Acts 7: Speaking the Truth When It’s All on the Line

What Stephen said was a result of who he was

And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. Acts 6:3 NLT

….and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. Acts 6:5 ESV

Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. Acts 6:8 NLT

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. Luke 6:45 NLT

Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12 NLT

If we want to speak the truth, we need to listen well

So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, “We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.” …… The lying witnesses said, “This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses. We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” Acts 6:11, 13-14 NLT

“But our ancestors refused to listen to Moses. They rejected him and wanted to return to Egypt. They told Aaron, ‘Make us some gods who can lead us, for we don’t know what has become of this Moses, who brought us out of Egypt.’ So they made an idol shaped like a calf, and they sacrificed to it and celebrated over this thing they had made. Acts 7:39-41 NLT

However, the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands. Acts 7:48 NLT

“You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.” Acts 7:51-53 NLT

Speaking the truth must be done in love

This was Stephen’s reply: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran. Acts 7:2 NLT

As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died. Acts 7:59-60 NLT

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Ephesians 4:15 NLT

Losing it all is never the end

The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.59 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Acts 7:54-59 NLT

Since we have such a hope, we are very bold.  2 Corinthians 3:12 ESV

My Notes