Our next speech is by “Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit… [who] full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.”
He annoys some opponents of this new movement, and is seized and brought before the Jewish council on trumped up charges.
Still full of God’s spirit, even while being slandered “they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” (6:15) He launches into a sort of highlight reel of ancient Jewish history – Abraham, Joseph, Jacob, Moses. He ends with this punch to the gut:
You stiff-necked people… you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it. (Acts 7:51-53)
This sounds harsh, but in fact it is a richly deserved, prophetic pronouncement. They had what was for a long time the best deal with God, and they blew it. While they grind their teeth in murderous rage, he, filled with the spirit, has a vision right in front of them, blurting out,
“Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” (7:56)
Sound familiar? (Daniel 7:14) But they’re not impressed. They stone Stephen to death as prays to Jesus to receive his spirit, and either to Jesus or to God for their forgiveness. (7:59-60) Stephen is doing what Jesus did, as predicted. (John 14:12) Same empowering spirit, same sorts of works.
This is a prophetic confrontation of judgement, not a sermon, and so not all of the gospel is preached here. Still Luke includes the first four of the seven points we’ve seen so far:
- The man Jesus is the one God’s Messiah.
- According to God’s plan, Jesus was unjustly crucified by the Romans.
- But God has vindicated him as his true Messiah by raising him from the dead.
- And God has exalted Jesus to his right hand, making him not only Messiah, but also “Lord,” in fulfilment of prophecy.
Still waiting for the parts where Luke relates that Jesus is God, or that God is triune. Those parts are there right? They must be.
