Today’s passage: Acts 7
Helpful thoughts:
- In this chapter, Stephen delivers his defense. This would have been a similar defense to the times before as mentioned in Acts 6:9-10.
- Stephen’s defense was a survey of the Old Testament!
- Verses 35-37 point forward to the Messiah.
- Stephen reminded them of Israel’s rebellion.
- Stephen also reminds them that God is not confined to the Temple.
- The Temple was a means to worship God, who is bigger than the Temple.
- Stephen is rebuking them for putting the Temple (And the life it gave them) above God.
- This is the first time we see Saul (The future Apostle Paul). He was not a new guy in town when he was converted. Saul was involved and active in the early persecution of the church.
- He heard Stephen’s defense. He was cut to the heart and infuriated. He gnashed his teeth. He cried out and covered his ears. He helped rush Stephen out of the city gates. He held the outer clothes of those casting stones.
Questions to consider:
- What did Stephen offer as his defense? Where did the information come from? What would have been the right response from the Jewish leaders?
- Did Stephen mess up? Did he do something or say something wrong? Did he fail as an evangelist? When we are deciding whether or not to share the Gospel with people for fear that it won’t go well, what are our greatest concerns?
- The book of Acts was written by Luke, who accompanied Paul on his missionary journeys. How would Luke have learned then of the account of Stephen’s martyrdom? How might this encourage us to share Christ with others even when we don’t expect it to go well?