THE INFLUENCE & CHARACTER OF STEPHEN
7. It's easy to underestimate the influence of Stephen on the development of the Christian faith. He wasn't Peter or Paul, he wrote no books and his story takes up only two chapters in the entire NT. But so powerful was his influence at a critical period that a whole persecution took its rise in connection with his place in NT history (see 11:19 ). It was Stephen, not Peter or Paul, who first boldly put the temple and Judaism in the proper perspective. It was from his lips that people heard the message of a universal mission which made less of the temple and Judaism than the orthodox Jews would allow.
8. He was the right man for the right time and the right place. A dangerous place and a dangerous time. He was a "Grecian Jew" in a "Hebrew" city. The "Hebrew" city! We're told he was full of faith and the Holy Spirit (6:5 ), he was filled with wisdom (6:3 ) and he was full of grace and power (6:8 ). The phrase "full of " means he was characterized by these things. We speak of people being "filled with hate" or anger or compassion. We mean they are dominated by one or more of these emotions. The same is true of being filled with the Spirit or faith or grace. (See 2:4, 4:8 and 13:9 as illustrations of men saying or doing something while under the Spirit's strong influence). This was a gracious, wise, powerful and spiritual man who had been raised up by God for an especially critical time. It does happen that richly gifted men sometimes use their gifts to feather their own nests. It also happens that people in places of influence sell themselves for ease. Stephen was everything that we all in our better moments long to be. And he's the assurance that by God's grace we can be gallant, gracious and bold.
STEPHEN ARRESTED & ACCUSED
9. As he taught, he was opposed by other synagogue members. The synagogue of the Freedmen (see 22:25-28 ). Some of them were from Cilicia which was Paul's home-place. (Was he a member of that synagogue?) His opponents had no answers and in their bigotry and bitterness they bribed men to lie about him (6:10-14 ). They had him arrested on a blasphemy charge, cunningly twisting his teaching to suit their purposes. (His experience is so like that of his Master—see Matt 26:59-65 .) He was accused of speaking evil against the temple and the law (see Matt 5:17-18).