And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
Stephen was one of the seven men set apart with prayer and laying on of hands for practical duties, foremost among them, and being full of faith and power meant he was a man of deep piety and broad faith, filled with the Holy Spirit and with power from on high. Full of that endowment he was very active in God's cause, doing great wonders and miracles among the people and joining word and work to win souls by boldly proclaiming the crucified and risen Saviour and exalting Jesus. He spoke through the Holy Spirit with assurance, wisdom and knowledge, for as a student of the prophecies and one learned in the law and Scriptures he could defend the truths he taught, so that learned opponents could not resist or refute him. His ministry belonged to the time after Pentecost when the gospel was spreading and the church was growing, with many becoming obedient to the faith, including a great company of priests turning from traditions and sacrifices to accept Jesus as the great sacrifice. Instead of accepting the evidence, the priests and rulers who witnessed his power hated him, seized him and brought him before the Sanhedrin with false witnesses accusing him of speaking against Moses, God, the temple and the law, and killed him when they could not defeat him in debate.
Setting and Endowment
Stephen stands among the seven chosen men set apart for practical business duties, appointed with prayer and the laying on of hands, and he is foremost among them. That setting apart for business did not close the door to teaching, for those ordained were fully qualified to instruct others in the truth. They were men of calm judgment and discretion, fitted to meet difficult cases of trial and murmuring or jealousy.
His work of faith and power belongs to the time after Pentecost when the gospel was spreading and the church was growing. Many became obedient to the faith, including a great company of priests. Those priests turned from traditions and sacrifices to accept Jesus as the great sacrifice, and the convictions awakened by Christ's death bore fruit in bold proclamation by the disciples.
The chapter of his choosing is held up as the model for choosing leaders, who are to be honest, staunch men filled with the Holy Spirit and fitted for Spirit-filled service. Chosen to serve the church, Stephen was full of faith and the Holy Spirit. Being full of faith and power means he was a man of deep piety and broad faith, doing great wonders and miracles among the people through power from on high for his work.
That power included boldly proclaiming the gospel and speaking through the Holy Spirit with assurance, wisdom, and knowledge. He was a student of the prophecies and learned in the law and the Scriptures, with firm knowledge able to defend the truths he taught. He ably defended what he advocated and utterly defeated learned opponents who had expected an easy victory because they supposed him ignorant.
Ministry, Witness and Opposition
Appointment to practical business duties by prayer and the laying on of hands did not shut Stephen and the seven out from teaching the faith, for they were fully qualified to instruct others in the truth. Those so ordained were men of calm judgment and discretion, fitted to deal with difficult cases of trial, murmuring, or jealousy. Full of faith and power, Stephen was very active in God's cause, doing great wonders and miracles among the people and using both word and work to win people to Christ. He boldly proclaimed the gospel, testifying to the crucified and risen Saviour, exalting Jesus, and reproving unbelieving priests and elders.
He spoke with the power of the Holy Ghost, with a wisdom and Spirit that could not be resisted or refuted, confounding his opponents and utterly defeating learned men who had expected an easy victory because they supposed him ignorant. His striking display of power moved the city and gave weight to the evidence he presented. The signs of God's presence with him continued as striking evidence even during his trial, and led Saul to doubt that opposing the followers of Jesus was right.
Instead of accepting the evidence, the priests and rulers who witnessed it hated him and sought to silence him by seizing him and bringing him before the Sanhedrin for trial. When they could not defeat him in debate or withstand his firm knowledge of Scripture, they used false witnesses to accuse him of speaking against Moses, God, the temple, and the law. His testimony provoked fierce hatred from Christ's opponents, and they killed him when they could not defeat him in debate.
Stephen was one of the seven men set apart with prayer and laying on of hands for practical duties, foremost among them, and being full of faith and power meant he was a man of deep piety and broad faith, filled with the Holy Spirit and with power from on high. Full of that endowment he was very active in God's cause, doing great wonders and miracles among the people and joining word and work to win souls by boldly proclaiming the crucified and risen Saviour and exalting Jesus. He spoke through the Holy Spirit with assurance, wisdom and knowledge, for as a student of the prophecies and one learned in the law and Scriptures he could defend the truths he taught, so that learned opponents could not resist or refute him. His ministry belonged to the time after Pentecost when the gospel was spreading and the church was growing, with many becoming obedient to the faith, including a great company of priests turning from traditions and sacrifices to accept Jesus as the great sacrifice. Instead of accepting the evidence, the priests and rulers who witnessed his power hated him, seized him and brought him before the Sanhedrin with false witnesses accusing him of speaking against Moses, God, the temple and the law, and killed him when they could not defeat him in debate.
Setting and Endowment
Stephen stands among the seven chosen men set apart for practical business duties, appointed with prayer and the laying on of hands, and he is foremost among them. That setting apart for business did not close the door to teaching, for those ordained were fully qualified to instruct others in the truth. They were men of calm judgment and discretion, fitted to meet difficult cases of trial and murmuring or jealousy.
His work of faith and power belongs to the time after Pentecost when the gospel was spreading and the church was growing. Many became obedient to the faith, including a great company of priests. Those priests turned from traditions and sacrifices to accept Jesus as the great sacrifice, and the convictions awakened by Christ's death bore fruit in bold proclamation by the disciples.
The chapter of his choosing is held up as the model for choosing leaders, who are to be honest, staunch men filled with the Holy Spirit and fitted for Spirit-filled service. Chosen to serve the church, Stephen was full of faith and the Holy Spirit. Being full of faith and power means he was a man of deep piety and broad faith, doing great wonders and miracles among the people through power from on high for his work.
That power included boldly proclaiming the gospel and speaking through the Holy Spirit with assurance, wisdom, and knowledge. He was a student of the prophecies and learned in the law and the Scriptures, with firm knowledge able to defend the truths he taught. He ably defended what he advocated and utterly defeated learned opponents who had expected an easy victory because they supposed him ignorant.
Ministry, Witness and Opposition
Appointment to practical business duties by prayer and the laying on of hands did not shut Stephen and the seven out from teaching the faith, for they were fully qualified to instruct others in the truth. Those so ordained were men of calm judgment and discretion, fitted to deal with difficult cases of trial, murmuring, or jealousy. Full of faith and power, Stephen was very active in God's cause, doing great wonders and miracles among the people and using both word and work to win people to Christ. He boldly proclaimed the gospel, testifying to the crucified and risen Saviour, exalting Jesus, and reproving unbelieving priests and elders.
He spoke with the power of the Holy Ghost, with a wisdom and Spirit that could not be resisted or refuted, confounding his opponents and utterly defeating learned men who had expected an easy victory because they supposed him ignorant. His striking display of power moved the city and gave weight to the evidence he presented. The signs of God's presence with him continued as striking evidence even during his trial, and led Saul to doubt that opposing the followers of Jesus was right.
Instead of accepting the evidence, the priests and rulers who witnessed it hated him and sought to silence him by seizing him and bringing him before the Sanhedrin for trial. When they could not defeat him in debate or withstand his firm knowledge of Scripture, they used false witnesses to accuse him of speaking against Moses, God, the temple, and the law. His testimony provoked fierce hatred from Christ's opponents, and they killed him when they could not defeat him in debate.