The Acts of the Apostles
Chapter 7
Biblical Stephen Bible Study Adventure
The Stoning of Stephen in the Bible Story
Our Daily Bread study of the Book of Acts continues and last time we
shared, the apostles chose seven men to take care of the less urgent
matters among the church so that the twelve Apostles could devote
their time to prayer and spreading the Word of Jesus.
Stephen, one of the seven, was particularly gifted by the Holy Spirit
and through Him, did great miracles among the people. The leaders of
a certain synagogue couldn't compete with the spirit and wisdom that
Stephen spoke with, so they bribed some men to witness falsely
against him and say that he was a blasphemer. He was brought to the
high priest and the high priest asked, Are these things so?
Remember, that the Holy Spirit made the countenance of Stephen like
an Angel as the council stared at him. He gave a sermon then, that is
a beautiful summary of history from Abraham through Moses and how the
rulers still resist the Holy Ghost, just as they did way back when
and how they killed Jesus, just as the prophets said they would. His
sermon follows:
Biblical Stephen Bible Study Journey
The Stoning of Stephen in the Bible Defense
Acts 7:2-53
2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The
God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in
Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,
3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from
thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.
4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and
dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, He
removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.
5 And He gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much
as to set his foot on: yet He promised that He would give it to him
for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no
child.
6 And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn
in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and
entreat them evil four hundred years.
7 And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I
judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me
in this place.
8 And He gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so
Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac
begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.
9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into
Egypt: but God was with him,
10 And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave
him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he
made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
11 Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and
Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.
12 But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he
sent out our fathers first.
13 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his
brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.
14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him,
and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.
15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our
fathers,
16 And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the
sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor
the father of Sychem.
17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God
had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.
19 The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil
entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to
the end they might not live.
20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair,
and nourished up in his father's house three months:
21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him
up, and nourished him for her own son.
22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the
Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his
heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.
24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him,
and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how
that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
26 And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they
strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are
brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?
27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away,
saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian
yesterday?
29 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in
the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.
30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to
him in the wilderness of mount Sina an Angel of the Lord in a flame
of fire in a bush.
31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he
drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him,
32 Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of
Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses
trembled, and durst not behold.
33 Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy
feet: for the place where thou standest is Holy ground.
34 I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people
which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down
to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.
35 This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a
ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a
deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.
36 He brought them out, after that He had shewed wonders
and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the
wilderness forty years.
37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of
Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your
brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear.
38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness
with the Angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our
fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from
them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
40 Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as
for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not
what is become of him.
41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered
sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
42 Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host
of Heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house
of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the
space of forty years in the wilderness?
43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star
of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I
will carry you away beyond Babylon.
44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the
wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should
make it according to the fashion that he had seen.
45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in with
Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before
the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;
46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a
tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon built Him an house.
48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with
hands; as saith the prophet,
49 Heaven is my throne, and Earth is my footstool: what
house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my
rest?
50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye
do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?
and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the
Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of Angels,
and have not kept it.
Biblical Stephen Bible Study Discussion
The Stoning of Stephen in the Bible Truth
Here again, you can just tell when the Holy Spirit gets into someone
and takes over. When the people heard these things, they were furious
and they gritted their teeth, but Stephen, being filled with the Holy
Spirit, stared up into Heaven and saw the Glory of God, and
Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and he said, Behold, I see
the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of
God.
The people shouted and covered their ears, and all together chased
him and threw him out of the city and stoned him, and the witnesses
laid down their coats at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
As they stoned Stephen, he called upon God and said, Lord Jesus,
receive my spirit. He kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord,
don't count this sin against them. And after he had said this, he
died. Notice the forgiving Christian nature that he had, even at the
point of death, just like his hero Jesus.
Biblical Stephen Bible Study Conclusion
The Stoning of Stephen in the Bible Summary
In our next study, we'll find out about more about the discipleship
of the early Christians and what kind of obstacles, as well as
rewards they encountered. Keep an eye out for the fellow who held the
coats of the people during Stephen's persecution.
You'll find out much more about him in the chapters ... And
books, to come. See you again soon, with more Daily Bread!
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