Acts 6-7 - Meet Stephen

ACTS 6-7

6:5-10 Meet Stephen

5 - Characteristics

8-10 - Ministry

• Great leader
• 1st time miraculous works are attributed to someone other that the Apostles
• Signs and wonders drew great attention

What makes a person able to do ‘great’ signs and wonders?

6:9, 11-14 The Opposition

Synagogue of the Freedmen

• Congregation of Hellenistic Jews living in Jerusalem.
• Older, wealthy retired Jews who had moved to Jerusalem.

Why would Stephen (in particular) upset these folks?

• Emotional Reason – upsetting the retirement community!
• Theological Reason – blaspheming Moses and the Temple!

Note vs. 13 about the quality of the witnesses.

The Real Issue

• From a Jewish perspective, the Gospel is UNPATRIOTIC!
• From a Biblical perspective, the Gospel demonstrates that God is Sovereign over the entire universe! Psalms 99:2

Stephen was teaching that you don’t have to become a Jew to get to know God.

John 4:21, 24

This teaching is extremely threatening to the Status Quo.

6:15-8:2 Stephen’s Speech and Aftermath

:15 Godly confidence


ISRAEL’S HISTORY IN A NUTSHELL

Verse Reference
2-4 --- Genesis 12:1ff
5 --- Genesis 23:4
6 --- Genesis 15:13
Exodus 12:40-41
7 --- Genesis 15:14-16
8 --- Genesis 17:9-14
9 --- Genesis 37:4ff
10 --- Genesis 40:40ff
11 --- Genesis 41:54
12 --- Genesis 42:1ff
13-14 --- Genesis 45:1ff
15 --- Genesis 46:3-7
Genesis 49:33
16 --- Exodus 13:19
Joshua 24:32
17-19 --- Exodus 1:7-22
20-22 --- Exodus 2:1-10
23-25 --- Exodus 2:11-12
26-29 --- Exodus 2:13-15
30-35 --- Exodus 3:1ff
36-37 --- Exodus 12:41
38-39 --- Exodus 19:3ff
40-44 --- Exodus 32:1ff
45 --- Joshua 4:11-14
46 --- 1 Samuel 16:1-13
47 --- 1 Kings 5:1ff
48 --- 1 Kings 8:27
49-50 --- Psalms 11:4
51 --- Exodus 32:9
52-53 --- 2 Chron. 36:16
Matthew 21:33-46
54 --- Psalms 112:10
55-56 --- John 14:3
Hebrews 1:3, 8:1
57-58 --- Zechariah 7:11
59-60 --- Acts 2:21, Romans 10:12-13,
Psalms 31:5, Luke 23:46