Stephen’s Defense

“And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.” Acts 7:2-5

Stephen was accused of speaking blasphemous things and trying to change the customs and religious practices of the Jewish people. As he appeared before the council and asked him about these very serious charges which were leveled against him, he answered by reciting a brief summary of the history of the nation of Israel and God’s dealings with His people. He showed them that the nation began with one man, Abraham, when God promised to make a great nation of him and give him a land for a possession. Stephen displayed clear understanding of scripture as he spoke before the council and declared that the Israelites had repeatedly rejected the leaders and prophets that God had sent to them. Stephen’s knowledge of the Word of God and his proper use and interpretation of scripture is an excellent example for believers today. “Be ready always to give an answer to every man” (I Peter 3:15).