Stephen Part 2—His Sermon

Acts 7:1-50
STEPHEN Part 2

Stephen clearly demonstrated faithfulness, humility, service, selflessness and speaking the truth in love to the point of death. Now we look at his sermon in Ch. 7.

The faith of the Old Testament is not different from the faith of the New Testament. The gospel they then preached (OT) is the same gospel we preach today (NT). Christianity is true. It centers on one man which is Jesus Christ.

Four charges against Stephen:
1. Blasphemy against God (v. 1-16) – the truth is Stephen loved God and spoke of Him with great reverence. He pointed the people to Christ while telling stories of the patriarchs (types and shadow of Christ) from the Old Testament.
2. Blasphemy against Moses (v. 17-37) – he was saying that Jesus is like a prophet like Moses and that Moses is a type and shadow of Christ. He also intimates to them how Moses was always talking and pointing to the fulfillment that is Christ.
3. Blasphemy against the law (v. 38) – Moses has seen the law as precious. He also recognises and intimates to them that the result of the law was not for their salvation, but to remind them of the curse of “Babylon”. They couldn’t fulfill the law and that they needed the true Way to be rescued.
4. Blasphemy against the temple – he was saying for people to remember the temporary purpose of the temple and how it was not sufficient to be God’s dwelling. The final means by which God dwells with His people is Christ – the Tabernacle among us.

Stephen was clearly captivated by how the Old Testament testifies about Christ.

Doesn’t it make you want to read and love the Old Testament more?