15  The Man  with the Face  of an Angel (6:8-15)

And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. And yet they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and dragged him away, and brought him before the Council. And they put forward false witnesses who said, “This man incessantly speaks against this holy place, and the Law; for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us.” And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the Council saw his face like the face of an angel. (6:8–15)

This passage marks a transition in the book of Acts. Up to this point, Peter has been the dominating figure, fulfilling his calling by taking the gospel to the circumcised (Gal. 2:7). Another figure of major importance looms on the horizon: the apostle Paul, who is introduced at the end of chapter 7. Following Paul’s conversion, recorded in chapter 9, Peter begins to fade from the scene. Chapters 10 and 11 record his ministry to Cornelius, and chapter 12 his second miraculous release from prison. But from chapter 13 to the end of the book, the record focuses on Paul. Peter’s only appearance in that section is at the Jerusalem council (Acts 15).

Bridging the gap between those two giants is Stephen. Peter ministered primarily to the Jewish people, and Paul primarily to the Gentiles. Stephen’s brief ministry was mainly to Jews from Gentile lands. Peter ministered in Jerusalem, Paul throughout the Roman Empire. Stephen’s ministry was the catalyst that catapulted the church out of Jerusalem into the rest of the world (8:1).

Stephen was in many ways a forerunner to Paul. He boldly confronted the synagogues of foreign Jews in Jerusalem, possibly even entering them to debate their members (6:9). When he entered a new city to minister, Paul would habitually go first to a synagogue (17:2). Like Paul, Stephen encountered fierce opposition, even to the point of physical persecution (7:54–60; cf. 2 Cor. 11:23–25). Truly, the mantle of Stephen fell on his Hellenistic countryman Saul of Tarsus. It is even possible that Paul’s first exposure to the gospel came through Stephen (7:58; 8:1). His death must have left an indelible impression on Paul.

Stephen was thus a key figure in the early history of the church. But apart from his historical role, he was significant because of his character. He was proof that the impact of a man’s life and ministry has nothing necessarily to do with length. His ministry, though brief, was essential to God’s plan for world evangelism. He showed that the efforts of one courageous person, though of short duration, can have far-reaching effects.

Stephen’s selfless, fearless proclamation of the gospel led him to pay the ultimate price for his commitment. He was the first Christian martyr, as the people who had favored the believers (5:13) were manipulated to turn hostile. His death triggered the first in a long series of persecutions that have challenged the church throughout its history. When Stephen died, the church grieved loudly (8:2) because he was so vital a preacher and so deeply loved. Yet he did not die before accomplishing the mission God laid out for him. Nor was his ministry any less significant because no list of converts is recorded. Certainly he had many. In God’s economy, some plant, some water, and others harvest (1 Cor. 3:6). A rich harvest resulted from the seeds Stephen planted.

That the world failed to recognize Stephen’s greatness comes as no surprise. The world measures success by popularity, prestige, or material wealth and thus fails to understand true greatness. After all, they killed Jesus, beheaded Paul, executed Peter, and persecuted the church. Although the people judged Stephen a blasphemer and killed him, he was one of the noblest and most powerful men who ever lived. It is no exaggeration to place him on a par with the likes of Abraham, Moses, Elijah, David, John the Baptist, and the apostles.

One proof of Stephen’s virtue appeared in the previous passage. Out of the thousands of men in the Jerusalem church, he was one of the seven chosen to oversee the distribution of food. Indeed, his was the first name mentioned. His choosing reveals the high esteem the church had for him. They approved him for the highest duty they could. Only the apostles were loftier, and they were not chosen by the church, but by the Lord Himself.

Acts 6:8–15 presents three further evidences of Stephen’s spiritual nobility: his character, his courage, and his countenance.

HIS CHARACTER

And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. (6:8)

Verse 5 described Stephen as “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” Full both there and in verse 8 translates plērēs, which means “to be filled up.” Stephen was totally controlled by faith, the Holy Spirit, grace, and power. His sermon before the Sanhedrin reveals the content of his faith. He believed that God ruled history (7:1–51), and was confident of God’s sovereign control of his life. He could say with Paul, “If we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Rom. 14:8). Stephen saw Jesus as the fulfillment of messianic prophecy (7:52) and believed He had risen and been exalted to the right hand of the Father (7:55–56). His confident trust in Jesus’ care for him allowed him to face death calmly (7:59–60). Finally, he believed in the Holy Spirit (7:51).

Sadly, many Christians today could not be described as full of faith. Like the father of the demon-possessed boy healed by Jesus, their cry is “I do believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). While trusting God for their eternal destiny, they find it difficult to trust Him with the concerns of their everyday life. Stephen, however, was not like that. He trusted God fully and concentrated on doing what God wanted him to do. The consequences he gladly left in God’s hands.

Not only was Stephen full of faith but also of the Holy Spirit (cf. 7:55). That is the privilege of every believer (Eph. 5:18). To be full of faith is to trust God; to be filled with the Spirit is to obey fully His will. Stephen believed God and submitted to the leading of the empowering, purifying Holy Spirit. Those two realities epitomize the strength of the Christian life. In the words of the beloved hymn,

A third spiritual reality, flowing from trust and obedience, that characterized Stephen was grace. Because Stephen trusted God, and walked in the fullness of the Spirit, he was given the grace to face persecution, even death. Neither fear nor hatred controlled him, only trust and submission. He could be gracious even at the point of death because of his confident trust in God and resignation to the divine purpose. Having committed himself fully into God’s hands (7:59), he was willing to endure anything in the strength of enabling grace. God’s grace also flowed out of his life to others. Perhaps that was one reason the church chose him to minister to widows. Stephen was even gracious toward his executioners, praying for their forgiveness as their stones crushed out his life (7:60).

The only way a believer can live like Stephen is by dying to his sinful self. Those busy looking out for their own interests will have little time or inclination to abandon themselves and experience the grace Stephen experienced.

Finally, Stephen was full of power. That was a direct result of his being filled with the Spirit (cf. Acts 1:8). That he was performing great wonders and signs among the people suggests he was far more than simply a deacon. Instead, his deeds of power show his close link with the apostles. In the New Testament church only the apostles, Stephen, Philip (Acts 8:6–7), and Barnabas (15:12) performed miracles. The imperfect tense of poieō (was performing) shows Stephen was continually doing those mighty works, no doubt with the same impact as the apostles (5:12–14).

Taken together, verses 5 and 8 give both the Godward and man-ward sides of Christian character. A man full of faith toward God, and yielded to the Spirit’s control, will be gracious toward others and manifest great spiritual power.

That a righteous man will do righteous deeds is a basic New Testament principle. Paul teaches repeatedly that all Christian joy and usefulness, all power and gracious service, flow out of faith and obedience. For example in Colossians 3, Paul gave the Colossians the following practical injunctions: “But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another” (Col. 3:8–9a). They were to do those things because they had “laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and … put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him” (vv. 9b—10). As “those who [had] been chosen of God” and were therefore “holy and beloved” (3:12a), they were to “put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity” (vv. 12b—14). Paul also expressed that principle to the Ephesians:

Stephen’s life displayed God’s grace and power because he was filled with obedient faith and with the Holy Spirit. Those traits marked him with a greatness so often overlooked. There is no other path to virtuous character and a spiritually influential life than the path Stephen exemplified.

HIS COURAGE

But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. And yet they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and dragged him away, and brought him before the Council. And they put forward false witnesses who said, “This man incessantly speaks against this holy place, and the Law; for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us.” (6:9–14)

A man with the character of Stephen is a match for any attack—and a fierce one came. Alarmed by the power and effectiveness of Stephen’s ministry, some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. The phrase rose up indicates not that they got out of their chairs but that they were stirred to action. Enraged by their hatred of the Lord Jesus and their love of self-righteous sin, these men went after this gifted man of God.

Commentators have discussed how many synagogues are in view here. The Greek text is not conclusive, but it seems likely that Luke has in mind three separate synagogues—the Synagogue of the Freedmen, another including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and a third composed of people from Cilicia and Asia. The cultural and linguistic differences between those groups make it unlikely that they all attended the same synagogue.

Synagogues were meeting places where the Jewish community assembled to read the Scriptures and worship. They originated as far back as the Babylonian Captivity, when the exiles were cut off from access to the temple. According to the Talmud, there were 480 synagogues in Jerusalem at this time (F. F. Bruce, The Book of the Acts [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971], 124; citing TJ Megillah 73 d), although that figure may be exaggerated. Many synagogues, like the three mentioned here, consisted of Hellenistic Jews. It is possible that Stephen was a member of one of these synagogues.

The Freedmen were the descendants of Jewish slaves captured by Pompey in 63 B.C. and taken to Rome. They were later granted their freedom and formed a Jewish community there. Cyrenians and Alexandrians were from two of the major cities of North Africa, Cyrene (home of the Simon who carried Jesus’ cross [Luke 23:26]), and Alexandria. Both cities had large Jewish populations. Cilicia and Asia were Roman provinces in Asia Minor. Since Paul’s hometown of Tarsus was located in Cilicia (Acts 21:39; 22:3), he likely attended their synagogue in Jerusalem. That he was present for the events surrounding Stephen’s trial and execution is evident from 7:58 and 8:1. It is possible that, as a student of the great Rabban Gamaliel, he even participated in the debate with Stephen.

Men from all three synagogues came together and argued with Stephen. Argued is from suzēteō, which refers not to a quarrel but to a formal debate. Luke does not give us the content of the debate. Some of Stephen’s arguments can be inferred from the charges brought against him (6:13–14) and his speech before the Sanhedrin. The debate no doubt centered on the death, resurrection, and messiahship of Jesus, and the inability of the Mosaic law and temple ritual to save.

Whatever the precise issues of the debate were, Stephen won. His opponents were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Their human reasoning was no match for Stephen’s God-given wisdom. The phrase the Spirit with which he was speaking probably does not refer to the Holy Spirit but to the energy, zeal, sincerity, and fervency with which Stephen spoke. He thus had the two requirements for effective public speaking and triumphing in debate: unarguable truth and potent delivery. The impact of those two was more than his opponents could handle.

Unable to defeat Stephen in a fair debate, his opponents changed tactics. Resorting to an ad hominem argument, they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” Secretly induced is from hupoballō and means “to suggest or prompt” with an evil motive. They recruited and coached false witnesses to accuse Stephen, the same tactic used at Jesus’ trial (Matt. 26:59–61). Even the trumped-up charges of blasphemy were like those against his Lord.

The false witnesses accused Stephen of speaking blasphemous words against Moses and against God. Such was their zeal for the law that they mentioned Moses before God. Blasphemy, speaking evil of something God deems sacred, such as the law of Moses, the person of God, or His temple, was a very serious crime, punishable by death (Lev. 24:16). That his opponents accused Stephen of blaspheming Moses suggests he was denying the ability of the law to save. They charged him with blaspheming God by speaking against the temple (v. 14) where God’s presence dwelt. That accusation no doubt also reflects Stephen’s presentation of Christ as the embodiment of God (cf. John 10:36).

Since the people were fanatically zealous for Moses and God, they were easily stirred up by the false charges. Along with the elders and the scribes (some of whom were likely members of the Sanhedrin) the mob came upon Stephen and dragged him away for trial before the Council (the Sanhedrin). Sunarpazō (dragged away) means “to seize with violence.” It is used in Luke 8:29 of a man seized by an evil spirit, while in Acts 19:29 it describes the seizure of Paul’s companions by an unruly gang.

The fear of the people that had forced the authorities to arrest the apostles without violence (5:26) dissipated, and those same people violently seized Stephen. Stephen was popular when he healed the sick and performed signs and wonders. But like the fickle crowd that turned on Jesus so soon after hailing Him as the Messiah, these people were swayed to change their minds and attack the preacher. There is a fine line between hearing the gospel and hatred of the gospel—the line of apostasy. Those who cross it often turn violent.

Luke does not tell us how soon after Stephen’s seizure that his trial began. It is unlikely that the Sanhedrin was assembled and waiting when he was seized. When the trial began, these Hellenists put forward false witnesses. These are undoubtedly the same ones referred to in verse 11. It was their false accusations that prompted Stephen’s seizure.

The false witnesses repeated the charges that had stirred up the people, namely that Stephen incessantly spoke against the holy place (the temple), and the Law. They were false witnesses not because they put words in Stephen’s mouth but because they twisted what he did say. F. F. Bruce writes,

Verse 14 gives an example of the slant they put on Stephen’s words: We have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us. The phrase this Nazarene expresses their contempt for Jesus,since they believed nothing good could come from Nazareth (cf. John 1:46). Jesus had never claimed He would destroy the Jerusalem temple. He said to His adversaries, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). As John 2:21 makes clear, “He was speaking of the temple of His body.” Since that false accusation had succeeded in getting Jesus condemned, they were quick to use it against Stephen.

Another charge calculated to enrage the people was that Stephen taught that Jesus would alter the customs which Moses handed down to them. Stephen, like the apostles, had proclaimed Jesus as the fulfillment of all that the Old Covenant ritual typified. The New Covenant, prophesied by Jeremiah (cf. Jer. 31:31–34), had superseded the Old. The moral law had not changed, but the ceremonial law was done away with. Reality had replaced ritual. Stephen will show in his sermon that he had enormous respect for Moses and the law. Their choice of words, however, made him out to be a revolutionary, seeking to overturn the established divine order. They turned his positive proclamation into a negative attack.

Throughout this ordeal, Stephen’s courage shines through. Despite the intense opposition he encountered, he never backed down or compromised. As his enemies complained, he incessantly reiterated the gospel message. Even while on trial for his life before the Sanhedrin, his courage did not waver. In Acts 7:51–53 he boldly rebuked them in the following words:

Stephen’s courage stamped him with the mark of greatness.

HIS COUNTENANCE

And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the Council saw his face like the face of an angel. (6:15)

This scene presents a striking contrast. Stephen stood before the Sanhedrin accused of being an evil blasphemer of God, the temple, and the law. Yet when the members of that Council fixed their gaze on him, they saw his face like the face of an angel. Far from being evil, Stephen radiated the holiness and glory of God.

God Himself answered their false charges by putting His glory on Stephen’s face—something experienced by no other person in history except Moses (Ex. 34:27–35). He thus showed His approval of Stephen’s teaching in exactly the same way He did that of Moses. Paul writes,

By putting His glory on Stephen’s face, God showed His approval of the New Covenant and its messenger.

Stephen’s noble character and extraordinary courage reflect his greatness. The church’s selection of him for high office shows their high regard for him. Most significant of all, Stephen was great in God’s sight. By honoring him as He had Moses, God singled Stephen out as one of the greatest men who ever lived. And his life and testimony profoundly affected an even greater man—Saul of Tarsus.

Every believer should remember Stephen and imitate those qualities in his life that made him the man with the face of an angel. That would be his most fitting memorial.