Stephen is seized!
Walking through the Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted
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Stephen is seized
“And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”
Stephen was a great witness and servant for the Lord Jesus Christ!
This Spirit-filled man did not limit his ministry to serving of tables. Because Stephen understood that the true measure of a man is not how many servants he has but how many people he serves.
So Stephen served tables as well as served the larger body as he also won the lost to Christ Jesus and even performed miracles.
Up to this point, it was the apostles who performed the miracles but now God gave this power to Stephen also. This was part of God’s plan to use Stephen to bear witness to the leaders of Israel. Stephen’s powerful testimony would be the climax of the church’s witness to the Jews, where he would bear witness and show great wisdom and the Spirit of God as he spoke to them. Then the message would go our to the Samaritans and then to the Gentiles. Because no one could really match the wisdom and power of Stephen, so their only alternative was to destroy him.
Remember what Jesus warned His followers in
, “Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.”
Their treatment of Stephen parallels the way the Jewish leaders treated Jesus. First they seized Him those leaders who were in the synagogue. Then they seized Him and stirred up the people against Him through false witness to testify against Him. Finally, after listening to his witness, they executed him to keep him silent.
Let us pray…
Stephen is seized...by those in the synagogue.
, “ And Stephen, full grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.”
Verse 5 described Stephen as a man “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” This word “full” both there and in verse 8 translates as
“ pleres,” which means to be filled up.” Stephen was totally controlled by faith, the Holy Spirit, grace, and power. His sermon before the Sanhedrin reveals the content of his faith. He believed that God ruled history and was very confident of God’s sovereign control of his life. He could say with Paul, “If we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord: therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” Stephen saw Jesus as the fulfillment of messianic prophecy and believed that Christ had risen and been exalted to the right hand of the Father. His confident trust in Jesus’ care for him allowed him to face death calmly because he believed in the Holy Spirit.
Sadly, many Christians today could not be described as full of faith. Like the father of the demon-possessed boy healed by Jesus their cry is the same as it was, I believe, help my unbelief!
, “And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”
Sometimes people find it easier to trust God for their eternal destiny while at the same time they still find it difficult to trust Him with the concerns of everyday life. But we must trust in the Lord with all our hearts, we must not lean towards our own understanding. But in all ways we must acknowledged God and He will direct our paths and make them straight.
This was the character of Stephen; he was a servant and a witness who trusted God fully and completely in every area of his life.
He was focused on doing what God wanted and left all consequences in God’s hands.
Not only was Stephen full of faith but also of the Holy Spirit; this is the privilege of every believer.
, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,” To be full of faith is to trust God; to be filled with the Spirit is to obey fully His will. Stephen believed God and submitted to the leading of the empowering, purifying Holy Spirit. Those two realities really epitomize the strength of the Christian life. In the words of the beloved hymn,
Trust and obey.
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus
But to trust and obey.
A third spiritual reality, flowing from trust and obedience that characterized Stephen was grace. Because Stephen trusted God, and walked in the fullness of the Spirit, he was given the grace to face persecution, even death. Neither fear nor hatred controlled him, only trust and submission. He could be gracious even at the point of death because of his confident trust in God and resignation to the divine purposes God had for Him. Having committed himself fully into God’s hands, he was willing to endure anything in the strength of enabling grace. God’s grace also flowed out of his life to others. Perhaps that was one reason the church chose him to minister to widows.
Stephen was even gracious toward his executioners, praying for their forgiveness even as their stones crushed out his life.
The only way a believer can live like Stephen is by dying to their sinful self. Those busy looking out for their own interests will have little time or inclination to abandon themselves and experience the grace Stephen experienced.
Finally, Stephen was full of power. That was a direct result of his being filled with the Spirit. That he was performing great wonders and signs among the people suggests he was far more than just a deacon. Instead, his deeds of power show his close link with the apostles. In the New Testament church only the apostles performed miracles. The imperfect tense of the Greek word “did” which is poieo, means he was performing continually doing those mighty signs and wonders, no doubt with the same impact as the apostles.
Taken together, verses 5 and 8 give both the Godward and manward sides of Christian character. A man full of faith toward God, and yielded to the Spirit’s control, will be gracious toward others and manifest great spiritual power.
That a righteous man will do righteous deeds is a basic New Testament principle. Paul teaches repeatedly that all Christian joy and usefulness, all power and gracious service, flow out of faith and obedience. For example in , Paul gave the Colossians the following practical injunctions.
, “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.”
But as we are putting away some things we are putting on some new things as well.
, “And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”
Stephen’s life displayed God’s grace and power because he was filled with obedient faith and with the Holy Spirit. Those traits marked his with greatness so often overlooked. There is not other path to virtuous character and a spiritually influential life than the path Stephen exemplified.
Stephen was seized… by those who were stirred up through a false witness.
, “Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
Stephen a man filled with faith, the Holy Spirit, power, and the very character of Christ is a match for any attack; fierce and fatal.
The leadership of the synagogue were alarmed by the power and effectiveness of Stephen’s ministry. The text tells us that, “…Some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. The phrase rose up indicates more than they just got out of their chairs but that they were stirred into action. They were enraged by their hatred of the Lord Jesus Christ and their love of self –righteous sin; that these men went after this gifted man of God. It seems that the members of three separate synagogues were represented. The Synagogue of the Freedmen, another including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and a third composed of people from Cilicia and Asia. The cultural
and linguistic difference between those groups make it unlikely that they all attended the same synagogue.
Synagogues were meeting places where the Jewish community assembled to read the Scriptures and worship. They originated as far back as the Babylonian Captivity, when the exiles were cut off from access to the temple. According to the Talmud, there were 480 synagogues in Jerusalem. The Freedman were the descendants of Jewish slaves captured by Pompey in 63 B.C. and taken to Rome. They were later granted their freedom and formed a Jewish community there. Cyrenians and Alexandrians were from two of the major cities of North Africa. Cyrene (home of the Simon who carried Jesus’ cross,) and Alexandria. Both cities had large Jewish populations. Cilicia and Asia were Roman provinces in Asia Minor. Since Paul’s hometown of Tarsus was located in Cilicia, he likely attended their synagogue in Jerusalem. That he was present for the events surrounding Stephen’s trail and execution is evident from 7:58 and 8:1. It is possible that, as a student of the great Rabban Gamailel, he even participated in the debate with Stephen.
Men from all three synagogues came together and argued with Stephen. This word “argued” means to quarrel but not quarreling for the sake of quarreling but to present a formal debate.
Many of Stephen’s arguments can be inferred from the charges brought against him in his speech before the Sanhedrin. The debate no doubt centered on the death, resurrection, and the messiahship of Jesus, and the inability of the Mosaic Law and temple rituals to save anyone.
Whatever the precise issues of the debate were, Stephen won. His opponents were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit of God with which he was speaking. It was the Spirit of God that gave him the zeal, the energy, the fervency, and the sincerity needed to make his points. So, we see here the two requirements for effective Christian public speaking and winning a debate; unarguable truth and Holy Spirit led delivery.
Stephen won the day because understood this and also understood these words,
I am not a Christian because I am strong and have it all together, but I am a Christian because I am weak, fragile, and full of faults, and willing admitting that I need a Savior.” Those in the synagogue seized Stephen; they could seize his body but not his soul.
Stephen is seized…by those stirred up with false witnesses
, “Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law.”
“We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law.”
Since the Jewish leadership in the three synagogues were unable to defeat Stephen in a fair debate, his opponents changed tactics. Resorting to an ad hominem argument. So pastor what is an “ad hominem” argument is really an argument when you don’t have an argument. It is an argument appealing to a person’s prejudices, emotions, or special interests rather than to a person’s intellect or reason.
So, this is why the text says, “… they secretly instigated men who said, “ We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” What! Where did this happen! It is not in the text! That is because it never happen, they were just lying to further angered the Jewish leadership against Stephen.
The phrase “to secretly instigate means to “suggest or prompt” with an evil motive, their evil motive was to stir up more anger against Stephen from the Jewish leadership.
They actually recruited and coached false witnesses to accuse Stephen of wrong doing, which is the same tactic they used against Jesus.
, “Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’”
What did Jesus say about times like these?
, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.”
, “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.”
The false witnesses accused Stephen of speaking against Moses and against God. To blaspheme is to speak evil of something that God deems as sacred, such as the Law of Moses. This was a serious crime, punishable by death,
, “Whoever blasphemes the name of the LORD shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.”
That his opponents accursed Stephen of blaspheming Moses suggests he was denying the ability of the law to save. Which we all know that the law is incapable of saving anyone,
, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
Since the people were fanatically zealous for Moses and God, they were easily stirred up by these false charges. Along with the elders and the scribes (some of whom were likely members of the Sanhedrin) the mob came upon Stephen and dragged him away for trial before the Council. The word “Sunarpazo” means to dragged away, it means to seize with violence” The fear of the people that had forced the authorities earlier to arrest the apostles without violence had dissipated and those same people violently seized Stephen. Stephen was popular when he healed the sick and performed signs and wonders. But like the fickle crowd that turned on Jesus so soon after hailing Him as the Messiah, these people were swayed to change their minds and attack the preacher.
In the words of those great theologians xxxx, there is a thin line between love and hate.
There is a fine line between hearing the gospel and hatred of the gospel.
The frustrating thing is that those who are attacking religion claimed to be doing it in the name of tolerance, freedom and open-mindedness. Question: Isn’t the real truth that they are truly intolerant of religion? They refuse to tolerant the importance on our lives.”
Stephen is seized…by those who wish to silence him.
, “For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”
Here in verse 14 the leadership of the Jewish synagogues placed a slant on Stephen’s words in an effort to silence him.
“…We have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us. This phrase “this Nazarene” expresses their contempt for Jesus, since they believed nothing good could ever come from Nazareth. Jesus never claimed to destroy the Jerusalem temple, He said to His adversaries, , “And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” As , explain, “But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.”
Another charge calculated to enrage the people was that Stephen taught that Jesus would alter the customs, which Moses handed down to them. Stephen, like the apostles, had proclaimed Jesus as the fulfillment of all the Old Covenant ritual typified. The New Covenant, prophesied by
, “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
And Jesus seals the argument when He says in
, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
, “And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”
Though through all of these false witnesses, through all the stirred false witnesses; with charges of blaspheming and through all the flat out lies told on Stephen to silence him. Far from be quiet Stephen’s face spoke volumes. His face radiated the holiness and the glory of God. God himself answered their false charges by putting His glory on Stephen’s face, the message was loud and clear, it seems like silence but it spoke clearly of the sovereignty of God. What they saw on Stephen had only been seen on the face of one other person, Moses, which they said he spoke against.
, “Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
It was not even necessary for Stephen to speak in order to give the witness of Christ; for the very glow on his face told everybody that he was a servant of God. Certainly the members of the Sanhedrin would recall Moses’ shining face in
, “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.”
It was as though God was saying through the face of Stephen,
“This man is not against Moses! He is like Moses, for he is My faithful servant.
A lot of people think Christianity is you doing all the right things you hate and avoiding all the wicked things you love in order to go to heaven. I don’t think so, for this is just a lost person with religion. A Christian is a person whose heart has been thoroughly changed; they now have new and different affections and have become God’s faithful servants.