Don't Shoot the Messenger - The Stoning of Stephen. (Acts 6:8-8:4)

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Welcome:

Today, we look into a challenging passage from the book of Acts, focusing on the life and martyrdom of Stephen. In this episode, titled "Don’t Shoot the Messenger - The Stoning of Stephen," we explore Acts 6:8-8:4, uncovering valuable principles that we can apply to our own lives.

Episode Notes: Don’t Shoot the Messenger - The Stoning of Stephen (Acts 6:8-8:4)

Introduction:

• Today's episode narrates the story of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, and draws important lessons from his life and testimony.

Stephen’s Arrest (Acts 6:8-15):

• Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs.
• Opposition arose from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen who could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave Stephen as he spoke.
• False accusations of blasphemy against Moses and God led to Stephen’s arrest and trial before the Sanhedrin.

Stephen’s Message (Acts 7:1-53):

• Stephen delivers a powerful speech recounting the history of Israel, from Abraham to Moses, highlighting how the people of Israel repeatedly rejected God’s messengers.
• He emphasizes that God does not dwell in temples made by human hands and accuses the Sanhedrin of resisting the Holy Spirit and betraying and murdering the Righteous One, Jesus.

The Reaction to Stephen’s Message (Acts 7:54-8:4):

• The Sanhedrin, furious and enraged by Stephen’s accusations, stoned him to death.
• Stephen’s final words were a prayer for forgiveness for his persecutors, mirroring Jesus’ words on the cross.
• A great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, leading to the scattering of believers throughout Judea and Samaria.
• Despite the persecution, believers continued to preach the word of God wherever they went.

Key Takeaways:

• Trust in God: Stephen’s unwavering faith and peace, even in the face of death, is a powerful testament to the strength that comes from trusting in God.
• Boldness in Witness: Stephen used his trial as an opportunity to boldly proclaim the gospel, emphasizing the importance of seizing every chance to share the message of Christ.
• God’s Sovereignty: The scattering of believers due to persecution resulted in the spread of the gospel, demonstrating how God can use even difficult circumstances to fulfil His purposes.

Reflection: As we reflect on Stephen’s story, let us consider how we can exhibit similar trust, boldness, and faithfulness in our own lives. Ho

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Chapters

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• 17:15 (Cont.) Don't Shoot the Messenger - The Stoning of Stephen. (Acts 6:8-8:4)

Transcript

Don’t Shoot the Messenger - The Stoning of Stephen.  (Acts 6:8-8:4))

Transcript: 

What I'd like to do today is tell you that story and draw from that story that principle that has been so helpful to me personally so when you turn them in the book of acts chapter 6 acts chapter 6 I'm going to beginning with verse 8 and we are going to see what principle we can draw out here from the life and testimony and ending of Stephen….

6:8 Now Stephen, a man 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 of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”

12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”

15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

7:1 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”

2 To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran. 3 ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’

4 “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. 5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. 6 God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated. 7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.’ 8 Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.

 “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So, Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.

11 “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food. 12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit. 13 On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family. 14 After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. 15 Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died. 16 Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.

17 “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased. 18 Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’ 19 He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.

20 “At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for by his family. 21 When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. 22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.

23 “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. 24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defence and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’

27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? 28 Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.

30 “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.

33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.

35 “This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness.

37 “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’ 38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us.

39 “But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. 40 They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’ 41 That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made. 42 But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets:

“‘Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings

forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?

43 You have taken up the tabernacle of Molek

and the star of your god Rephan,

the idols you made to worship.

Therefore, I will send you into exile’ beyond Babylon.

44 “Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. 45 After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, 46 who enjoyed God’s favour and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him.

48 “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:

49 “‘Heaven is my throne,

and the earth is my footstool.

What kind of house will you build for me?

says the Lord.

Or where will my resting place be?

50 Has not my hand made all these things?’

51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”

54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

8:1 On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

Wow, what a long story! As a Bible teacher, I have two options: I could chop up this passage and spend a lot of time on every detail, or I could do what I’ve done just now and read through the whole thing and focus on the big picture. 

This is one of the longest speeches we find in the bible, in fact, the longest in the book of Acts. Some have even suggested that it’s longer than the three defences Paul gives combined. I’m not sure about that, but I do know it's a lengthy account!

Most of the details here are self-explanatory—essentially, this is a review of Old Testament history.

What’s important is to view this passage as a whole. Sometimes we can get too caught up in individual verses or phrases, but today, let’s step back and look at the entire narrative. We’re going to move quickly through this, even faster than a jog—so let’s run through it together.

This passage covers parts of three chapters, and it can be summarized in three main points:

1.   Stephen’s arrest – This happens in chapter 6.

2.   Stephen’s message – This is the bulk of chapter 7, and I’ll give you a brief summary rather than go into every detail.

3.   The reaction to his message – We’ll look at how people responded to what Stephen said.

Stephen's Arrest begins in Acts 6:8, where we learn that Stephen was full of faith and power, performing miracles, likely healing miracles. A dispute arises between Stephen and the Hellenists—the Greek-speaking Jews. 

We’ve seen these Hellenists before; they were the ones who had a complaint about the widows in the daily distribution of food (back in Acts 6:1). Stephen was probably one of them, and while handling the distribution, he encountered some unsaved Greek speaking Jews, likely relatives of the afore mention Greek speaking Christian.

These men couldn't counter Stephen’s knowledge, we read in verse 10: "They were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke." So, instead of addressing the issue, they conspired. They lied about him, accusing him of blasphemy against God and Moses.

They went to the leaders and brought him before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council, accusing him of blasphemy. 

Verse 14 sums up their claim: “We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.” 

They twisted his words about Jesus' statement on the temple being destroyed, misrepresenting them as a desire to destroy the physical temple, when Jesus was in fact referring to His own body.

In verse 15, we hear that, "And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel." Here was a man who was falsely accused, facing possible death, yet his face reflected peace and serenity. Instead of looking fearful or anxious, Stephen's face radiated calm, as if he were untouched by the danger of the situation.

Stephen was full of faith, and this was the source of his peace. He was trusting in God fully, and that trust showed on his face. 

The point for us is that when we trust the Lord, it will be visible on our faces. Conversely, if we lack trust, it will also show. As someone once said, "After 30, everyone is responsible for their face." 

Our facial expressions convey a message—whether we’re at peace or anxious, trusting or fearful.

Now, the second major point of this story is Stephen’s response to the accusations. In Acts 7, we find the longest speech in Acts, where Stephen gives a powerful history lesson, reviewing the key events and figures of Israel’s history. He takes the Sanhedrin back through the history of God’s people to show how God has continually sent leaders and messengers, but they have often rejected them. This includes figures like Abraham, Moses, David, and Solomon.

Stephen doesn’t just defend himself; he simply uses this moment to preach boldly about Jesus. He highlights the people’s repeated rejection of God’s chosen servants and accuses the Sanhedrin of doing the same by rejecting Jesus. 

The reaction of the Sanhedrin is intense. In says in verse 54, they are “cut to the heart” and angry, but Stephen, undeterred, looks up to heaven and sees Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

This is a moment of divine affirmation. Stephen is filled with the Holy Spirit, and as he gives his final testimony, he is stoned to death—becoming the first Christian martyr.

The key takeaway from this story is not just the details of Stephen’s speech but his response in the face of opposition. Stephen trusted God so fully that even in the midst of false accusations, he remained at peace. His face was a reflection of the trust he had in his Savior.

What I would expect from Stephen is a speech that is a defence. However, it's not a defence—it's more like a message he feels compelled to deliver

Stephen starts with Abraham. The story is that Abraham receiving a message from God. God appeared to Abraham and said, "Get out of Ur from all your relatives." Abraham bundled up his belongings and some of his relatives and left. 

The first point in the message is that Abraham disobeyed God; he didn't do exactly what God told him to do. Later, Abraham did believe God and is considered a great father of the faith, teaching us about faith. Stephen's point is that, despite being a man of faith, Abraham disobeyed God.

Stephen then talks about the patriarchs, the 12 sons of Jacob. He points out that the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into slavery, even though Joseph later became their deliverer. The message again is that the patriarchs rejected their deliverer, Joseph, who saved them from famine.

Next Stephen spends a great deal of time on Moses, pointing out that Israel rejected Moses multiple times. Moses supposed his brethren would understand that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not, they pushed him away. Verse 29 says Moses fled—that's the point. Israel rejected Moses, who was their saviour deliverer. 

Stephen, points out that the two deliverers in the Old Testament, Joseph and Moses, were both rejected by their own people. The subtle message here is that just as they rejected Joseph and Moses, they have now rejected the deliverer, Jesus. However, he doesn't directly say this; he's wise and shrewd in how he lets his message unfold.

After discussing the history of Israel rejecting God's message and messengers, Stephen turns his attention to the temple. He talks about the Tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, appointed and instructed by Moses. Solomon replaced the Tabernacle with the temple. However, Stephen emphasizes that God does not dwell in temples made with hands quoting Isaiah 66:1-2. This demonstrates that God doesn't dwell in the Tabernacle or the temple permanently.

Stephen subtly points out that the Tabernacle wasn't permanent; it got replaced by the temple, and the temple isn't permanent either, because God doesn't dwell in it. The concern about destroying the temple isn't valid since God doesn't dwell there permanently anyway. He's very cleaverly answering them.

Then suddenly, Stephen shifts his tone dramatically. Stephen had been subtly drawing them into his story, and then suddenly he confronts them head-on with: "You stiff-necked people!" They wouldn't bow their heads to take up the yoke of God, and they were, “uncircumcised in heart and ears”, he says. This was a severe insult. To be uncircumcised was to be a Gentile, and in the eyes of the Jews. Stephen was saying they were like Gentiles, not hearing the truth with their ears, not receiving it with their hearts, and not bowing their necks to it.

He comes at them with great force, accusing them of resisting the truth just like their fathers did. Stephen was saying to the religious leadership, "You're just like your fathers." It's crucial to note that Stephen was being charged with blasphemy, a crime punishable by death, and he looks them in the face, and says in verse 52, "Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him also." The implication is clear: they killed the prophets, and now they have killed Jesus.

Stephen doesn't get much further because the crowd reacts violently.  Verse 54 says, "When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth." They were full of rage. They cried out, and ran at him with one purpose. They cast him out of the city and stoned him. They took off their outer clothes and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul, who was watching and agreeing with what was about to happen, and they stoned him to death.

As they stoned Stephen, he called on God, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." He knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them." then he died and went to be with the Lord. 

Stephen, like Jesus on the cross, asked for forgiveness for those who were killing him. His death was slow and painful, yet his final words were of forgiveness.

Chapter 8 then begins with Saul consenting to Stephen's death, and a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem. The Christians we are told, were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Saul created havoc in the early church, entering houses, dragging off men and women, and imprisoning them. Later in Acts, we learn that some were even put to death. This was a very serious time. Christians feared being discovered and stoned.

Despite this persecution, godly people still continued to preach the word of God. Persecution is like wind that scatters seeds, and in this case, it scattered the church. Jesus had told his followers in Acts 1:8 that they would be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. But they had stayed in Jerusalem, yet even so God was able to use this persecution to scatter them, fulfilling His command.

Sometimes what we view as a tragedy or trouble can turn out to be exactly what God wants. He may use difficulties to get our attention and accomplish His purposes. This is one of the great messages from this passage. When the leaders didn't like Stephen's message, they stoned him. But God used that event to spread His word.

From Stephen's point of view, we see that he trusted the Lord, was bold in his message, and God used his actions and death to further His purposes. Stephen's story teaches us that even in the face of death, we can trust God and boldly proclaim His message. That is what we can learn from Stephen.

Now, let's consider the perspective of the religious leaders. What can we learn from them? 

When examining the behavior of the religious leaders in Stephen's time, we see a clear pattern: they rejected the messages they didn't want to hear. Just as their forefathers had resisted Moses, these leaders resisted Stephen's message.

One key lesson we can learn from this is the importance of taking responsibility when we receive difficult messages. Often, the messages that challenge us the most are the ones we need to hear the most.

The "Stephen Principle demonstrated here," simply stated, is this: when you don't like the message, don’t shoot the messenger.

This is exactly what happened to Stephen. The religious leaders didn't like being called stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears. Stephen had proven from Scripture that they were just like their ancestors who rejected God's messengers. Instead of assuming responsibility for their actions and repenting, they chose to eliminate the messenger.

The idea of blaming the messenger for bad news is ancient. Sophocles said, "No one loves the messenger who brings bad news." The phrase "don't shoot the messenger" is often attributed to Shakespeare, and it first appearing in the play "Henry IV." Many variations of this concept have appeared ever since.

The principle is clear: we often react negatively to bad news by blaming the one who delivers it, rather than addressing the issue itself. I've experienced this personally when delivering difficult messages. People often get upset, they deflect responsibility by focusing on the messenger's tone or manner.

Preachers and leaders often face this challenge. Delivering tough truths can result in pushback, with people criticizing the delivery rather than engaging with the message. It's crucial to remember that the validity of the message is what matters, not the way it's delivered.

Consider practical examples: a parent finds drugs in their teenager's room, and the teenager responds will often respond angrily, deflecting blame onto the lesser violation of the privacy of their room. Or someone steps on a scale, doesn't like the number of lbs it says you are, and blames the scale. Or a patient receives a terminal diagnosis and spends their remaining time angry at the doctor for how the news was delivered.

If there's truth in what's being said, we need to accept it. Sometimes, I've had to ask my wife for her perspective, which isn't always easy, but necessary for growth.

When faced with bad news, we have two choices: own it or blame someone else. Shooting the messenger is a way to avoid responsibility, but it ultimately just hurts us. 

So, here's the takeaway: when you receive bad news about yourself especially when it is spiritual, don't shoot the messenger. Instead, take a moment to consider the truth of the message and how you can address it constructively. Blaming the messenger only leads to missed opportunities for personal growth and improvement.