Acts 7
The testimony of Stephen before the council is an incredible account of truth and boldness in the face of hostility and serves as a reminder of how the world will look at those who trust in the Lord Jesus for their strength. (Matthew 24:9) I doubt that Stephen knew that morning that he would be standing before the leaders of Jerusalem but it doesn’t matter. What matters is that Stephen stood firm in his faith when confronted with certain death…
Stephen’s defense before the council after many false witnesses had come forth to testify against him was solid. The only thing the witnesses could come up with was pretty much the same as what was brought against Jesus, that the temple would be destroyed but a twist was added to this new account: these witnesses said that Jesus would destroy the temple and also that He would change the customs that Moses had handed down to them. (Acts 6:13-14) I would venture to say that the last half of their statement was true in that the traditions did change. Jesus had become the fulfillment of the Law eliminating the need for rituals and traditions by allowing the true worshipers of God to worship Him anywhere in spirit and in truth. (John 4:21-24)
Stephen’s testimony before the High Priest is rather long but it could have been much longer given the rich heritage the Jewish nation enjoys. I suppose we have to accept that since Stephen was speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit his account was just the right length. His defense consisted of a recitation of the history of the Jews since Abraham solidifying his belief to his leaders that he was indeed a child of Abraham. But what’s also interesting is that Stephen points out that time after time the children of Abraham fell away from God do to their own choices in spite of what they had experienced first hand.
The culmination of Stephen’s testimony consists of a very straightforward condemnation of the council. Stephen compares them to the religious leaders of old who persecuted and killed the prophets because they killed Jesus, the “Righteous One”. This condemnation sounds amazingly like Jesus’ condemnation of the scribes and pharisees in Luke 11. This, of course, incited fierce opposition towards Stephen. They dragged him outside the city and proceeded to stone him. But that’s not the end of the story. His last words were of forgiveness. As they were in the process of stoning him, Stephen begged the Lord not to hold this sin against them.
It’s amazing how similar the actions of Stephen were to those of Jesus. Stephen’s affirmation that he was a child of Abraham, his condemnation of the religious leaders, his request that Jesus receive his spirit and his prayer of forgiveness of those who were about to kill him. What do you think? If you ever found yourself in the same circumstance, do you think you would remain faithful to the Lord like Stephen? I sincerely hope that no one reading ever is but if you are, remember Stephen’s example.
