Stephen:
The First Martyr of the Church
Acts: The Unfinished Story of the Church Series [15]
Acts 6:8-15
June 10, 2012
Pastor Paul K. Kim
SECOND PHASE: LAYING A FOUNDATION
FOR GLOBAL MISSION (ACTS 6:8-9:31)
7 And
the word of God continued to increase,
and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem,
and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:7)
•Stephen (Acts 6:8-8:2): The first martyr of the church who
became a seed for the gospel becoming universal.
•Philip (Acts 8:4-40): The first evangelist who reached out
beyond the Jews (i.e., Samaritans & the Ethiopian Eunuch).
•Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:1-31): The first persecutor of the church
who was converted, which was the beginning of his unique
calling of apostleship for the Gentile mission.
31 So
the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria
had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord
and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied. (Acts 9:31)
IMPORTANCE OF STEPHEN IN LUKE’S NARRATIVE
IN THE GLOBAL MISSION OF THE CHURCH
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and
in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
•Stephen sharpens and intensifies the tension with the Jewish
religious establishment of the day.
•Stephen’s defense in front of Sanhedrin is the longest sermon in
the book of Acts by far.
•Stephen’s martyrdom brings a great persecution and scatters
the Jerusalem church throughout the regions of Judea and
Samaria (except the apostles).
•Stephen’s story creates a transition from the Jewish mission to
the global mission of the church.
WHY WAS STEPHEN USED
SO POWERFULLY BY THE HOLY SPIRIT?
1) His Spirit-filled Life: Stephen was full of grace and power.
8
And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing
great wonders and signs among the people. (v. 8)
55
But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw
the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. (7:55)
 Stephen was a real-life example of what spiritual maturity
and the fullness of the Spirit look like.
 “Full of grace and power” empowered Stephen to be an
effective witness by deed and word.
 We can also live out a life of effective witness with full of
grace and power by the Spirit’s empowerment.
WHY WAS STEPHEN USED
SO POWERFULLY BY THE HOLY SPIRIT?
2) His Wisdom & Insights: Stephen’s readiness was also in his
spiritual maturity fully activating his spiritual gift of wisdom.
9
Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen
(as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of
those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10But they
could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.
11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak
blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up
the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him
and seized him and brought him before the council, (vs. 9-12)
 Stephen’s knowledge and theological insights were
advanced—in some sense, even more than the apostles.
 Stephen’s teaching threatened the religious establishment.
 We are also to pursue spiritual maturity that frees us to be
an effective witness for Christ where ever we are.
WHY WAS STEPHEN USED
SO POWERFULLY BY THE HOLY SPIRIT?
3) His His Christlikeness/Maturity: Stephen’s life and ministry
revealed his Christlike character and countenance.
13 and
they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to
speak 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 will change
the customs that Moses delivered to us.” 15 And gazing at him, all who
sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel. (vs.13-15)
 The false accusations concerning the temple and the
Mosaic law were a result of distorting Stephen’s teaching.
 Stephen’s readiness was not for winning the debate but for
choosing to die for Christ’s sake in confidence and peace.
 We are to emulate Stephen’s Christlike character as the most
important goal of our spiritual maturity.
Stephen: A Person Full of the Spirit
What does a person "full of the Spirit" look like? By God's grace,
can I be such a person? Stephen engages in an effective witness by
deed and word . . . The defendant [Stephen] stands before the
court in session, tier upon tier of dignified jurists of Israel's highest
court. Stephen transfixes those who would be his judge. It's as
though they cannot take their eyes off him. And no wonder: his
face was like the face of an angel! Though this certainly reflects
divine approval of his witness and parallels the effects of Moses'
standing in God's presence, Jesus' transfiguration is a better
immediate model for what is happening here (Luke 9:29). So full of
the Spirit, so full of wisdom, faith, grace, and power is Stephen
that the glory of God shines from his face. To a greater or lesser
extent, that's the way it is with all those who are full of the Spirit
of God (2 Cor. 3:18).
- William J Larkin, Jr.
THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE
1.
How do I take the responsibility for my own spiritual vitality
[a Spirit-filled life] in this season of my life?
2. What first step can I take to grow in wisdom and insights
from God’s Word?
3. What does it mean for me to pursue Christlikeness in my life
and attitude this week?