[Mon, 3 Jun] Acts 7:54-8:3 (904 words; 3/11)

Stephen has finished his speech in front of the same court that condemned Jesus, the Righteous One. It was supposed to be a defence, but Stephen has instead accused his judges. It was these judges who had heard Jesus say:

"But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God." (Lk 22:69)

This declaration secured Jesus' condemnation, and Stephen's vision of this Son of Man standing at the right hand of the power of God will secure his own.

Jesus' statement at his own trial draws from Dan 7:13, where the one like a Son of Man approaches the Ancient of Days and is given an everlasting kingdom (after Israel's enemies have been destroyed), and from Ps 110:1, where the Messiah is invited to sit at the right hand of God (until Israel's enemies have been destroyed). Jesus' point is that his vindication will come, and they will see it. Stephen sees that this has begun to come to pass, that the Son of Man has indeed come to the Ancient of Days, and is at his right hand.

But why is Jesus standing when the psalm says 'sitting'? It could be that Jesus stands to welcome the martyr. But judges also rose to pronounce judgement (e.g. Isa 3:13; Psa 9:19). Perhaps now the Son of Man stands in judgement over this court, as they had stood over him, and as they now falsely condemn his servant Stephen, and deny his testimony. 

But this is no longer a formal process: the Sanhedrin does not get a chance to pronounce a death sentence, which in any case it had no power to do (see note 1). Instead the court which is enraged in v. 54 now explodes in v. 57, and what follows is a lynching. 

But despite the ban on executions, it was still not too difficult to get yourself killed, perhaps especially in Jerusalem. For example, there was a short wall around the temple area designed to keep the Gentiles out. Notices were fixed on it promising death to those who transgressed (note 2). The Romans seem to understand that in certain situations--especially around a temple--a lynching might have to be tolerated. In Lk 4:28-29, Jesus' words in a syngagoue about God helping the Gentiles instead of Israel were sufficiently enraging that the crowd tried to throw him off a cliff, possibly as a prelude to stoning. When it came to Jesus' trial, Pilate was under significant pressure by the growing wildness of the crowds, stirred up by the Jerusalem leadership. A riot was easily possible, which would certainly result in a massacre, which would then result in him having to explain himself to Rome (note 3). We also saw last week that the temple police did not dare arrest the apostles for fear of being stoned (5:26. See also Lk 20:6, where the authorities would not denounce John the Baptist, lest they be stoned), and that in the following trial, Gamaliel had to intervene to prevent a lynching (5:33-35). Paul will later have to be rescued by the Romans when the (false) alarm is raised that Paul has brought gentiles into the temple (21:28-31), and after that, when he gives his defence speech and says he was sent to proclaim salvation to the gentiles, they want to kill him again (22:22)! But it was not just Jerusalem: in Iconium, both Gentiles and Jews attempt to stone Paul and Barnabas (14:5); when they flee to Lystra, they are followed, and Paul is stoned and left for dead (14:19). In Thyatira, Paul causes outrage by exorcising a profitable slave girl. He and Silas are beaten by a crowd and then flogged by a magistrate (16:16-23). In Thessalonica, some Jews react to Paul's preaching and instigate a riot (17:5), and another happens in Ephesus (19:23-41). Preaching the Gospel was, indeed, dangerous work.

As Stephen is being stoned, he says two things, echoing Jesus' own words on the cross: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit", and "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." These are incredible words, in some ways more remarkable than any miracle.

As we saw last week, the death of Stephen who showed how God reveals himself in other nations, will cause the church to scatter out of Jerusalem and into Judea and Samaria. The Gospel takes its first steps into the wider world.

Introduced here also is a fiend called Saul. It is fitting that he is here. The mercy Stephen prays for with his last breath falls on Saul, and he will be the Lord's chosen instrument to bring the name of Jesus before Gentiles and kings.

(1) Herod Agrippa I was later allowed the title 'king', the first since Herod the Great, and with it came the authority to execute, hence 12:1-2.

(2) Two of these signs from this time have been found, and you can see them here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Warning_inscription). 

(3) This is in fact what happened in 36 AD, when a Samaritan 'messiah' gathered an armed group at Mt Gerizim, the rival mountain to Zion. The 'messiah' was to lead his people up the mountain and show them sacred treasures that Moses had hidden somewhere, but Pilate sent troops to block them, and violence ensued. Pilate was sent to the emperor, though no-one knows what became of him. When he arrived in 37 AD, the emperor Tiberius had died and been replaced by Caligula. The silence is tantalising.