The Life of Abraham According to Stephen
A. Stephen's arrest
1) The source of Stephen's abilities (6:8-15)
Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)--Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. (6:8-10)
2) Stephen appeared before the Sanhedrin to give an explanation (11-15)
Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God." So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified, "This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs 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. (6:11-15)
B. The link between us and Abraham
1) Being called by God to walk in a new direction (7:1-5)
Then the high priest asked him, "Are these charges true?" To this he replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. `Leave your country and your people,' God said, `and go to the land I will show you.' "So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. (7:1-5)
2) Believing God's promise and waiting for a longed-for child (6-8)
God spoke to him in this way: `Your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,' God said, `and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.' Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs. (7:6-8)
Summary
Stephen was chosen by the apostles to perform signs and wonders and to debate with people who opposed them. Because the Holy Spirit was speaking through Stephen, no one was able to win an argument against him. Stephen was filled with God's wisdom. Because of the envy of the religious leaders, Stephen was brought before them. When prompted to defend himself, Stephen spoke about Abraham, the father of their people. He tried to show the religious leaders that despite their outward stance of respect for Abraham, they were not living in a way that was true to his faith. Abraham is a father to all people who follow God. Let us learn from his life and his relationship with God so that we can live and pass on the faith that he modeled.
For Discussion
1) Why did people hold Stephen in high regard?
2) Why did Stephen speak about Abraham in defending himself?