Acts 6:8-15
A Face Like an Angel
Read the passage
8Now Stephen, who was full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.
9But resistance arose from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. They disputed with Stephen,
10but they could not stand up to his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.
11Then they prompted some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.”
12So they stirred up the people, elders, and scribes and confronted Stephen. They seized him and brought him before the Sanhedrin,
13where they presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.
14For we have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”
15All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Stephen is full of grace and power and performs great signs among the people. Opponents from the Synagogue of the Freedmen dispute with him, but they cannot stand against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he speaks.
They prompt men to accuse him of blasphemy against Moses and God. The people and leaders are stirred up, and Stephen is seized and brought before the council. False witnesses claim that he speaks against the temple and the law, and that Jesus will destroy the place and change Moses' customs.
Luke calls these witnesses false. Religious language can make an accusation sound serious without making it true. Unable to overcome Stephen's words in argument, his opponents turn to misrepresentation.
Everyone in the council looks at him and sees his face like the face of an angel. Luke gives that striking description without explaining exactly what they saw or how Stephen felt. We should not turn it into a requirement that faithful people always look calm. The account presents a Spirit-filled witness facing a dishonest charge; his answer follows in the next chapter.
Questions
1 What was Stephen full of?
AnswerHe was full of grace and power, and God used him to perform great wonders and signs among the people.
2 What did his opponents fail to overcome?
AnswerThey could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke, so argument failed even though hostility continued.
3 How did they respond?
AnswerThey secretly persuaded men to claim that Stephen had spoken against Moses and God, then stirred up the people, elders, and scribes against him.
4 How did Stephen appear before the council?
AnswerThose in the council saw his face like the face of an angel. Luke does not explain the appearance further or describe Stephen's emotions.
What This Means for Us
A charge can be repeated confidently and still be false. Before passing on a claim about someone, ask whether you know what they actually said and whether the report is fair.
If you have been misrepresented, resist the temptation to invent a stronger story in your own defense. Keep an accurate account and seek help from someone able to address the situation. Distress does not make your testimony less worthy of a hearing.
Stephen's wisdom comes with the Spirit's help. Ask God for truthful words and the strength to use them when a conversation becomes difficult.
Prayer
Jesus, fill us with grace, wisdom, and your Spirit. Keep us truthful when others misrepresent us, and give us calm courage. Amen.