Alan Lewis
Elon, North Carolina
August 2025
Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit…Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.
9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen.
10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke. 11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”
12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.
13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”
15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”
You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!
52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”
54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. And Saul approved of their killing him….2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. (Acts 6:5, 8-15; 7:1, 51-60; 8:1, 2 NIV)
Today, we want to look at one of the greatest men in the early church. There is no one in the church exactly like him. Two whole chapters in the Book of Acts are devoted to him.
He became the first martyr in the church. He is the first to get the martyr’s crown. The first martyr in the church was NOT an apostle. It was a deacon.
Stephen wasn’t the first Christian to die. Ananias and Sapphira dropped dead in Acts 5. Stephen was the first one to die for Christ. He died around 36 A.D. outside the city of Jerusalem.
It is a tragic story, but it is also an inspiring story of the first Christian martyr. What do we know about Stephen?
Ministry of Stephen
He was a member of the very first church on the planet, the church of Jerusalem. That church has the Twelve apostles in it. He was one of the leaders of the church, a Spirit-filled leader.
He was chosen to help with food distribution in the church. The apostles lay hands on him and ordained him to the ministry. He also preached Christ.
His fellow Jews tried to debate him, but they couldn’t. He had answers for everything they said. They could not beat him in an argument, so they brought up false witnesses, and lied about him.
They accused him of being against Moses and against the Temple. He was brought before the Sanhedrin. He preached the longest sermon in the book of Acts.
He did not preach it in church but in court. That seems strange to us, but Stephen was accused of a religious crime and many of his judges were bible scholars.
His sermon was a history of Israel but at the end of the sermon, he accused these religious leaders of sin. He accused them of resisting the Holy Spirit and murdering their Messiah.
Then, he saw a vision of Jesus in heaven at the right hand of God, and he told the Sanhedrin about it. This court couldn’t take it anymore.
That was too much for them. They took him out and rocks started flying from all directions. Before he died, he prayed for his enemies. He prayed for God to forgive them.
Stephen eventually dies and is and buried by godly men and is greatly mourned. Luke does not say that he died. He says that he “fell asleep.” Christians don’t die. They just fall asleep. One day we will all be resurrected.
Applications for Today
That is the life and death of Stephen. What does that say to us today? What can we learn from Stephen? How does Stephen speak to us today?
There are eight questions for us that come right from the life of Stephen. They are practical questions.
1) Are you willing to serve in humble places?
The first time we see Stephen in Acts; he is not a preacher. He is not the executive pastor. He is serving in the church. He is helping to take care of the needs of poor widows in the church.
He helps feed old women in the church who lost their husbands and have no source of income. It is not glamorous. It is a humble job. Some are too proud to serve, but not Stephen.
Some would hate doing what Stephen did, but Stephen loved it. He loved to serve. He had compassion for people. He loved to help people. Are we willing to help real people in need?
2) Do you use all of the gifts God gives you?
Stephen begins his ministry helping widows, but that is not all that he does. He does many things. He has a ministry inside the church. He has a ministry outside the church.
Stephen is not just a deacon; he is a preacher. This deacon felt called to preach. Not too many deacons today preach. Two of these seven deacons were preachers.
Stephen was a preacher. He was a preacher with a glowing face. Luke says that he had the face of an angel. That does not describe most preachers today.
He was not just a preacher; he was an apologist. He debated with unbelievers and skeptics about Christianity.
He was not just an apologist, he was a miracle worker. He did signs and wonders. He healed the sick and cast out demons.
Do we use all of the gifts God gives us? Some of us may have seven gifts and we just use one. Some do not use any.
3) Do you know God’s Word?
We need to know God’s word thoroughly. We need to know the NT and we need to know the NT. We need to know the whole counsel of God.
Many Christians today do not know the Word. Some have been in churches for forty years and still do not know it. Some know the NT but don’t have a clue what the OT says. There are some OT books they have never read.
Stephen knew God’s Word. How do we know? We know it from the one sermon he preached. His sermon is full of Scripture. He knew his Bible.
In Acts 7, Stephen mentioned Abraham. He mentioned Isaac. He mentioned Jacob. He mentioned Joseph. He mentioned Moses. He mentioned David and Solomon.
This sermon was a survey of biblical history. It was a survey of Jewish history. Stephen went all the way back to Abraham. the first Jew.
Stephen knew his Bible. Do we know ours? Do we read it? Do we study it? Do we meditate on it, day and night like the Psalmist says? Do we memorize it? Do we apply it? Do we live by it? Do we share it with others?
4) Do you have answers for skeptics?
Some may know what the Word says but would not have any idea how to answer people who have questions about it.
All it takes is for one Jehovah’s Witness to know on their door and they are tied up in knots. Most Christians do not have answers for people. If you don’t know how to do that, there are plenty of resources to help you.
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO GIVE AN ANSWER to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (I Peter 3:15 NIV).
Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to CONTEND FOR THE FAITH that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people (Jude 3 NIV).
We are just not to believe the gospel but defend or contend for the gospel. That is a job not just for the pastor but for all Christians.
Stephen did that. He did it so well that when his critics argued with him, we are told that “they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke” (Acts 6:10 NIV)
What did the Jews of the day think of the message of Stephen? They said that Christianity was opposed to Israel. It was opposed to Moses. It was opposed to the Temple. Stephen answered his critics.
All of these ideas are false. Christianity is not against Judaism. Stephen was a Jew. The first Christians were Jews. The Messiah was Jewish.
Christianity is not against Moses. Stephen pointed out that their own ancestors rejected and disobeyed Moses. It was the judges who were against Moses.
They were the ones violating Mosaic Law. They brought in false witnesses. The violated the Sixth Commandment by killing Stephen. They shed innocent blood.
These critics said that Stephen’s message was against the Temple. Christianity is not against the Temple, but these judges were obsessed with the Temple. They worshipped the Temple.
Is it possible to like church more than you like God? Some like their denomination more than they like God. They follow everything their denomination says, even if parts of what they believe are unbiblical.
God is not limited to a specific building or a specific place. He is not limited to the Holy Land. He appeared to Abraham in Ur of the Chaldees. He appeared to Moses in Midian.
God can manifest Himself in a Temple, but He is not limited to the Temple. He is bigger than the Temple. God is omnipresent. He is everywhere. You do not have to go to the Temple to find God.
In fact, about 35 years after Acts 7, the Temple was completely destroyed. It was gone. The Jews have no temple today.[1]
But don’t be fooled by those who promise you safety simply because the LORD’s Temple is here. They chant, “The LORD’s Temple is here! The LORD’s Temple is here!” (Jeremiah 7:4 NLT).
5) How do you respond when people mistreat you?
How do you respond when people mistreat you? How do you respond when people mistreat you because of your faith?
Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you” (John 15:18-19 NIV)
Paul said, “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (II Timothy 3:12 NIV). We will not all be martyred but we will all be persecuted.
Stephen was mistreated. He was falsely accused of a crime. He was falsely arrested. He went on trial before a kangaroo court. He was executed by a violent mob.
How did he respond to it? Was he angry? Was he bitter? Some of us have trouble with forgiving people. Stephen’s last recorded words before he died were a prayer of forgiveness for his enemies. Stephen prayed for his enemies while they were killing him.
As he is dying, Stephen prays. He prays to Jesus. He says “Lord Jesus.” He does not pray for revenge. He doesn’t even pray for justice. He prays for forgiveness.
WHILE THEY WERE STONING HIM, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 8:59-60 NIV)
Could you do that? If someone put a gun to your head, would you bow and pray for God to forgive that person, as your last words? That would be pretty hard to do, but Stephen did it and so did Jesus.
6) Will you be faithful to Christ unto death?
God does not call all of us to be martyrs, but he does call some Christians to be martyrs. Martyrdom still takes place today.
This last week, Muslim terrorists slaughtered forty-nine Christians in church. Stephen was faithful to the end. Do you have enough faith to die for Jesus, if you called to do that?
You say, “I don’t know if I could do that.” Martyrs are given a special kind of grace. Jesus will never leave or forsake us. He was with Stephen.
In fact, just before he died, Stephen saw him. These wicked judges didn’t see him, but Stephen was. He saw the glory of God. He saw heaven open. He saw Jesus in Heaven and was encouraged.
7) Do you have the courage to say some unpopular things today?
Are you bold when you share your faith? Stephen was bold. In fact, Stephen was bolder than some of the apostles. He stands before the highest court of the land. He knows they have the power to kill them. He knows this same court condemned Jesus to death.
He preached the truth, even when it was unpopular, even when it was what people did not want to hear, even if it meant that he would lose his life. He did not compromise his message.
You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” (Acts 5:51-53 NIV)
That is strong language. Stephen was polite but he was also direct. He was a truth-speaker. The Sanhedrin accused him of being against Moses and against the Temple.
Stephen didn’t just defend himself. He went on the offensive. He accused this group as well. He turned the tables. Notice the four things he said about his critics.
A. They were stiff-necked (Acts 7:51).
Stephen sounds like an OT prophet. Jeremiah called the Jews stiff-necked (Jeremiah 7:26).
God called the Jews stiff-necked after they worshipped the golden calf (Exodus 32:9; 33:3, 5).They were stubborn. They were rebellious. They are prone to rebel.
B. They were uncircumcised in heart (Acts 7:51)
It means that they are unsaved. This really offended them. All of the Sanhedrin were circumcised and were proud of their circumcision. They looked down on Gentiles for being uncircumcised.
Stephen says that they have never really been circumcised in the first place. That would be like telling Baptists who are proud of baptizing believers by immersion that they have never really been truly baptized.
C. They resisted the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51)
The Holy Spirit can be resisted. People can reject Him. It is dangerous to resist the Holy Spirit, but people do it all of the time. They fight against the Holy Spirit.
These judges resisted the Holy Spirit, just like their ancestors. Their ancestors rejected Joseph and rejected Moses. They rejected those that God sent to deliver them. They rejected the prophets.
The Sanhedrin rejected and killed their Messiah who was approved by God with miracles and signs of the Holy Spirit. Stephen was filled with the Spirit. They resisted the Spirit.
D. They broke the Law of Moses (Acts 7:53)
Stephen was accused of SAYING things against the Law of Moses. Stephen accuses them of DISOBEYING the Law of Moses. God gave them this incredible law made up of 613 commandments.
He even used supernatural beings to give it to them, and they broke it and continue to break it. When they pick up stones immediately to kill Stephen, an innocent man, they only confirm what he said.
8) If you were to die today, would you be ready?
None of us know when we are going to die. God can call us home at any time. Are you ready? What if we lived each day like it was our last?
Stephen was ready to go. He probably died young. He may not have lived long enough to get married and raise a family. He was filled with the Spirit.
He was in the will of God. He was serving God. He lived his life without regrets. His short life was not a waste.
We are told that Saul was present. That is the first mention in the NT of the man who would later become the Apostle Paul. He did not throw any stones, but he watched it take place. He held the coats of those who killed him.
He did not immediately become a Christian. “And Saul approved of their killing him” (Acts 8:1 NIV).
He continued to persecute Christians. Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. (Acts 8:3 NIV).
Eventually God got a hold of him. Saul became another Stephen. He became Stephen on steroids. He will write most of the NT books.
