Acts Bible Study: Day 11
Today’s passage: Acts 6:8 to Acts 7:50
Focus verse: Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?” (Acts 7:1)
The requirements for the seven deacons are that they should be full of God’s Spirit and of wisdom. Of the seven deacons, Stephen stands out.
Luke writes that Stephen is a man of much faith, who operates under Holy Spirit power. These seem like lofty credentials for someone to pass out food, yet Stephen handles more than just food.
Like the other apostles, Stephen performs amazing supernatural signs and wonders. Some of the Jews don’t like what Stephen is doing, and they oppose him.
They argue with him and try to pick a fight. But the Holy Spirit tells him what to say, and no one can stand against him.
Not able to win their battle with logic, they go to plan B. They convince some scoundrels to perjure themselves and lie about Stephen.
These rascals accuse Stephen of blasphemy, of slandering both Moses and God. They stir up the people and the religious leaders. The crowd grabs Stephen and drags him before the Council.
Stephen’s opponents produce false witnesses. They claim that Stephen speaks against the temple and the Law of Moses, the Torah. Then they levy more fabricated charges against Stephen.
Everyone in the proceeding glares at Stephen. His face shines like an angel.
The high priest asks Stephen, “Are these charges true?”
The answer is “no,” but this isn’t what Stephen says. Instead he launches into a sermon.
He reminds them of their past as a people. He starts with God’s call to Father Abraham and the rite of circumcision.
Then there’s Abraham’s son Isaac and grandson Jacob, father of twelve boys, who later become the twelve tribes. There’s Jacob’s son Joseph, sold as a slave and ending up in Egypt.
Then Jacob and sons move to Egypt because they’re starving. Their descendants stay there for four hundred years and end up enslaved.
Along comes Moses, a baby who is no ordinary child. As an adult, he encounters God in a burning bush. Moses eventually leads God’s chosen people out of Egypt, and they return to the land God promised to Abraham.
Later there’s David and son Solomon, who builds the temple. Along the way, Stephen quotes the prophets Amos and Isaiah. It’s a powerful historical overview of some of the Old Testament’s key points.
But it doesn’t in any way answer the question the high priest asked Stephen.
Questions:
- When wrongly accused, how do we respond?
- Do we try to clear ourselves or use it as an opportunity to advance God’s kingdom?
[Discover more about the Holy Spirit giving us words to say at our trial in Matthew 10:19–20, Mark 13:11, and Luke 12:11–12.]
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Read more about the book of Acts in Acts Bible Study: Discover How the Early Church Can Inform What We Do Today, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover.
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