Stephen Arrested
TRANSLATION
(8) Now Stephen, 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 from Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia, arguing with him. (10) But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke. (11) Then they secretly persuaded some to say, “We heard Stephen speak blasphemies against Moses and against God.”
(12) So they stirred up the people, the elders, and the teachers of the law. They arrested Stephen and dragged him before the Sanhedrin. (13) They brought in false witnesses who testified, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the law, (14) for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses handed down to us.” (15) And all that sat in the Sanhedrin, fixing their eyes on him, saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
(1) Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”
OBSERVATIONS
In this introduction to Stephen’s testimony before the Sanhedrin, several words were emphasized by repetition. The name, “Stephen,” was used five times (vss. 8, 11, 12, 15, & 16). “Spoke/speak/speaking” occurred three times to identify Stephen’s offense (vss. 10, 11, & 14). Two other names were mentioned twice: “Moses” (vss. 11 & 14) to refer to “the law” (vs. 13) and “Sanhedrin” (vss. 12 & 15) to refer to the “elders and teachers of the law” (vs. 12).
OUTLINE
I. Stephen’s powerful testimony incited jealous opposition from his fellow Jews. (8-11)
II. They arrested Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin to be interrogated. (12-16)
IDEA STATEMENT
Because of his life and powerful testimony, Stephen was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin to answer false charges just as Jesus had been previously treated.
APPLICATION
This closing episode of Stephen’s life was like the sudden appearance of a brilliant meteor that lights up the night sky for a brief time and then is gone. We should note how Stephen’s actions remind us of the last days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Luke told his readers that Stephen was full of God’s grace and power, performing great signs and wonders (vs. 8). Those who opposed him could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him (vs. 10). It took the testimony of false witnesses to bring Stephen before the Sanhedrin just as Jesus had been hauled before the rulers on the night he was betrayed. As with Jesus, the high priest asked Stephen to answer the trumped-up charges of those who were accusing him of speaking against the temple and the law of Moses. What followed was the clear testimony Stephen fearlessly gave to the rulers of the Jews that resulted in his death. Few have been placed in such a precarious position for their testimony and even fewer have acquitted themselves with the brilliance and serenity Stephen displayed on the final day of his life.