Acts 7 is a trial scene. Stephen stands in the dock. Witnesses present evidence. The Sanhedrin is prosecutor and judge.

Like most trial scenes in the New Testament, this one gets turned upside down & inside out.

Stephen doesn’t whimper. He’s not afraid or obsequious. He doesn’t bob and weave.

He doesn’t even try to defend himself. Instead, he throws the accusations back at his accusers.

False witnesses accuse Stephen of blaspheming the law (irony alert!). Stephen counters, “you received the law as ordained by angels and did not keep it” (6:13; 7:53).

Stephen uses the law he’s accused of rejecting as the indictment. Torah records Israel’s history of renouncing their saviors, particularly Joseph and Moses, and the Jews have done it again by rejecting Jesus.

His face bright as an angel’s, Stephen is the true teacher of Torah (cf. 7:53), a new Moses-of-the-Shining-Face (thanks to Patrick Schreiner).

False witnesses accuse Stephen of speaking against the temple. Stephen charges his accusers with blaspheming the Lord of the temple.

Once again, they’re condemned from the law. Moses brought a “pattern” of worship from the mountain (Greek typos; 7:44) but Israel instead worships “patterns” of false gods (typous; 7:43).

In the wilderness, they worship the golden calf, a hand-made idol (7:41). Now, Stephen charges, they worship the hand-made temple. The calf was a substitute for Moses; the temple has become a substitute for Yahweh.

Stephen doesn’t behave as if he’s on trial. Standing in the dock, he assumes the role of prophetic prosecutor. Stephen is an example for accused Christians today.

Blessings,
Pastor Leithart