STEPHEN, FULL OF GRACE & POWER
Acts 6:8-15
(Antioch Baptist Church: Wednesday, January 28th, 2026)
David Brainerd was an American colonial missionary to the Indians who died at the age of twenty-nine. His diary reveals a young man intensely committed to God. Brainerd once said to Jonathan Edwards: “I do not go to heaven to be advanced but to give honor to God. It is no matter where I shall be stationed in heaven, whether I have a high seat or a low seat there...My heaven is to please God and glorify Him, and give all to Him, and to be wholly devoted to His glory.”(Source: Today in the Word, November 19, 1997)
There is no way for us to know this side of Heaven all that God did through David Brainerd in his short life, but his service to the Lord has inspired multitudes of Christian servants for generations. Like many of the heroes of the Bible, Brainerd was not concerned with the things of this life, nor was he fearful of losing his life; his heart’s desire was to please the Lord.
Our selected text tells of another man who had a similar perspective. Stephen’s life and ministry was relatively short, but the legacy that he left behind serves as an example for us today. I would like to examine his powerful biography and consider the thought “Stephen, Full Of Grace And Power”.
Stephen was a bold and fearless evangelist and God used him to do “great wonders and signs among the people”. It is interesting to note that he is the first man apart from the Lord’s Apostles to have performed miracles in the Book of Acts.
Though he was clearly chosen to take part in the ministry of service described in the previous passage, it is apparent that like the Apostles, prayer and the ministry of the Word was a priority for Stephen. He preached the Gospel in the Greek speaking synagogues in Jerusalem. His preaching was not received well by certain Jews; especially some from what is called the “Synagogue of the Freedmen”. They disputed with him, set up false witnesses against him “stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.”
Stephen would use this opportunity to defend his faith and preach Christ to his accusers. After delivering one of the greatest sermons in the history of the Church, Stephen became the first Christian martyr. As we consider his biography, let’s begin by examining:
STEPHEN’S ASSIGNMENT
We were introduced to this man in the previous verses of this chapter. In an effort to address the important needs as a result of the rapid growth of the Church, the Apostles instructed the members of the Church in Jerusalem to select 7 men that they could appoint over the business of ministering to the widows. One of those 7 men was Stephen.
“Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” This proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit…” (v3-5).
After selecting Stephen and the others “they had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.” (v6) Stephen met the qualifications that had been set forth by the Apostles. He was a man “of good reputation and full of the Spirit and wisdom”. As a result he was selected by the church and commissioned by the Apostles.
It is important to note that even before he was chosen by the Church, Stephen was chosen by God. He was a born-again servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was apparent before his selection and it would become even more apparent after he began to serve the church.
- As we move further let’s examine:
STEPHEN’S ACTIVITY
v8 Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.
Stephen had it all; he was full of faith, power, wisdom, and the Spirit of God. He was bold and Biblical, yet the enemies of Christ still rejected his testimony. His ministry is proof that it is not the gifts, talents, abilities, or even the spirituality of the Christian servant that changes lives. Rather, it is the Holy Spirit who convicts men’s hearts and draws them to salvation.
Stephen’s ministry was brief, but in a short span of time God used Him in a mighty way. In fact, God is still using Stephens’s life, testimony and ministry to reach lost souls and to advance His Kingdom. His story of courage in the face of certain death has been preached all over the world for two millennia and his faithfulness to Christ is still bearing fruit today.
God used Stephen to minister to the people in Jerusalem. Soon after his ministry began, he faced extreme opposition a result of his work for the Lord. This leads us to:
STEPHEN’S ADVERSARIES
As Stephen preached in the local Synagogues, persecution arose from “the Synagogue of the Freedmen.” (Opposition arose, however, from some members of the Freedmen’s Synagogue, composed of both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, and they began to argue with Stephen” -v9).
A Synagogue was a local place where Jews gathered to worship, pray and study the scriptures. The “Synagogue of the Freedmen” may refer to three separate synagogues or one synagogue where three different groups met. We are told that those who opposed Stephen were “Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia”.
The name “Freedmen” seems to imply that these were Jews who had been freed from slavery by the Romans. There were many synagogues both in Judea and throughout the Roman world. Those referenced in this passage were comprised of Hellenistic Jews from the Diaspora. Cyrene was a city in Africa; Alexandria was a seaport in Egypt, and Cilicia was in the southeastern province of Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). Tarsus was located in Cilicia; this was the home of the future Apostle and current persecutor of the Church, Saul (of Tarsus). It is very possible that he attended this synagogue. He will enter the picture in chapter eight as he holds the coats of those who take part in Stephen’s execution.
These Jews rose up in opposition against Stephen, “disputing with Him”. His message was the same message that the Apostles preached; he preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He boldly declared the truth concerning the sinless life, sacrificial death, victorious resurrection, and glorious ascension of Jesus Christ.
His sermon in chapter 7 makes it clear that he was also well versed in the Old Testament scriptures and he proclaimed that Jesus had fulfilled the many prophecies concerning the Messiah. This was a message that enraged the Jews. Though Stephen faced great persecution, his enemies could not find a legitimate charge to bring against him. And they could not resist the “wisdom and Spirit by whom he was speaking”.
- Notice:
STEPHEN’S AUTHORITY
Though the Jews were diametrically opposed to his message, Luke says that: “they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council” (v10-12).
The truth that Stephen declared, the evidence that he submitted, and the “wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke” was irrefutable. Knowing that they could not defeat him honestly, his enemies persuaded certain men to bear false witnesses against Stephen. They accused him of blasphemy, saying “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." They twisted his words and claimed they he had declared that Jesus would destroy the temple and “change the customs which Moses delivered to us."
Stephen’s accusers were not simply trying to win an argument and to discredit Stephen; they wanted to see to it that he was executed. They must have known that this was a possibility because the Law stated that that the punishment for blasphemy was death. (Leviticus 24:16 Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord must be put to death; the whole community is to stone him. If he blasphemes the Name, he is to be put to death, whether the resident alien or the native.)
The members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen convinced the people that Stephen was coming against everything that they held most sacred. They claimed that he was speaking blasphemous words against the Temple, Moses, the Law, and God Himself. With this false accusation, they “stirred up the people” including “the elders and the scribes”. As a result they “came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.”
As Stephen stood before the Council, his enemies had arranged for certain false witnessed to continue their accusations against him.
(They also set up false witnesses who said, "This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law” – v13).
If this scene seems familiar to you, there is a good reason. Stephen is enduring the same treatment that Jesus faced at His own unjust trial. (Matthew 26:59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death, 60 but they could not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. Finally, two who came forward 61 stated, “This man said, ‘I can destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’)
Stephen was treated the same way that Jesus was, the Jews imposed the exact same false charges against him. Listen to their accusations in verse 14: “for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us." This was another lie! It seems that Stephen had referenced Jesus confrontation with the Jews after He cleansed the Temple. On that occasion, the Jews asked Jesus, “What sign will you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days” (John 2:18-19). In this passage, Jesus is not speaking of the actual Temple (though it was also destroyed in 70 AD.) John makes it clear that Jesus was actually speaking about His own body. (John 2:20 Therefore the Jews said, “This temple took forty-six years to build, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body.)
Stephen was standing before the enemies of Christ, facing persecution and would ultimately be executed because he was faithful to proclaim the truth of God’s Word. He was appointed to serve Christ and His Church; he preached with boldness and authority, and drew the ire of his accusers. In the midst of extreme persecution Stephen remained steadfast.
Even in such an intense situation, Luke declares that Stephen had the appearance of an angel. Let’s move to verse 15 and consider:
STEPHEN’S APPEARANCE
v15 all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
The members of the Sanhedrin could not have been pleased by the reports that they were hearing from Stephen’s accusers. However, as they looked at him they saw “his face as the face of an angel”. It seems that there was a visible manifestation of the glory of God on Stephen’s face.
This reminds us of what the scriptures declare concerning Moses after he had been with God on Mt. Sinai. (Exodus 34:29 As Moses descended from Mount Sinai — with the two tablets of the testimony in his hands as he descended the mountain — he did not realize that the skin of his face shone as a result of his speaking with the Lord. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face shone! They were afraid to come near him.)
Here Stephen stands before an enraged crowd who wanted to see him put to death. This faithful servant was facing great opposition, he had been slandered and accused of blasphemy, and ultimately he would die for his faithfulness to Christ and his bold defense of his faith. But, like Moses, Stephen’s was reflecting the majestic glory of God and this was undeniable, even to his enemies!
We have reached the end of this chapter, but not the end of Stephen’s story. Chapter seven records Stephen’s marvelous sermon, which included a survey of the Old Testament Scriptures, a history of the Nation of Israel, proof that Jesus is the Messiah and a powerful gospel presentation.
Stephen was certainly an amazing servant of Christ. However, everything that we see about his life, character, and ministry can (and should) be evident in our own lives. Like Stephen, we have been appointed to serve the Lord Jesus. You may not hold a specific position within the church, but if you are saved you have an important place in the Kingdom of God.
All who have been saved are expected to be witnesses of Christ in this world. When we are faithful to this assignment we can expect to face opposition and even persecution. Paul said, “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).
Like Stephen, you will be opposed by enemies of the Cross who will accuse you, slander you, and even bring false accusations against you as a result of your faithfulness to Christ and because of your efforts to share the Gospel message. For this reason it is imperative that you are well versed in the scriptures and that you do not seek to minister in your own power. Peter said, “in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (I Peter 3:15).
Furthermore, we must take the “sword of the Spirit” into battle and ensure that our message comes directly from God’s Word. Though our enemies may not like it, they will be unable to refute the power and authority of God’s Holy Word! They may never accept our Gospel message, but remember, they are not rejecting you, they are rejecting Christ and they will answer for their rebellion. Jesus told His Disciples, “…whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me” (Luke 10:16).
Like Stephen, if we will be faithful to our call and boldly share the Word of God, those who oppose us will have to admit that there is something different about us. They may not see our face as the face of an angel, but it will be apparent that we have been with Jesus. The only way that this is possible is for us to spend time with Jesus.
I pray that you know Him; if you don’t I implore you to surrender to Him as Lord and Savior today. If you do belong to Him, then I urge you to be obedient to the call that He has placed on your life. Be bold when you face persecution, be compassionate when you are slandered and opposed, be devoted to the Savior, be rooted in God’s Word, and be faithful to the very end. Each of us has the opportunity and responsibility to be like “Stephen, Full of Grace & Power”.
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