Acts 6:8-15 Stephen Accused of Blasphemy

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In spite of persecution and against the law laid down by the Jewish Sanhedrin, the apostles continued to preach the gospel and share the truth about the resurrected Christ, converting seekers as the fulfillment of the great commission.

Along side the apostles were countless priests and ministers who answered the call to advance the gospel and strive to further God’s kingdom.

“8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.” (Acts 6:8)

Steven was not an apostle, but one of the seven disciples appointed to look after the distribution of food to the widows in Jerusalem. He was first and foremost a preacher of the truth, chosen by Yahweh to not only advance the gospel, but also perform miracles.

As he was serving the Lord in ministry, Steven would find himself under attack by skeptics who sided with evil, and driven by fear and hatred, went on the offensive against God’s servants.

“9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen.” (Acts 6:9)

At the time, there were 480 synagogues in Jerusalem. The synagogue mentioned by the apostle Luke was host to foreign Jews freed from slavery, which had taken place around 60-65 B.C. There was a number of Jews who opposed the works of Stephen and felt necessary to take action against the disciple.

“10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. 11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.” (Acts 6:10-12)

Because he was anointed with the Holy Spirit and gifted by God with both wisdom and knowledge, Stephen’s opposers found themselves silenced, and unable to argue with the disciple. Offended by the message preached by Stephen, that the old covenant has been washed away by the blood of Christ, the Jews resorted to deception to bring the disciple before the Sanhedrin, the lay makers in Jerusalem.

“13 They also set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words 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 delivered to us.” (Acts 6:13-14)

Stephen’s opposers took their fight to a deceptive level by distorting the disciple’s words and turning the his testimony into an attack on Jews, the temple and their fundamental teaching about the Mosaic law.

“15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:15)

Among those who charged Stephen with blasphemy was Saul of Tarsus, who would later become Paul, the anointed apostle of the risen Christ. The Sanhedrin watched Stephen steadfastly for a reaction, but the disciple only exuded divinely inspired peace and joy that took the law makers by surprise.

Stephen would later answer the charges against him through a spirited exhortation that will turn into an accusation against the Sanhedrin, whom the disciple held responsible for the crucifixion of the Christ. Let’s pray!

Father God;
We thank you for your blessings in our lives and for your servant Luke,
We praise you Lord for his wisdom and for his works through this scripture,
We ask you Lord to inspire us to use these verses in our lives
As we grow in you through the teachings of your faithful apostle.

Lord we ask you to strengthen us each day as we endure through battles,
Allow us to praise and love each other through faith in you Jesus,
Shield us from evil through truth, the gospel, salvation and prayer,
Guide us to abide by your word as we spread your gospel to one and all
Becoming examples of faith through our character as we walk the narrow path.

God we pray that you will continue to bless us, to bless our lives and fill us with hope
We ask you Lord to guide our footsteps and lead us to the way everlasting,
Through faith in you Lord we seek salvation and a place with you in heaven
According to your word, your everlasting wisdom and strength.

May your will be done
In our lives, for your life.

We thank you for your love and all you bless us with each day.

Praise God,
Amen!

This message was written by Daniel St.Pierre
Email: danielstpierre@thrivethroughchrist.com

Posted in Bible Studies.

95 Comments

  2. All Stephen was doing is tell the truth about Jewish heritage and the fulfillment of God’s promise, in that the Messiah would come to deliver man from the wages of sin. It was indeed Stephen’s accusers who were guilty of blasphemy!

  4. Spreading our Lords word is not easy, we will face many temptations, threats, and even death. But God is always with us, like as what He did to Stephen. Glory to God! Great website

  5. Some people do choose to have a sin than to help spread the good word of our God. Thank you for sharing this nice bible study.

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  56. Present generation will just ignore this site. But hopefully they will read this! Its a great website by the way.

  57. When you’re accusing someone, make sure that you’re on the right side. Great website by the way.

  61. God’s love and God’s word enable us to speak the truth even in front of many different people!!

  62. Indeed God protects His people..He never leave us nor forsake us..He is our very present help in times of need!!

  63. No matter..how many people sorround us and no matter who that peole a0re..when we speak for God we are blessed for he will never allow us to be in shame..

  68. Every human activity, except sin, can be done for God’s pleasure, if you do it with an attitude of praise. Great website!

  72. To worship God in truth is to recognize Him for being who He is. May we recognize Him on His second coming.

  73. A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him. These are some of the wrong doings of our ancestors.

  74. The highest form of worship is the worship of unselfish Christian service. This is the kind of service which Stephen gave to our almighty God.

  77. Men do not accept their prophets and slay them, but they love their martyrs and worship those whom they have tortured to death. May we open our eyes before ending someone’s life we might commit the same mistake again.

  84. Let us all confess before the Lord His loving kindness, and His wonderful works before every sons of men. Stephen was telling the truth!

  86. “Be happy when you are blamed and accused wrongly, for then you have the chance to see all the bitter, hostile or self-pitying responses that your sinful soul wants to spew out – as if these puny things could in any way defend you! Watch and see if any of these poisons come out of you when your spirit is pricked by an accusation. Only then can you see yourself as you are, and confess thy sin that is within you and forsake yourself again into the Lord’s care.”

  87. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. Jesus saved Stephen from danger by letting him sleep.

  90. In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself.

  92. What’s up, just wanted to tell you, I loved this article. I had fun reading this blog. Keep on posting!

  93. The mystery of God’s love is not that our pain is taken away, but that God first wants to share that pain with us.

  94. We surely need to renew our faiths today, for one day our Lord will come like a thief in the night. Nice website! God bless

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