Now Stephen, who was full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. But resistance arose from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. They began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up to his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. Then they prompted some men to say, "We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God." So they stirred up the people, elders, and scribes and confronted Stephen. They seized him and brought him before the Sanhedrin, where they presented false witnesses who said, "This man never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. For we have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us." All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
Then King Rehoboam sent out Adoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. And King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste and escaped to Jerusalem.
“Why have you brought this trouble upon us?” said Joshua. “Today the LORD will bring trouble upon you!” And all Israel stoned him to death. Then they stoned the others and burned their bodies.
Significance
Stephen, "full of grace and power," is seized on trumped-up testimony and will shortly be stoned (7:58) — joining a grim biblical pattern in which the rebellious turn stoning against God's messengers and servants (1 Kgs 12:18; cf. the fate of the prophets, "O Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to you," Luke 13:34). The council that condemns him reenacts the perennial rejection of every messenger God sends. Christ-terminus: Stephen dies as his Lord died — falsely accused, gazing on "the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God" (7:56), and praying for his executioners. He is the first believer to be fully conformed to the pattern of the crucified and risen Christ, and his death, far from halting the word, scatters the church to carry the gospel outward.
Found via
G.K. Beale & D.A. Carson, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament
Reference Type
Echo
Connection Method(s)
Analogy
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