Acts Chapter 7

Stephen’s Response to the Council

A. The Story of Israel from the Time of Abraham

1. (Acts 7:1) The High Priest invites Stephen to speak.

“Then the high priest said, ‘Are these things so?’”

The high priest referred to here was most likely Caiaphas, the same man who presided over the trial of Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:57). His question, “Are these things so?” provided Stephen the opportunity to answer the accusations leveled against him in Acts 6:11–14. These charges alleged that Stephen blasphemed against Moses, against God, against the temple, and against the law. They further accused him of declaring that Jesus would destroy the temple and change the customs delivered by Moses.

In responding, Stephen gave not merely a defense but a sweeping panorama of Old Testament history. His purpose was not to lecture the Sanhedrin on matters they already knew, but to highlight truths that they had either overlooked or willfully ignored. Chief among these truths was that God never confined Himself to a single location, not even the temple, and that Israel historically resisted and rejected those whom God sent to deliver them.

This was not a conventional defense in the sense of pleading for his life. Stephen’s intent was proclamation, not self-preservation. As one commentator noted, Stephen “was apparently not making a special defense at all or with one syllable referring to his accusers and their false witnesses, he is yet utterly refuting them and making the most effective defense.” He used this opportunity to magnify Christ rather than secure acquittal.

Stephen seemed to perceive that the old covenant order centered on temple worship was passing away, and a new order grounded in Christ was dawning. His speech bridged the old with the new, preparing the way for the gospel to move beyond Israel and reach the Gentiles, as would happen in the very next chapter of Acts. This was not a speech designed to curry favor with the Sanhedrin, but rather a bold testimony to the truth. As one has rightly said, “Such a speech as this was by no means calculated to secure an acquittal before the Sanhedrin. It is rather a defense of pure Christianity as God’s appointed way of worship.”

2. (Acts 7:2–5) God’s promise to Abraham.

“And he said, ‘Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, and said to him, “Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.” Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell. And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him.’”

At the outset of his testimony, Stephen emphasized that the God of glory appeared to Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia. This demonstrated two critical truths. First, God revealed Himself outside the land of Israel, showing that His presence was not confined to Jerusalem or the temple. Second, God’s initiative toward Abraham was rooted in His glory and sovereign choice, not in Israel’s geography or institutions.

This struck directly at the heart of the false charges against Stephen. He was not belittling the temple, but showing that God’s glory had always transcended it. Even Abraham’s calling began far away in a pagan land, and God’s glory reached him there. As one has put it, “The God of Israel is a pilgrim God, who is not restricted to any one place. If He has any home on earth, it is with His people that He lives.”

When God said, “Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you,” Abraham did not fully obey at once. Instead of going directly into Canaan, he dwelt in Haran. Instead of separating immediately from his family, his father went with him. This illustrates how Abraham’s faith was real but not yet fully mature. His partial obedience delayed the fulfillment of the promise until after his father’s death.

Yet God’s promise remained firm. Abraham eventually became a man of great faith, so much so that Scripture calls him the father of all who believe: “Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7). But Abraham did not start there. He grew in obedience, learning to trust God more fully over time. This growth in faith serves as both encouragement and admonition for believers today.

Stephen also underscored that Abraham was promised land and descendants, yet at first he possessed neither. As the Scripture says, “And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him.” Abraham’s faith rested not on what he could see or measure, but solely on God’s word.

By stressing this, Stephen pointed his audience away from external religious symbols like the temple and back to the essence of true faith. Abraham lived as a pilgrim, trusting in God’s promises without making idols out of land or blessings. This was a quiet rebuke to the Sanhedrin, many of whom had ceased being pilgrims and had instead turned the temple and its rituals into idols. They revered the signs of God’s covenant more than God Himself, forgetting that He calls His people to walk by faith and not by sight.

A. The Story of Israel from the Time of Abraham

3. (Acts 7:6–8) God warned Abraham and gave him the covenant.

“But God spoke in this way: that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land, and that they would bring them into bondage and oppress them four hundred years. ‘And the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will judge,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and serve Me in this place.’ Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs.”

God did not conceal from Abraham the reality that his descendants would face suffering. Instead, He plainly revealed that Abraham’s offspring would sojourn in a foreign land, where they would be placed under bondage and oppression for four hundred years. This prophecy was fulfilled when Israel lived as slaves in Egypt. Yet God immediately coupled the warning with a promise: He would judge the nation that oppressed them and bring His people out with deliverance, that they might worship and serve Him in the land He had appointed.

This reveals a profound theological truth. God’s promises are often accompanied by seasons of testing and affliction. Faith is not cultivated in ease but refined in adversity. The patriarch’s descendants would learn that God was faithful to protect, sustain, and redeem them even in the crucible of suffering. Stephen, standing before the council, subtly reminded them of this lesson. Just as God vindicated Israel in Egypt, so He would vindicate the followers of Jesus Christ, for the same faithful God watches over His people.

God then gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, which became the outward sign of His covenant people. This act marked Israel as set apart for the Lord and served as a reminder of God’s promises. As the Scripture records, Abraham begot Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs. The covenant was not merely personal but generational, binding the descendants of Abraham to God’s covenant promises.

4. (Acts 7:9–16) God’s faithfulness through Joseph.

“And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. Now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. And the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh. Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people. So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers. And they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.”

Stephen then moved from Abraham to Joseph, showing how God’s sovereign hand guided His people even through betrayal and suffering. The patriarchs, motivated by envy, sold Joseph into Egypt. Yet the Scripture testifies, “But God was with him.” Joseph did not need a temple to experience God’s nearness, for God’s presence was with him even in the pit, in Potiphar’s house, and in prison. This again reinforced Stephen’s central point: God’s presence is not bound to geography or buildings, but to His people.

God not only preserved Joseph but exalted him, granting him wisdom and favor in the presence of Pharaoh, who made him governor over Egypt and all his household. Through Joseph’s rise, God provided salvation for both Egypt and Israel in the time of famine. The famine drove Jacob and his sons to Egypt, and it was during their second encounter that Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, reconciling with the very men who had betrayed him. Here Joseph becomes a striking foreshadowing of Jesus Christ: the one rejected by his brothers but later revealed as their only hope of salvation.

Stephen noted that seventy-five of Jacob’s family went down to Egypt. Genesis 46:27 states the number as seventy, but Stephen, quoting from the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament), gives the number as seventy-five, which included additional descendants of Joseph born in Egypt. This was not an error but a difference of textual reckoning, both affirming the fullness of God’s promise to Abraham.

Finally, Stephen recalled that Jacob and the patriarchs were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb purchased by Abraham from the sons of Hamor. This detail underscored that Abraham’s only piece of actual land in Canaan was a burial site. He lived as a pilgrim in the land of promise, trusting God for an inheritance yet to come. This was a pointed reminder to the Sanhedrin: Israel’s true hope had never been in land, temple, or ritual, but in God’s promises fulfilled through His chosen Redeemer.

B. The Story of Israel from the Time of Moses

1. (Acts 7:17–22) The early life of Moses.

“But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt till another king arose who did not know Joseph. This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live. At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months. But when he was set out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.”

As the time approached for the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham, the children of Israel multiplied greatly in Egypt. Yet a new king, one who had no regard for Joseph’s legacy, arose and dealt treacherously with them. This Pharaoh sought to weaken Israel by commanding the exposure of their infants, a cruel attempt to stifle God’s covenant people. In this dark hour, God’s providence shone brightly through the birth of Moses.

Scripture declares, “At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God.” Like Jesus Christ, Moses was chosen and favored from birth. Both were born under oppressive rulers who sought the death of infants (Pharaoh in Moses’ day, Herod in Jesus’). Both were miraculously preserved as children, demonstrating God’s sovereign hand in raising up His deliverers. Moses, nurtured at home for three months, was later set out, yet Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and raised him as her own. Thus, God used even the house of Egypt’s king to protect and prepare the one He had chosen.

The Scripture adds that “Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.” Egyptian education was the most advanced of its time, encompassing mathematics, architecture, astronomy, medicine, and governance. God sovereignly equipped Moses with both intellectual and practical skill, making him a man of stature and strength. This description further links Moses with Christ, who is the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24) and who also demonstrated authority in both word and deed (Luke 24:19).

2. (Acts 7:23–29) Israel rejects Moses.

“Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’ But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?’ Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons.”

When Moses reached the age of forty, it entered his heart to identify with his oppressed brethren. Though raised in Pharaoh’s palace, he chose solidarity with God’s people over the privileges of Egypt (Hebrews 11:24–26). In an act of zeal, he struck down an Egyptian who oppressed a Hebrew. Moses believed that his brethren would understand that God was raising him up as a deliverer, but Scripture records, “They did not understand.”

The next day, as Moses attempted to reconcile two quarreling Hebrews, he was rejected. One of them pushed him away and scornfully said, “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?” This rejection forced Moses to flee into the wilderness of Midian, where he became a shepherd and raised a family.

Stephen’s point before the council was unmistakable. Just as Israel rejected Moses, their God-sent deliverer, so too they had rejected Jesus Christ, who is greater than Moses. The words spoken to Moses, “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?” echoed in Stephen’s indictment of the Sanhedrin: they had denied Christ’s divine right to rule and judge.

3. (Acts 7:30–34) God appeared to Moses at Mount Sinai.

“And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and dared not look. Then the LORD said to him, ‘Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’”

Forty years later, while Moses tended sheep in the wilderness, God appeared to him. Scripture records, “An Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai.” This was no ordinary angelic messenger but a theophany, a manifestation of God Himself in angelic form. The fire burned without consuming, a symbol of God’s holy presence, self-existence, and sustaining power.

When Moses approached, the Lord declared, “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” This declaration rooted God’s revelation in His covenant faithfulness, linking Moses’ mission to the promises given to the patriarchs. The ground was declared holy, not because of geography but because of God’s presence. This powerfully reinforced Stephen’s theme: God’s presence is not confined to the temple. The wilderness of Sinai was as holy as the inner courts of Jerusalem when God manifested Himself there.

The Lord continued, “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.” God’s compassion moved Him to act, and He raised up Moses as His chosen instrument of deliverance. Stephen highlighted this to show the council that God initiates salvation, calls His servants, and works independently of man-made structures. Just as Moses was called and sent, so too Christ was commissioned by the Father to redeem His people.

B. The Story of Israel from the Time of Moses

4. (Acts 7:35–36) Moses was Israel’s deliverer, despite Israel’s previous rejection.

“This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.”

Stephen directly tied Israel’s history of rejecting God’s chosen leaders to their rejection of Christ. Israel once scorned Moses, saying, “Who made you a ruler and a judge?” Yet this very Moses became the man God raised up to deliver them. His appointment did not rest on Israel’s approval but on God’s sovereign call, confirmed by divine signs at the burning bush.

Stephen underscored the irony: the one whom Israel initially rejected became their God-ordained redeemer. This pattern was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, whom Israel despised at His first coming, but who remains the only Savior God has provided. Though the nation rejected Him, He is still the One through whom deliverance comes.

Moses, empowered by God’s hand, displayed unmistakable evidence of divine commission. He led Israel out of Egypt, performed wonders before Pharaoh, parted the Red Sea by God’s power, and shepherded the people through the wilderness for forty years. All of this prefigured the greater Deliverer, Christ, who performed mighty works, brought salvation through His cross and resurrection, and continues to lead His people toward the eternal Promised Land.

5. (Acts 7:37–41) Israel’s repeated rejection of Moses.

“This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.’ This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us, whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.”

Stephen reminded the council that Moses himself foretold the coming of a greater Prophet: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.” This prophecy, recorded in Deuteronomy 18:15, pointed forward to Jesus Christ. Just as Israel rejected Moses, they now rejected the One Moses spoke of—the true Prophet and Deliverer.

Moses enjoyed unparalleled intimacy with God. He was in the congregation in the wilderness, in fellowship with the Angel of the Lord at Sinai, and received the living oracles—God’s law and revelation—to deliver to Israel. Yet, despite this privilege, Israel would not obey. Instead, their hearts turned back to Egypt, longing for the false security of bondage rather than trusting God in the wilderness.

Their rebellion culminated in idolatry. They said to Aaron, “Make us gods to go before us,” and fashioned a golden calf, offering sacrifices to the idol. The Scripture says they “rejoiced in the works of their own hands.” This tragic phrase reveals their folly: instead of worshiping the Creator, they worshiped what they themselves had created.

Stephen applied this directly to his audience. The council had accused him of blaspheming the temple, but the real issue was Israel’s misplaced worship. They had turned the temple into an idol, rejoicing in the work of their own hands rather than the God who had given them His presence. Just as their fathers turned from Moses to a golden calf, so the present generation had turned from Christ to lifeless ritual.

The lesson is clear: rejecting God’s appointed deliverer always leads to idolatry. Whether in the wilderness or in Jerusalem, the danger remains the same. Each person must decide whether to receive Jesus Christ as Deliverer or, like Israel of old, to turn back to the false gods of their own making.

6. (Acts 7:42–43) God’s response to the repeated rejection of His messengers.

**“Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets:

‘Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness,
O house of Israel?
You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch,
And the star of your god Remphan,
Images which you made to worship;
And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’”**

Stephen pressed the point of Israel’s idolatry. In their rejection of Moses and of the God who commissioned him, Israel turned to the false gods of the nations. Instead of honoring the Lord, they made idols—Moloch, a Canaanite deity associated with child sacrifice, and Remphan, connected with the worship of heavenly bodies. The Scripture says, “Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven.” This phrase is sobering. It shows that persistent rebellion leads God to give people over to the desires of their sinful hearts, allowing them to reap the corruption they crave.

Stephen quoted from Amos 5:25–27, yet he deliberately shifted the wording. The original reads “beyond Damascus,” referring to the Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom. Stephen, addressing the leaders in Jerusalem, applied it more broadly, saying “beyond Babylon,” which pointed to the Babylonian exile of Judah. His audience would not miss the point—Israel’s history, both north and south, was marked by rebellion and judgment.

The phrase “God gave them up” carries a profound theological weight. Paul develops this thought in Romans 1:24–32, explaining that when men exchange the truth of God for a lie, God “gives them over” to their chosen path of sin. This is not mere passivity; it is God actively handing people over to the consequences of rejecting Him. Stephen’s message pressed upon the council: if they persisted in rejecting Jesus Christ, the greater Deliverer, then they too would face the same terrifying reality of being given over by God.

This warning presses the same question upon every generation: if we reject Christ, what will God give us up to? Without Him, man is left only with his idols—whether ancient deities, modern philosophies, or the worship of self. The outcome is always judgment.

7. (Acts 7:44–50) Even as Israel rejected God, they still had the tabernacle, and later the temple.

**“Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as He appointed, instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen, which our fathers, having received it in turn, also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David, who found favor before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob. But Solomon built Him a house. However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:

‘Heaven is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
What house will you build for Me? says the LORD,
Or what is the place of My rest?
Has My hand not made all these things?’”**

Stephen now turned to the tabernacle and temple, the very institutions his accusers accused him of blaspheming. He reminded them that Israel had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, carefully constructed according to the heavenly pattern revealed to Moses. This portable dwelling accompanied Israel into the Promised Land under Joshua and remained central in their worship until the days of David. David himself longed to build a permanent dwelling for the Lord, though that privilege was given to Solomon.

Yet Stephen stressed a crucial truth: “However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands.” Quoting Isaiah 66:1–2, he reminded them that heaven is God’s throne, the earth His footstool, and no building fashioned by human hands could contain Him. The temple, though divinely authorized, was never meant to limit or contain God’s presence.

This rebuke cut to the heart of the Sanhedrin’s error. They had turned the temple into an idol, rejoicing in the works of their own hands instead of rejoicing in the living God who cannot be confined. Their attitude was no different from their fathers who worshiped the golden calf. The true issue was not the building itself, but their misplaced devotion to the structure over the God who transcends it.

Stephen’s words remain a warning to the church today. Though modern believers may not worship a building in the same way, many confine God to Sunday services or church walls, living as if He is absent from the rest of life. But the truth is that God fills heaven and earth. He is not confined to our sanctuaries; He dwells in the hearts of His people by His Spirit. To relegate Him to one place or one hour is to commit the same error of the Sanhedrin, reducing the infinite God to the works of man’s hands.

C. Stephen’s Application and Indictment of Israel

8. (Acts 7:51–53) Stephen applies the sermon to his listeners.

“You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”

After his lengthy survey of Israel’s history, Stephen turned from exposition to direct confrontation. He no longer spoke about “our fathers” but addressed the Sanhedrin with piercing rebuke. With boldness empowered by the Holy Spirit, Stephen declared them to be “stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears.” This phrase, drawn from the Old Testament, was a severe condemnation. God had called Israel “stiffnecked” numerous times (Exodus 32:9; Exodus 33:3; Exodus 34:9; Deuteronomy 9:6), describing their stubborn refusal to submit to Him. By calling the religious leaders “uncircumcised in heart and ears,” Stephen accused them of being outwardly religious but inwardly pagan, no better than the Gentiles they despised (Jeremiah 9:26).

The combination of terms echoes Deuteronomy 10:16: “Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.” Their physical circumcision meant nothing before God, for their hearts were hardened, and their ears were deaf to His Word. Instead of being God’s covenant people in truth, they were covenant breakers.

Stephen further declared, “You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.” This statement exposed the heart of Israel’s rebellion across the ages. Just as their fathers resisted Moses, the prophets, and the truth of God’s Word, so they now resisted the testimony of the Spirit concerning Jesus Christ. They were not merely mistaken—they were actively fighting against God’s Spirit.

He pressed the charge with rhetorical force: “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?” From Elijah’s day to Jeremiah’s, Israel’s history was one of hostility toward God’s messengers. Hebrews 11:37 records that many prophets were mocked, scourged, imprisoned, stoned, or slain by the sword. Stephen reminded them that their fathers “killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One.” Here, “the Just One” is a messianic title for Jesus, who alone is perfectly righteous (Acts 3:14). The very One foretold by the prophets had been betrayed and murdered by the council standing before Stephen.

The climax of his indictment came with the final blow: “Who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.” They boasted in the law, priding themselves in its reception and in their scrupulous observance of it. The law had been given through angelic mediation at Sinai (Deuteronomy 33:2; Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 2:2), which underscored its majesty and divine origin. Yet despite this privilege, they had not kept it. Paul himself later testified of his pre-conversion life, “concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” (Philippians 3:6). But Stephen exposed the hollow reality: outward compliance could not hide inward rebellion.

The implications of Stephen’s words were profound. First, God is not confined to a temple or ritual. The Sanhedrin’s obsession with the temple revealed idolatry, not devotion. Second, Israel’s continual rejection of God’s messengers culminated in their betrayal and murder of Jesus Christ. Third, their reliance on the law for righteousness was futile, for they had received it but had not kept it.

Stephen’s fearless proclamation demonstrated the truth of Jesus’ words: “Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved” (Matthew 9:17). The old wineskin of temple-centered Judaism could not contain the new covenant in Christ’s blood. God was inaugurating a new era where salvation would not be bound to Israel’s rituals or geography but would extend to all nations through the church.

Thus, Stephen’s message anticipated the gospel’s expansion to the Gentiles. His martyrdom would soon scatter the church beyond Jerusalem, propelling the mission Jesus commanded in Acts 1:8. God would demonstrate that salvation is not, “You come to Me,” as with the temple system, but, “I will come to you,” through the indwelling Spirit and the global proclamation of Christ crucified and risen.

C. The Council’s Reaction to the Sermon of Stephen

1. (Acts 7:54) They were cut to the heart, and convicted by the Holy Spirit.

“When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.”

The Sanhedrin, having heard Stephen’s indictment, were “cut to the heart.” The phrase means they were pierced internally, deeply convicted by the Holy Spirit. But instead of humbling themselves and repenting, their conviction turned into hardened rage. This demonstrates that conviction alone does not save; one must respond with faith and repentance. The same Word that melts some hearts hardens others.

Luke records that they “gnashed at him with their teeth.” This was not a calm or dignified reaction but one of primal rage. These were the most respected men in Israel—the religious and political elite—yet they behaved like wild beasts snarling at their prey. Their response betrayed the truth of their spiritual condition: they were not controlled by God’s Spirit but consumed by hatred.

This gnashing of teeth reminds us of the imagery Jesus used repeatedly to describe hell: “But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12; cf. Matthew 13:42, 50; Matthew 22:13; Matthew 24:51; Matthew 25:30). The Sanhedrin thought themselves aligned with heaven, yet their response showed they were aligned with hell itself.

Commentators note that the verb tense suggests they gnashed continuously, grinding their teeth before Stephen even finished his sermon. This was not a sudden outburst but a prolonged, building frenzy. Their violent reaction showed that the truth had penetrated but was resisted. Instead of submitting to God, they turned upon His messenger.

2. (Acts 7:55–56) Stephen’s vision of Jesus.

“But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’”

In sharp contrast to the raging council, Stephen remained calm, controlled, and “full of the Holy Spirit.” This phrase explains the source of his courage, wisdom, and boldness. As one translation puts it, he was “filled through all his being with the Holy Spirit.” This is not a temporary filling but an abiding condition of surrender and empowerment, the kind of fullness every believer is called to walk in (Ephesians 5:18).

Stephen then gazed into heaven and saw “the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” This was a unique and extraordinary vision, a glimpse of heavenly reality granted to Stephen in his hour of trial. Scripture does not clarify whether this was an inward vision or an outward opening of heaven, but either way, it was real and glorious.

The significance lies in the posture of Jesus. Normally, the New Testament describes Him as seated at the right hand of God (Matthew 26:64; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3), signifying His completed work of redemption. Yet here Stephen saw Him standing. Several interpretations arise:

• Jesus was standing in solidarity with His servant, showing divine support in Stephen’s final trial. He was not distant or passive but actively engaged.

• Jesus may have been giving Stephen a standing ovation, honoring the first martyr of the church who bore faithful witness to the very end.

• Jesus may have stood as Advocate, confessing Stephen before the Father, fulfilling His promise: “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).

• As Bruce observes, “Stephen has been confessing Christ before men, and now he sees Christ confessing His servant before God.”

Stephen’s vision confirmed that his faith was not in vain. The very One the council condemned as a blasphemer was alive, exalted, and receiving His faithful witness into glory. For Stephen, this sight erased the power of death and filled him with triumphant confidence.

3. (Acts 7:57–58) The execution of Stephen by stoning.

“Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.”

When Stephen declared that he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God, the council could no longer contain their fury. “They cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord.” This violent outburst mirrored the reaction of the same body of men when Jesus Himself testified before them that He would sit at the right hand of power and come on the clouds of heaven (Matthew 26:64–66). To them, both Stephen and Jesus were guilty of blasphemy. In their minds, no crucified man—condemned as cursed under the law (Deuteronomy 21:23; cf. Galatians 3:13)—could be exalted to the place of divine authority. As Bruce observed, “For Stephen to suggest that the crucified Jesus stood in a position of authority at the right hand of God must have ranked as blasphemy in the thinking of those who knew that a crucified man died under the divine curse.”

The council’s reaction was extreme, yet consistent with hearts hardened against the truth. These distinguished leaders behaved like enraged fanatics, plugging their ears like children unwilling to hear, and rushing at Stephen in a frenzy. Their conduct revealed what Jesus had warned about: “Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me” (John 16:2–3). This is the danger of religious zeal divorced from true knowledge of God. A man may be highly religious and yet utterly blind to God’s will, mistaking persecution for piety.

Luke’s choice of words is vivid. The phrase “ran at him” comes from the Greek word hormáō, used elsewhere to describe the mad rush of demon-possessed swine into the sea (Mark 5:13). This mob, dignified in position but debased in spirit, rushed Stephen with the same irrational fury. In that moment, they demonstrated not the control of righteous judges but the madness of those enslaved by sin and Satan.

They then “cast him out of the city and stoned him.” The expulsion outside the city was in keeping with Jewish custom (Leviticus 24:14), for executions were carried out beyond the city gates to avoid defiling the community. Yet this execution was illegal under Roman law, for the Sanhedrin had no authority to carry out capital punishment (John 18:31). Their rage drove them to bypass the legal system, acting not as lawful judges but as a murderous mob.

The method of execution was stoning, the traditional Jewish punishment for blasphemy. The Mishnah, a second-century Jewish text, describes the process in chilling detail: the condemned was led outside, urged to confess, stripped, and pushed from a height. If the fall did not kill him, a large stone was dropped upon his chest; if he survived, the congregation pelted him with stones until death. Whether this procedure was followed or not, Stephen was violently executed in a storm of stones.

Luke then introduces a detail of immense significance: “And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.” This Saul, later known as the Apostle Paul, was present not as a passive observer but as an approving participant. The phrase “laid down their clothes” indicates that he held the garments of those hurling stones, functioning as supervisor. Saul himself later admitted, “When the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him” (Acts 22:20).

The description of Saul as a “young man” does not imply immaturity but vigor, a man in his prime. As Paul later testified, “I cast my vote against them” (Acts 26:10), suggesting he was a member of the Sanhedrin with full judicial authority. Thus, the one who would later become the greatest missionary of the gospel first stood as its fiercest opponent, approving the murder of its first martyr.

4. (Acts 7:59–60) Stephen’s last words.

“And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Stephen’s final moments reveal the character of a man whose life had been wholly shaped by Christ. As the stones rained down upon him, he continued “calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’” His death mirrored the death of Jesus Christ, who from the cross prayed, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46). Stephen entrusted his soul to the Lord Jesus, declaring that the crucified and risen Christ held authority over life and death. This was the culmination of a life lived in faith, a death marked by confidence in eternal hope.

As one preacher has remarked, “The fires in the olden days never made martyrs; they revealed them. No hurricane of persecution ever creates martyrs; it reveals them. Stephen was a martyr before they stoned him.” He was already dead to self, living fully for Christ, and his death only sealed publicly what had long been true privately.

Then, with stunning grace, Stephen prayed, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” His words echoed the prayer of his Savior on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). Stephen’s heart, filled with the Spirit, overflowed in forgiveness even for those hurling stones at him. He not only forgave in silence but proclaimed forgiveness loudly and publicly, testifying to the mercy of God in Christ.

God answered this prayer in a way Stephen could not have foreseen. Among those consenting to his death was Saul of Tarsus. The very one who supervised the execution became the chosen apostle to the Gentiles. Centuries later, Augustine would say, “If Stephen had not prayed, the church would not have had Paul.” The ripple effects of Stephen’s prayer extend through the missionary journeys of Paul, through the spread of the gospel across the Roman Empire, and ultimately to the global church today. Such is the unseen power of prayer offered in faith, even in suffering.

The text concludes, “And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” Luke deliberately avoids the blunt phrase “he died,” instead using the tender metaphor of sleep. For the believer, death is not an end but a passage. To fall asleep in Christ is to awaken in His presence (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23). Stephen’s earthly life ended, but his spirit immediately entered the glory of the Lord he had just seen standing at God’s right hand.

Yet while Stephen fell asleep, the church awoke to a sobering reality. If there had been any optimism that Israel would quickly embrace Jesus as Messiah, that illusion perished with Stephen. His death made clear that the church’s mission would not advance without opposition, suffering, and bloodshed. As one scholar wrote, “If Stephen fell asleep, the church had to wake up.” His martyrdom became the spark that scattered the believers beyond Jerusalem, fulfilling Christ’s commission to bear witness in Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Stephen was not a superhuman figure but a Spirit-filled man, wholly yielded to God. His courage, forgiveness, and faith were not products of natural strength but of supernatural filling. His testimony reminds us that ordinary believers, walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, can be used of God in extraordinary ways.