Stephen

In writing last week’s blog on Christlikeness, I thought repeatedly about Stephen. Aside from the apostle Paul, it is quite possible that the most Christlike figure in the New Testament was Stephen. This week’s blog will take a brief look at this important Bible character and first martyr of the apostolic church. I realize I am biting off more than I can chew in one blog. Stephen’s gripping story really deserves more room that I can give it here. But after studying Christlikeness as I have, I feel compelled to offer this attempt at focusing on Stephen as a convicting and encouraging example for us all to consider.

There is much significant historical context surrounding Stephen. Chapters 6-7 of the book of Acts, which record for us Stephen’s ministry, trial, and tragic death, is a transition from Peter as the dominating figure (chapters 1-5) to Paul, who then becomes the dominating figure (chapters 8-28). Stephen, then, is a kind of bridge between these two giants of the faith, and may be seen in many ways as a qualified forerunner to Paul, especially in his bold confrontations with Jews in Judea’s synagogues (e.g., 7:54-60; cf. 2 Corinthians 11:23-25). Many scholars have speculated that Stephen may have been the human instrument God used to first expose Paul to the authentic Christian gospel. It is certain Stephen’s Christlike death greatly impacted Paul.

John MacArthur writes concerning the weighty historical context in which Stephen existed:

Stephen was thus a key figure in the early history of the church. But apart from his historical role, he was significant because of his character. He was proof that the impact of a man’s life and ministry has nothing necessarily to do with length. His ministry, though brief, was essential to God’s plan for world evangelism. He showed that the efforts of one courageous person, though of short duration, can have far-reaching effects.

Every believer can learn from and be encouraged by what the Bible tells us about Stephen. Acts 6:8 provides a fitting testimony to Stephen’s character, as well as a most impressive epitaph for his brief but momentous life:

ESV Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.

In Acts 6, the author Luke introduces us to Stephen through a division that had arisen in the initial stages of the church. At that time, the Christian community was almost exclusively made up of two Jewish groups, known as “Hebrews” and “Hellenists.” Both groups were Jewish, but the “Hebrews” were those who came from Aramaic (like Hebrew and very close to Hebrew, a Semitic language) synagogues, and the “Hellenists” from synagogues with Greek-speaking believers.

NAS Acts 6:1-3 Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. But select from among you, bretheren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

The seven men who were chosen may have been the first deacons of the church. I say “may” because scholars disagree on this point. A good case can be made for either side of the question. In my own ministry as a pastor I have chosen to look at Acts 6 as the origin of N.T. deacons (not as the office of same, which would come later in the growth of the church [cf. 1 Timothy 3:8-13]), primarily because these men performed the basic role of a deacon, that is, service, and because the Greek word family from which we derive our English word “deacon” (for example the noun διάκονος [dee-ah-ko-nos], which means servant) is used to describe or refer to their ministry. Stephen, you will notice, is first named on the list, an almost certain sign of his integrity and how highly he was esteemed:

ESV 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, a proselyte of Antioch.

Whether or not these men were officially “deacons” is not critical in determining either the fact of the virtuous organization of the early church or the uprightness of Stephen. As Baker’s Biblical Encyclopedia states about Stephen, “Even in his introduction it is evident that his importance stands out. That these men were of high moral character and that they played a central role in the foundational ministry of the church is inarguable.

Not only was Stephen a model servant for the first Christians, but as we learned from Acts 6:8 above, he was “full of grace and power” and performed “great wonders and signs,” the only time a biblical figure is so portrayed. Without exaggeration, he was one of the noblest characters in the pages of Scripture, and when his Christlikeness, as we will see, is considered fully, it is not hyperbole to rank him with the giants of faith: Abraham, Moses, Elijah, David, Daniel, and the apostles. It should also be noted that though Stephen was not one of the twelve apostles, he is first named other than the apostles to have performed miracles in the early church.

As Christ’s life and death indelibly illustrated, suffering must precede exaltation (Romans 8:17). Stephen’s most pronounced period of suffering began in Acts 6:9-14, where some slaves or sons of slaves from three local Hellenistic (referring here to Jews heavily influenced by Greek culture) synagogues fiercely attacked him for boldly preaching Christ. Although the writer Luke does not give us all the details, we may safely assume from what he does tell us that these men were outraged over Stephen’s fearless argument for the death, resurrection, and messiahship of Jesus, as well as his statements concerning the inability of the Mosaic law and Jewish temple ritual to save. Such strong words they considered blasphemy. Fuming over Stephen’s fervent defense, the men from the synagogues stirred up the people, who were fanatically zealous supporters of the Mosaic law, and brought false charges against him. All of this, of course, is strikingly parallel to the trumped up trials of Christ leading to His crucifixion (cf. Matthew 26:59).

Throughout the appalling proceedings, Stephen never wavered in his courageous defense of Christ. It is perhaps Stephen’s courage more than anything else that characterized his greatness. This was a courage based on trust in God and submission to His will, the same Christlike courage that shone forth from the Lord Jesus throughout His Passion.

Verse 15 of Acts 6 is an unforgettable verse:

NKJ Acts 6:15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.

The “Council” (I would capitalize it) was the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews. It would be remotely but appropriately similar to one of us standing before the Supreme Court to argue our innocence.

“Looking steadfastly” is a noteworthy phrase. The Greek verb (ἀτενίζω [ah-the-needzo]) is an intensified word that is used by Luke in other places in Acts to describe dramatic scenes, e.g., the remaining eleven (after Judas’ suicide by hanging [Matthew 27:5]) disciples looked at Jesus’ ascension into heaven (Acts 1:10-11), how Stephen himself looked into heaven at the conclusion of his powerful speech (Acts 7:55), how Peter looked at the angel in the vision he received (Acts 10:4), and how Paul looked at the Elymas the sorcerer (Acts 13:9) and the crippled man (Acts 14:9).

“His face as the face of an angel” is a simile, a figure of speech, a remarkable likeness intended to convey that the blessing of God was upon Stephen. Stephen’s angelic face radiated nothing less than the glory of Almighty God Himself. It was really God Himself who was responding to the false charges of Stephen’s accusers by transforming his face, as MacArthur rightly notes, “something experienced by no other person in history except Moses (Exodus 34:27-35). He thus showed His approval of Stephen’s teaching in exactly the same way He did that of Moses.” Darrell Bock, whose commentary on Acts is the most in-depth written to date, adds that the expression of Stephen’s angelic appearance is also “one of Luke’s ways of saying he is innocent.” Once when preaching on this passage, I said Stephen had the face of faith.

Consider the drama and irony present in the scene: the same one who was being accused as an evil blasphemer, an enemy of God, as well as the institutions the Jews held dear, that is, the temple and the Mosaic law, was standing before the highest Jewish court with the appearance of a supernatural, heavenly messenger of that same God.

A relevant parallel verse is found in 2 Corinthians 3:7

NAS 2 Corinthians 3:7 But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was,

Chapter 7 of the book of Acts is one of the great chapters in all of Scripture. It records the trial of Stephen and his courageous defense against the false charges brought by his Jewish accusers. There is a spellbinding irony in the fact that the very venue the Jews had arranged to destroy Stephen was used by God to indict these same accusers and unforgettably proclaim the Christian message. But it wasn’t simply a witness for Christianity, as powerful as that surely would have been on its own, that makes Stephen’s defense so special; it was the fact that he ingeniously based his response on the Old Testament, the one source these religious Jews could not deny.

It is not the intention of this particular blog to to delve into all the many fascinating particulars present in chapter 7, to say nothing of how intricately nuanced they are. That would entail pages more. But suffice it to say that there is much more in these 60 verses than a casual reading might suggest. For these reasons and the fact that the purpose of this present wring is to underscore the Christlikeness of Stephen, only a few considered and key points, along with the climactic concluding verses, will be mentioned.

Essentially, the Jewish leaders were accusing Stephen of blasphemy against God, Moses, the law, and the temple. There could not be more serious or life-threatening charges in first-century Judaism. This fact should be kept in mind in reading chapter 7, as it makes it possible to fully appreciate just how bold Stephen was in articulating his defense. It should also be noted in studying this great chapter that Stephen was not defending himself. Rather, he was forcefully articulating, as F. F. Bruce’s commentary puts it, “a defense of pure Christianity as God’s appointed way of worship” – this to sanctimonious Jews who were staunchly convinced that Moses, the Mosaic law, and the temple were sacrosanct. It is hard to imagine there being a more vivid example of faithful courage, conviction, and knowledge of Scripture than that of Stephen before the hostile Sanhedrin.  The culture we face today in America in its growing hostility toward the God of the Bible and Christians is, I think most Christians would agree, not unlike this ancient Jewish Council.

Verse 46 can be accurately described as the turning point in Stephen’s confrontation with his accusers. With the charges levelled against him and the revered temple as background for his words, Stephen argued by quoting the Jew’s own Scriptures (Isaiah 66:1-2):

NAS Acts 7:46-47 “And David found favor in God’s sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 “But it was Solomon who built a house for Him. 48 “However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says: 49 ‘Heaven is My throne, And earth is the footstool of My feet; What kind of house will you build for Me?’ says the Lord; ‘Or what place is there for My repose? 50 ‘Was it not My hand which made all these things?’

To get a sense of just how scandalous Stephen’s insinuation would have been to these self-righteous Jews, Homer Kent’s commentary note is most helpful:

The original tabernacle was the only edifice which God had actually ordered. This tabernacle was brought into Canaan under Joshua. When finally a permanent temple was built by Solomon, it was Solomon himself who declared the omnipresence of God (1 Kings 8:27), and stated that God could not really be contained in a physical building. Applying these historical precedents to his audience, Stephen accused them of having the same rebellious nature as their fathers. Their ancestors had persecuted the prophets who foretold Christ’s coming, and when Christ came this Sanhedrin had killed him. Their hardness of heart showed them to be no better spiritually than uncircumcised Gentiles.

Here are Stephen’s own words as recorded by Luke:

NAS Acts 7:51-53 “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 52 “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; 53 you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”

The closing verses of chapter 7 give us the not surprising response of Stephen’s accusers. They could stand no more. It is all but impossible not to see the close parallel to the last hours of our Lord:

NAS Acts 7:54-60 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears, and they rushed upon him with one impulse. 58 And when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him, and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they went on stoning Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And having said this, he fell asleep. (“fell asleep” is, of course, a biblical euphemism for dying – TAR)

As uncommon as Stephen may at first seem to us today, there is much we have in common with this great biblical figure. While I do not believe the Bible teaches that believers today perform “great wonders and signs,” as Stephen and the apostles did in the first century, I think Scripture makes it abundantly clear that, because all Christians possess the indwelling Spirit of God Almighty (John 14:17; Romans 5:5; 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19), just like Stephen, we too are capable of demonstrating that same “grace and power.” Everyone of us regardless of age, gender, or present circumstance can exercise the same faith, obedience, and courage that Stephen so memorably did. Stephen was Christlike; we can and should be Christlike just like him. Stephen was remarkable; we should recognize that God wants us too to be remarkable. All we need to do is surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit who indwells us, and trust and obey.

– Professor Thomas A. Rohm