Stephen: a Faith that Advances God’s Kingdom

Heroes. 

AI tells us that contemporary heroes are individuals who demonstrate exceptional courage, selflessness, and moral integrity in the face of adversity, inspiring others through their actions and choices.  AI points to social activism, humanitarian work, and even the challenging conventional norms of popular culture; fighting for positive change as a definition of hero. What we used to define as a contrarian has now become a hero. 

AI also offers examples of "modern heroes in popular culture" that include the like of Greta Thunburg, and the Black Panther, the Marvel Comics character and movie distributed by Walt Disney Studios whose story is: thousands of years ago, five African tribes warred over a meteorite containing the metal vibranium. One warrior ingests a "heart-shaped herb" affected by the metal and gains superhuman abilities, becoming the first "Black Panther". He unites all but one Tribe to form the nation of Wakanda which, over centuries, use vibranium to develop advanced technologies and isolate themselves from the world by posing as an underdeveloped country. 

AI also offers Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan):  A young Muslim superhero who balances her faith, cultural identity, and superhero responsibilities from Jersey City, New Jersey. Her "powers" are described as "basically Ant-Man and Mister Fantastic's combined".

AI concludes that contemporary heroes are individuals who inspire through their actions and choices in the face of adversity. 

Today we look a hero who was not a "super hero", but was just an "ordinary person." He likely didn't "save" people in super ways, and in fact he was killed for his challenging of conventional norms. Today we look at Stephen. A deacon of the Jerusalem church who was put to death for stating what HE believed, in opposition to what the traditional religious leaders believed. We see that bold faith helps advance the kingdom of God.

We look at Acts 6:3-15 today. The book of Acts tells Stephen’s story demonstrating his heroic faith during the political-religious struggles against the early Christian church. He is held to be the first martyr of the Christian faith. He was a deacon of the early Jerusalem church who stood his ground in conversations with others. Members of the various synagogues In the city were angered by his opinions and teachings [in my opinion because they couldn't defeat the truth that Stephen grounded himself in]. Much as they did with Jesus, they accused Stephen of blasphemy and at his trial Stephen spoke denouncing the Jewish authorities who were sitting in judgment of him. He was then taken out and stoned to death. Saul, who would later become the apostle Paul, participated in the stoning.

Let’s learn a bit more about Stephen.

Acts 6:3-7

3 Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 This proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a convert from Antioch. 6 They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 So the word of God spread, the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.

Peter’s sermons, bolstered by the power of the Holy Spirit, impacted the fledgling church in a big way. The church began suddenly to grow large. Typically, when an organization grows, its leadership is slow to expand and quick to overwork itself. The leaders of the early church were different. Jesus had given them a specific role. The disciples were to preach God’s Word and pray. Their work was critical for the fulfillment of the Great Commission.   

The Jerusalem Church grew so rapidly that the Greek-speaking Jewish Christians felt that “their” widows—presumably the widows who were from their cultural background—were being neglected. In general you had the "purebred Jews" from Judah and Jerusalem and the "cultural Jews" from the "pagan" areas outside of Jerusalem. It appears to me that the "cultural Jews" were feeling slighted by the "purebred" Jews.

Remembering that widows were left without financial support. They had little means to become a "bread winner" for themselves. It seems that the Jerusalem church had apparently taken up the practice of providing food for widows. It also appears that there was an imbalance in how the various widows were being supported by the church. Whether or not this accusation was true, the Twelve decided they needed to focus on preaching and not be distracted by the duty of food distribution. We should remember that these apostles of the church were unique in the history of the church. They had seen and been with Jesus for His entire ministry. The church needed these twelve men to remain vigilant at their task of bearing witness to the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. They were aware that food distribution was potentially something that could pull them away from their duties of “prayer and . . . the ministry of the word”.

The Twelve did not abdicate leadership in this situation. Instead, they delegated a portion of the task. First, they conceived a solution and instead of dealing with this particular task themselves, they decided it would be best to find reliable men to carry it out. Second, they trusted the church community to find men who could carry out this task. Finally, the Twelve would take the responsibility and ownership of the selection the church made by appointing the men themselves. 

The solution was for the church itself to select seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom to carry out this task. The seven men were said to be of good reputation, and the unpacking of what that meant for them was that they were full of the Spirit and wisdom. Their good reputation came from the work of the Holy Spirit in and through them. They regularly demonstrated their wisdom in the execution of their faith. Stephen was one of these men and one of the first things to take note of what that Stephen’s faith was evident to those around him.

Stephen is the first of the seven to be listed, and he is said to be full of faith and the Holy Spirit. All seven of these men had Greek names. This seems to indicate that the church as a whole and the Twelve in particular must have thought the best way to address the concerns of the Greek-speaking portion of the early church was with Greek believers.

In the New Testament, the laying on of hands is often used to designate a person for a specific task. By laying hands on these seven, the Twelve were appointing them to carry out the task of caring for the widows. When one lays hands on, or touches another, one is is close communication with that individual.  It is much easier to take a pulse, or listen to the chest, or determine if there is a fever, or express condolences, etc., if you touch the person.  So the twelve communicated closely with these seven men who were to be appointed as deacons – servants – on behalf of the twelve.

By choosing Stephen and the other men, the Twelve were able to keep their focus on the preaching of the Word – proclaiming, explaining, interpreting and applying it, calling for its action in the lives of others. As a result, the word of God spread. Luke gave two concrete examples of the result of the spreading of the Word. First, more people were becoming Jesus’s disciples in Jerusalem. Second, Jewish priests were coming to understand that Jesus is the Messiah. While disciples were growing in Jerusalem, they would soon be multiplying beyond Jerusalem and into Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.

Scripture teaches us that Stephen moved beyond feeding widows. The humility he developed as a servant leader was important for at least two reasons. First, as a servant leader, Stephen learned how to submit to God’s will, even during difficult times. Also, servant leadership taught Stephen how to be more like Jesus—the ultimate example of servant leadership. Every Christ-follower should desire to be more like Jesus. 

The other six men must have been like Stephen because the impact was huge. The Bible says that great numbers of people became obedient to the faith. A life of faith impacts both the church and community. Growth in popularity often threatens the traditional leadership. 

Acts 6:8-10

8 Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from some members of the Freedmen’s Synagogue, composed of both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, and they began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they were unable to stand up against his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking.

The Cyrene was a Greek colony in North Africa to the west of Egypt, located in present-day Libya, and Alexandria was located on the Mediterranean coast in Egypt. The Synagogue of the Freedmen (also known as the Synagogue of the Libertines) was a first-century Jewish synagogue in Jerusalem comprised of Jewish people who had either been freed from slavery or were descendants of those who had been freed primarily from Rome. It was likely a Greek-speaking synagogue, reflecting the language and customs of the Jews living outside of Judea. The members of this synagogue disputed with Stephen over theological matters.They were unable to refute his arguments and wisdom, so they resorted to false accusations and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 

According to New Testament, Josephus and rabbinic sources in the first century there were hundreds of synagogues across Israel. Freedmen is a loan word from Latin libertini, who were freed slaves. In the Roman world this was a reference to one’s social status, usually for the purpose of differentiating one from someone who was never a slave. Only a handful of historical references provide clues to the nature and composition of this Synagogue of Freedmen in Jerusalem, producing multiple scholarly theories and speculations.

Some scholars focus on the name Freedmen, who could have been Jews taken into slavery by the Romans under Pompey in 63 BC. The descendants of slaves who were freed were also called Freedmen. It is also possible that these freed slaves were enslaved non-Jews, who embraced the Jewish way of life. Ancient sources mention thousands of slaves embracing Jewish beliefs. There is also a less popular opinion, based on ancient Armenian and Syriac commentaries, that the synagogue name did not mention freed slaves, but Libyans, which would make all names geographical locations, as in the "Libyan Jews" and the "Alexandrian Jews"

This inscription from the days of Herod, uncovered near the Temple Mount mentions Theodotos son of Vettenos, priest and head of a Synagogue who was also the son of the head of the synagogue, who built a synagogue not far from the Temple.  "Theodotos, son of [or: of the family of] Vettenos, a priest and head of the synagogue, son of the head of the synagogue, who was also the son of the head of the synagogue, [re]built the synagogue for the reading of the Law and for the study of the precepts, as well as the hospice and the chambers and the bathing-establishment, for lodging those who need them, from abroad; it (the synagogue) was founded by his ancestors and the elders and Simonides."

A first century inscription, discovered in 1913-1914 in the lower City of David, confirmed the existence of a Greek-speaking synagogue in Jerusalem. The plaque identifies Theodotus son of Vettenus as a founder, priest and the head of the synagogue. The inscription credits the builder with the construction of ritual baths and a guesthouse available to travelers. Because Theodotus is a Greek name and Vettenus is a Latin name some scholars theorized that Vettenus was a Freedman, who bore the name of his former master. Other scholars reject this theory citing lack of tangible evidence.

Despite the scholarly disagreements there is a general consensus that the Synagogue of the Freedmen was a Greek-speaking synagogue of the first century Hellenized Diaspora Jews. The other groups mentioned in Acts 6:9 (Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia and Asia) are all well-known Greek-speaking Jewish Diaspora communities which could have been distinct or a part of this same synagogue. However, Hellenistic orientation of the Synagogue of the Freedmen did not make them any less zealous in their beliefs.

God had designated the place where His presence dwelled among the Israelites (the tabernacle and later the temple in Jerusalem) as the only place where sacrifices and offerings were to be made. Consequently, Jewish synagogues were not, strictly speaking, places of worship. Instead, synagogues were Jewish places of community and religious life where Jews could gather for prayer, encouragement, and teaching. 

Some people from the synagogues began to debate and argue with Stephen. Synagogue officials didn’t accept Stephen’s interpretation of Jewish history and the identity of Jesus as the Son of God. They believed Jesus was a menace, not the Messiah. Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, stood strong on the Word of God, remained in God’s will, and continued to follow God’s plan.

Jesus’s promise to be with His disciples as they make disciples of all nations in the Great Commission, as well as His promise they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came on them, were both fulfilled throughout the book of Acts, particularly here in Stephen’s bold, risk-taking evangelism. Stephen’s dependence on the Holy Spirit for power, as well as his reliance on the truthfulness and clarity of God’s Word, are both examples for missions and evangelism today. We will only be able to make disciples as we are reliant on the power of the Spirit and the Word.

The purpose of signs and wonders is to point people to the truthfulness of the gospel and the power and presence of God. Signs and wonders are miraculous works of God that indicate that the kingdom of God is breaking into the present age. In fact, signs and wonders are, in one sense, the logical result of the Creator coming to dwell with His creation. In 2 Corinthians, Paul described ministry in the new covenant: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. It is a bit ironic that the Freedmen's Synagoge was not composed of men of freedom.

The gospel, which is “the message about Christ,” is a message so clear and simple that a small child can understand it. The gospel is also so deeply and beautifully true that we will never grow weary of plumbing its depths, implications, and applications to our lives. The reason the gospel is both so clear and so deep is because the author of the gospel is God the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is also the one who convicts and applies the gospel to our own lives. The inability to stand up against the wisdom of the Holy Spirit is not surprising. God the Holy Spirit is the Author of all knowledge and true wisdom. Seeking to oppose God is always foolish and will ultimately end in failure.

Acts 6:11-15

11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; so they came, seized him, and took him to the Sanhedrin. 13 They also presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the law. 14 For we heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.” 15 And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

While Stephen was carrying out the work of God, the men from the Freedmen’s Synagogue accused him of working for God’s enemies. They said Stephen had opposed Moses and God, accusing Stephen of being on the side of evil by speaking blasphemous words.  Blasphemy is speaking in a heretical or disrespectful manner about or against God or against the work of God. Ultimately, blasphemy is attributing the work of God to the work of Satan or the reverse—attributing the work of Satan to God. Every individual who opposes the work of God is responsible for his or her own actions— including the people, the elders, and the scribes whom Luke mentioned. These three groups represent the whole population, including religious leaders, perhaps even some of the same ones that opposed Jesus himself. 

Here they were stirring up opposition to the work of Jesus’s disciples. The men of the Freedmen’s Synagogue, however, bore even greater guilt because they not only opposed the work of God but recruited others to oppose it.  Sound anything like our current political circumstances? Not only did they recruit others to oppose the work of God, but they had done so “secretly.” The secrecy itself indicates a lack of truthfulness and echoes the recruitment of false testimony that stirred up people to crucify Jesus. 

By accusing Stephen of speaking against Moses and God, these men had accused Stephen of contradicting the inerrant and perfect Law of God. In this passage, the mention of the customs that Moses handed down seems to include what is known as the Talmud and the Mishnah. The Talmud and the Mishnah are Jewish commentaries on the Torah that were supposed to supplement the Torah but were illegitimately elevated to an equal status with the Torah. By appealing to these two sources and opposing the work of Jesus’s disciples, these men were aligning themselves with false teaching instead of the truth—the Word of God. 

Face of an angel recalls Moses’s radiant face in Exodus 34. In both Moses' and Stephen's cases, the individual’s radiant appearance indicated to others that the individual was in an intimate relationship with God Himself. Having been in the presence of God, both Moses and Stephen were empowered to carry out their heroic testimony in front of those who accused them.

Stephen’s death served to further the kingdom of God. In a brilliant summary of the Old Testament from the call of Abram through Moses and the exodus, and David and the kingdom of Israel, Stephen adeptly demonstrated that the Jewish people were “always resisting the Holy Spirit”. The ancient Israelites opposed the work of the Holy Spirit, including persecuting the prophets, the Bible tells us, and Jeremiah accused the people of his day of having uncircumcised hearts.

Stephen's death wasn’t the public spectacle as was the crucifixion. Stephen accepted his fate while speaking and acting like Jesus. Acts 7:60 says, “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.” Stephen’s strong and proven faith set an example of faith for all of us to follow.