The Stoning of Stephen

One of the lectionary texts for May 22, 2011 is Acts 7:55-60, the story of the stoning of Stephen.  Those verses are part of a longer story which (if you follow the Revised Common Lectionary) never gets told in worship.  So here is a condensed version of the whole of Stephen’s story, based on Acts 6, 7 and 8.

The Story of Stephen

(from Acts 6:5-8:4)

This is the story of Stephen, a follower of Jesus Christ, and a man filled with God’s grace and power. He was one of a group of seven believers set apart as leaders in the Christian community in Jerusalem.

Through the power of Holy Spirit, Stephen was able to perform amazing miracles and signs among the people in Jerusalem.  But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves started an argument with him. The Holy Spirit gave Stephen such wisdom in his responses that the men felt humiliated. And so they started a vicious rumor against him, telling others that they had heard Stephen speak blasphemy against Moses and God.

Soon rumors against Stephen were flying, and everyone was angry—the people, the elders and the religious leaders.  So Stephen was arrested and brought before the high council.  His enemies persuaded people to lie about him:  “We’ve heard him speak against the Temple and the law of Moses,” they said. “He’s even said that Jesus of Nazareth would destroy our Temple and change the customs we received from Moses.”

Everyone looked at Stephen, wondering how he would respond to such serious accusations. And they were amazed, because his face began to shine, as if he were an angel.

The high priest asked him, “Are these accusations true?”

Stephen looked around at them all, and began to speak.  “Brothers, fathers, please listen to me.” 

And he reminded them how God had been at work in their own history. How God had appeared to Abraham, and entered into a lasting covenant with him.  How Abraham’s descendants found themselves slaves in Egypt, and how God had sent Moses to free the people from the clutches of Pharaoh.  How God had freed the people from slavery in Egypt, and led them into the desert. How, despite God’s love and provision, the people often turned away from God. How they had constructed a movable Tent in which to worship God, and later built a permanent Temple.  Stephen reminded them that God doesn’t actually dwell in buildings made by people—that nothing can contain God.

And then he looked right at them and said, “You stubborn people! You call yourselves Jews, but you are deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you! Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”

The Jewish leaders were furious--so furious that they couldn’t contain themselves. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, didn’t even seem to notice.  Instead, he gazed up into heaven.  And as he looked, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand.

And he said to the angry crowd: “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at God’s right hand!”

But the people refused to listen.  They covered their ears and began shouting.  They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city so that they could stone him to death.  And they took off their cloaks and gave them to a young man named Saul to look after.  Then they picked up rocks and stones and began to hurl them at Stephen.

And as the stones began to strike him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

After his death, a great wave of persecution against the Christians swept through Jerusalem.  Many of the believers fled for their lives to Judea and Samaria—the very places where Jesus had said his disciples would be his witnesses.

The young man, Saul, eagerly joined the persecution, going on a rampage from house to house, dragging all the Christians he could find to prison.

But despite the danger, the believers continued to preach the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.

For more worship resources for the fifth Sunday of Easter (May 22, 2011), click on Easter 5 in the list of "Labels" on the lower right side of the page.