God at this. They covered their ears and yelling at the top of their voice as they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

While they were stoning him. Stephen prayed, Lord Jesus receive my spirit. Then he fell on his knees and cried out, Lord, do not hold the sin against them. When he had said this, he fell asleep and Saul approved of their killing him.

Wow. That takes a minute to get over. Right? The council was furious probably because Steven's message hit the mark. The idea of gnashing of teeth. It reminds us of the imagery of hell. Jesus described, I mean, Jesus described hell as a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth in Matthew eight, verse 12, Isma as well as Matthew 50, uh, 13 verse 50.

And let's not forget, Psalms 37 12, the wicked plot against the righteous and Nash their teeth at them. But these were prominent successful men, and it's remarkable to consider these men acting like animals. These men were supposed to be very religious men, yet they were rejecting God and associating themselves with hell, not heaven and murdering Stephen, understand execution by stoning was the prescribed punishment for blasphemy under Jewish law.

But usually Romans held the authority to carry out death sentences. So this wasn't a lawful trial, it was a mob violence. A religious fury spilling over into bloodshed outside the city, gates, stones became weapons in the hands of angry men. And here for the first time we meet Saul, a man who had later become the Apostle Paul, standing by approving of Stephen's death.

This moment is breathtaking for me. Stephen lifts his eyes and sees Jesus not seated as he is so often described, but standing at the right hand of God, Jesus standing in solidarity for his faithful servant as if Christ himself is rising to welcome Stephen home and Stephen reflecting his savior to. The very ends praise words that echoed from the cross, Lord, do not hold the sin against them.

The word martyr comes from the Greek word martis, meaning witness. You see, Stephen's death is not defeat. It's the ultimate testimony to the living Christ. Stephen died with complete trust in God knowing that Jesus would take care of him. And I do wanna circle back on his prayer. Stephen asked the Lord, do not hold the sin against him.

In, in Acts eight verse one, we see Saul approved of their killing. Right? As most of you probably know, Saul has an encounter with Jesus that leaves him blind, and later his sight is restored by Ananias, different Ananias that we talked about in a previous Acts episode. But because of all of this, Saul converts and becomes the apostle Paul, right?

We know this story. Now I want you to consider this, and I'm not saying this is true, just something to consider. If Stephen hadn't prayed for forgiveness of his attackers, would Saul have been saved later? Again, just something to consider, but I also want you to consider this courage and Christ doesn't mean absence of fear.

It means spirit led trust in the face of danger. Steven teaches us that. Even in our darkest moments, our lives can reflect Jesus through mercy forgiveness and that unshakeable faith he had. Most of us will never face literal stoning. We may face ridicule, rejection, or the cost of standing for truth in a culture that doesn't want to hear it.

But the question is, will we stand firm? Will we trust the spirit to give us words, strength and grace in our hours of deepest trial? Steven's story urges us to say yes, to remain faithful, and to do it until the end.

Reflections on Stephen's Legacy

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Jason: As we close today's episode, let's pause and reflect on what Steven's life meant, as well as his death and, and what this has taught us.

His story isn't about the first martyr of the church. It's about living a spirit-filled life that blends service, boldness, and forgiveness. Don't overlook serving tables. Spirit led ministry includes both word and deed. Galatians five 13 reminds us, serve one another humbly in love. Every act of service, whether seen or unseen, can be filled with the spirit's power.

We should speak truth even when it's costly. Second Timothy one, verse seven, tells us for the spirit God gave us, does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline. I just mentioned it. Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's, it's trusting God enough to speak truth with grace, no matter what the response is.

And, and finally, if you're, live your life with Christlike forgiveness. Jesus himself said in Matthew 5 44, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Stephen embodied this beautifully in his final breath, echoing the Savior's words from the cross. I hope we all like Stephen can be faithful until the end of our, with our eyes fixed on Jesus, with our hearts full of the spirit and with our lives bearing witness to the glory of Christ.

Until next time, keep loving your neighbors. Dive into the God's word daily and may the Lord bless you and keep you and fill you with his peace. Take care. God bless, and I'll see you in the next episode.

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