Acts 6:1-8:1

Apparently, some of the widows among the Hellenistic Jews are being neglected in the daily food distribution. As a result, some people are complaining. However, the apostles don't think it's wise for them to deal with issues like this and leave their other dealings. So, they propose to select seven men to deal with this issue and the people are pleased with this proposal. Seven men are selected, including Stephen and Philip.

Stephen begins to perform great signs and wonders among the people. Some of the people from the Synagogue aren't too pleased with this, and so they arrange to have a number of people speak falsely about Stephen. As a result, Stephen is seized and brought to the Sanhedrin. It's interesting how it's mentioned that Stephen's face was long an angel. These people are hurling false claims at him and he is seized. Yet, his face is like an angel. I can imagine that if I were in that situation, my face would not be like that of an angel. I could imagine that I'd be rather upset or quite confused and sad.

Stephen is given a chance to speak, so he begins giving a long overview of parts of the Old Testament. He begins speaking about Abraham and talks about Joseph and Egypt and Moses and so on. He doesn't cover all the details of course; otherwise it would take him a very long time to tell the whole story. He ends talking about Moses, then calling them stiff-necked people. Clearly they are not accepting of Jesus, so Stephen talks about how they resist the Holy Spirit and killed Jesus. He was just talking about the prophets, so he even mentions how those he is speaking to are acting like their ancestors who persecuted the prophets as they are persecuting the proclaimers of Jesus.

As Stephen says this, those listening become upset. Stephen is full of the Holy Spirit and sees the Son of Man at the right hand of God. At hearing this, the Jews rushed him. It's quite funny because they are rushing Stephen as they cover their ears and yell. It's like little kids when they don't want to hear what you're saying, so they cover their ears and shout loud enough to blur out anything you are saying.

So they cast him out of the city and stone him. As Stephen dies, he speaks similar words that Jesus spoke before he died. He asks the Lord to not hold their sins against them. He also says "receive my spirit", which is similar to the words of Jesus on the cross as well.

We also get an introduction to Paul who was also named Saul. Readers may not have known Paul as "Saul", so perhaps they would not find out until later that this is the very same Paul who wrote many of those letters that we now have in the New Testament. At this point, Saul is holding the coats of those who are stoning Stephen. Sure, he's not actually stoning Stephen, but he is participating by holding their coats. I heard it explained as if he was encouraging the others to "better" stone Stephen because you could probably throw a rock better with your coat off. Saul certainly wasn't just some innocent by-standard because we read that he approved of their killing of Stephen.