Acts 7- In Defense of the Gospel-Stephen's Witness
Acts 7 records one of the most powerful moments in the early church. Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, stands before the Sanhedrin and delivers the longest speech in Acts. His words are not self-defense but a Spirit-filled testimony that reveals God’s faithfulness and exposes Israel’s continual resistance to His plan.
Stephen’s message begins with Abraham and moves through the stories of Joseph and Moses, showing that God’s purpose has always been unfolding, even when His people misunderstood or rejected it.
A Story of Faith and Promise
Stephen begins with Abraham, the father of faith. God called him to leave his homeland and promised him descendants and a land of inheritance. Stephen reminds his listeners that even before Abraham’s descendants possessed the land, God’s promise was sure.
He recalls the prophecy that Abraham’s offspring would live as strangers in a foreign land for four hundred years, yet God would deliver them and bring them back to worship Him. Even when fulfillment seemed far away, God remained faithful. His promises never fail, even across generations.
Joseph: Rejected but Preserved
Stephen then recounts the story of Joseph, who was rejected by his brothers out of jealousy but raised by God to become a redeemer for his family.
“But God was with him,” Acts 7:9 says.
That single line is the heart of Joseph’s story. Though betrayed and sold into slavery, Joseph was never abandoned. God’s presence with him in Egypt showed that His power is not confined to a place or a temple. His saving work reaches wherever His people are found.
Joseph’s story pointed forward to Jesus—another beloved Son, rejected by His own, yet exalted for the salvation of many.
Moses: The Deliverer and Type of Christ
Stephen’s retelling of Moses’ life unfolds in three parts, each lasting forty years. First, Moses was born under threat but raised in Pharaoh’s palace, educated in all the wisdom of Egypt. Though trained in greatness, he was not accepted by his people when he tried to reconcile two Israelites. They rejected him, saying, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us?”
Moses fled to Midian, where after forty years, God called him through the burning bush to return and deliver His people.
“This Moses, whom they rejected,” Stephen says in Acts 7:35–36, “God sent as both ruler and redeemer.”
In this, Moses becomes a picture of Christ. Both were chosen and sent by God. Both came to redeem their people. Both performed signs and wonders to confirm their calling. Yet both were rejected by the very ones they came to save.
Stephen reminds the council that Moses himself spoke of another prophet who would come—Christ Jesus.
“God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers,” Acts 7:37.
Stephen shows that everything in Israel’s history pointed to Christ. The Law, the prophets, the deliverers—all were shadows of the true Redeemer.
Idolatry and the Heart’s Rebellion
Stephen does not soften the truth. He recounts how the people, though delivered from Egypt, turned to idols in the wilderness.
When Moses delayed on the mountain, they made a golden calf and worshiped it. They rejected the God who saved them and returned to the gods of their captors. Stephen quotes the prophet Amos, reminding them that their ancestors also worshiped the stars and false gods like Moloch and Rephan.
Rebellion had always been the root issue. God’s people often preferred visible idols over invisible faith.
The Tabernacle and the Temple
Stephen then addresses the accusation that he spoke against the temple. He draws a distinction between the tabernacle, a movable tent of worship used in the wilderness, and the temple built by Solomon.
The tabernacle represented God’s presence among His people, but it was never meant to contain Him. Stephen quotes Isaiah 66:1–2, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me?”
God’s presence cannot be confined to stone walls or sacred buildings. Both the tabernacle and the temple were temporary symbols pointing to something greater—the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in His people. God does not dwell in structures made by hands but in hearts made new by His Spirit.
The Accusation Turns
Stephen’s tone shifts as he moves from history to confrontation.
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 7:51)
His words sound harsh, but they are Spirit-led truth. The pattern of resisting God’s messengers had not changed. Their ancestors rejected Joseph and Moses; now they had rejected the Righteous One, Jesus Christ.
“Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?” Stephen asks. “They killed those who announced the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered.”
Stephen’s words cut deep, but they also reveal deep love and conviction. He is not speaking out of anger but out of obedience to the Spirit.
Stephen’s Death and Vision of Glory
When Stephen finished speaking, the crowd was enraged. They dragged him out and stoned him. Saul of Tarsus, later known as Paul, stood there consenting to his death.
Yet even in death, Stephen mirrored his Savior.
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” he prayed. “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 7:59–60)
And then he fell asleep. The early church described death this way, not as an end, but as rest in hope of resurrection.
In his final moments, Stephen saw heaven opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Not sitting—standing—as if to welcome His faithful servant home. What a picture of divine honor for a man who lived and died in truth.
Prayer
Father, thank You for the example of Stephen For a life lived with courage, truth, and grace Help me to remember that You are not confined to buildings or titles You dwell in hearts that love You and obey Your word
Fill me with the same boldness that stood before kings and councils Teach me to speak truth with compassion and to endure with faith Let my life point others to Jesus, the true Redeemer And when I face trials, let me see heaven open, knowing You stand with me
In Jesus name Amen