Acts: The Kingdom Advances - Week 12 (Acts 6:8-7:60)
Acts 6:8-7:60
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Acts 6:8-7:60 〰️
This week marks our last week (for now) in the book of Acts, as we’ll return later with Vol. 2. This week’s passage is a long one, so buckle up! We won’t be able to touch on everything, so if any questions come up in your group discussion, it’s okay to say “I don’t know,” and then return to it later!
The passage this week is 6:8-7:60. It is primarily a long monologue by Stephen, one of the men recently appointed to assist in overseeing the care of the congregation in Acts 6:1-7. This passage can be broken into three primary sections, as I think it’ll make it easier to digest.
6:8-15 - Stephen against the Sanhedrin
7:1-50 - Stephen speaking
7:51-53 - Stephen’s accusation
7:54-60 - Stephen murdered
One of the overarching focuses of this lengthy passage is Stephen presenting Jesus as the Son of God while addressing the religious leaders’ hard hearts regarding the Old Testament Law and practices. Up to this point, as we read in the Gospels, the religious leaders adamantly opposed Jesus’ ministry, ignoring all the signs and wonders he performed. Jesus’ earthly ministry completely upended their way of life, negating the people’s need for them. This included the setting aside of the Old Testament Law (Ephesians 2:15) by fulfilling that which man could not (Matthew 5:17) and teaching that God’s dwelling place would no longer be a physical building.
“In the New Testament, the absence of a physical temple takes on new theological dimensions. Jesus Christ, in His earthly ministry, redefines the concept of the temple. In John 2:19-21 , Jesus declares, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Gospel writer clarifies that Jesus was speaking about the temple of His body, indicating that He Himself is the true temple, the dwelling place of God among men.
Furthermore, the Apostle Paul expands on this theme by teaching that believers collectively form the temple of God. In 1 Corinthians 3:16 , Paul writes, "Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?" This teaching emphasizes the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, making the community of believers the new temple.”¹
So in Acts 6:8-15, the religious leaders accuse Stephen of blasphemy for continuing to teach such truths. They sought to discredit him, but he responded by retelling the story of Moses in Exodus. Now, those who were listening to Stephen would have known all of this, but with Jesus’ life and ministry in mind, God’s interaction with Israel and Moses can be seen with a new perspective. At King’s Table, we’ve always taught that all of Scripture points to Jesus, but the original audience in Acts was still living in the immediate wake of Jesus’ ministry. While the Jewish people had been keeping an eye out for the Messiah for generations, many completely missed Him when He arrived. Because of this, the religious leaders— either out of malice or ignorance— vehemently opposed Jesus and His upheaval of the OT Law.
With this in mind, we can read Acts 7:2-50 and see Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit (6:8, 10), making connections between the Law and Jesus’ ministry. In 7:9-16, Stephen begins with the story of Joseph, the origins of Israel’s presence in Egypt. God’s faithfulness in preserving their nation is on full display, setting the stage for God to rescue them for His glory. Stephen then shifts focus to Moses in v17, recognizing him as a leader whom God appointed and the people rejected. Stephen makes a point to emphasize this, possibly “to provoke reconsideration of Israel’s assessment and rejection of Jesus. They had been wrong about Moses. Might they have been wrong about Jesus too?”² Throughout this monologue, Stephen continually points to God’s faithfulness to His people, highlighting Israel’s disobedience and rejection of God’s provision.
The Lord has continually provided for His people, despite their rebellion. Verse 44 then brings us to Stephen’s point: God’s presence is not contained by human creations. The religious leaders were furious at Stephen for “speaking against this holy place,” the temple (v13), and here, Stephen corrects them. In this whole passage, Stephen uses Egypt as a representation of sin and its bondage. In v39, he reminds Israel that they have continually chosen “Egypt” over God, and in v48 he reminds them that God is not contained by human creations. Though they had God’s presence (for a time) living among them, they ultimately still chose to reject Him. Stephen then quotes the prophet Isaiah, who is relaying the words of God,
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth my footstool.
What sort of house will you build for me?
says the Lord,
or what will be my resting place?
Did not my hand make all these things?” (v49-50)
Then it gets ugly. Stephen turns to the Jews and declares them to be “stiff-necked” (or stubborn) people. God has given Israel every opportunity to follow Him, but time and time again, they rejected God and His messengers. Stephen even rhetorically asked them, “Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?” (v52). Israel has continually rejected God, ignored His Spirit, and killed the Messiah. They claim to follow God and His Law, but have entirely missed the intention and purpose. They claim to love Him, but their actions do not line up at all with what they claim to believe. There’s a massive cognitive dissonance here. Unfortunately, this is also true for many of us. How are we claiming to follow Jesus, but rejecting Him with our thoughts and deeds? Do we claim the name of Jesus but reject Him in our hearts?
This passage concludes with the people’s reaction. Unsurprisingly, they didn’t take well to being called unfaithful and stiff-necked. What happens next is gruesome and illustrates just how far the people are from God. There’s not much to say on this passage, as I feel it clearly speaks for itself.
“When they heard these things, they were enraged and gnashed their teeth at him. Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He said, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
“They yelled at the top of their voices, covered their ears, and together rushed against him. They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. And the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” He knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And after saying this, he fell asleep.” (v57-60).
As we enter into a time of discussion together, this passage might feel incredibly long, but breaking it up into sections certainly proves helpful. There are several movements in Stephen’s preaching, and it clearly communicates the gap between God and the people who claim to follow Him. Those who voice their allegiance to God are the same as those who reject Him and His messengers.
Discussion Questions
Could a few people read Acts 6:8-7:60 for us?
What stood out to you from the passage?
Does this passage remind you of another part of Scripture?
Do you have any questions?
Why do you think we have a passage like this in Scripture?
What specifically caused the religious leaders to become so angry with Stephen? What about his message upset them?
How was Stephen responding by retelling the story of Israel and Moses?
What did it cost Stephen to proclaim the truth of Jesus? How does that contrast our cost in following Jesus?
1. https://biblehub.com/topical/t/the_absence_of_a_temple.htm
2. Stanley E. Porter, “Acts,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1728.