Lesson 11:The Stirring Sermon & Senseless Stoning of Stephen (7:1-60)

Overview of the Passage & Helpful Facts for Further Bible Study

D. Stephen’s inspired defense closed with a severe and stinging rebuke (7:51-53).1. “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears!”

(7:51) – stubborn pagans!2. “You always resist the Holy Spirit” (7:52).3. “You now have become the betrayers and murders” of your

own Messiah (7:52).4. You “have received the law…and have not kept it” (7:53).

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Overview of the Passage & Helpful Facts for Further Bible Study

E. Stephen’s sermon enraged his accusers to violence & an illegal mob execution (7:54-60).1. His hearers were “cut to the heart” (sawn asunder with

anger like 5:33, not 2:37).a) They gnashed at him with their teeth (7:54), cried out with a loud

voice, stopped their ears, rushed at him, cast him out of the city & “were stoning” him (7:57-58).

b) The 70-member Sanhedrin council led the way.c) Young Saul was present, approving of the action and standing

guard (7:58).

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Overview of the Passage & Helpful Facts for Further Bible Study

E. Stephen’s sermon enraged his accusers to violence & an illegal mob execution (7:54-60).2. As the first martyr for the cause of Christ, Stephen was

remarkably focused!a) He “gazed into heaven” & saw “Jesus standing at the right hand of

God” (7:55-56).b) He kept on calling on the Lord: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”

(7:59).c) He knelt down in reverence: “Lord, do not charge them with this

sin” (7:60).d) There are remarkable parallels between events in Stephen’s death

& Jesus’ death.

3. This first killing of a Christian led to “a great persecution against the church” (8:1).

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G. There is life after death (7:59-60).1. When the body dies, the spirit separates from the body and

survives (cf. Jas. 2:26).2. The spirit of the faithful will be with the Lord (Phil. 1:23)

and conscious (Rev. 6:9-11).3. By means of His resurrection, Jesus is Lord of both the dead

& the living (cf. Ro. 14:9).

II. Significant Truths from this Passage for Our Understanding

A. God is with us at all times and will deliver us out of the troubles and trials of life!

B. How absurd it is to elevate and serve the work of our own hands over the Almighty God!

C. In times of trouble, may God help us to look to Jesus and set our sights on things above!

D. Stephen did not waver in his trust in the Lord! May we not waver in our trust in Him!

III. Practical Points of Application for Our Lives