Now Stephen, filled with grace and power, was working great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Certain members of the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen, Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and people from Cilicia and Asia, came forward and debated with Stephen, 10 but they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke. 11 Then they instigated some men to say, “We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, accosted him, seized him, and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They presented false witnesses who testified, “This man never stops saying things against [this] holy place and the law. 14 For we have heard him claim that this Jesus the Nazorean will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.” 15 All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
Steven was one of the seven men chosen to serve the Greek-speaking widows in the early Christian community in Jerusalem to ensure the fair distribution of food and aid. He is depicted as a man filled with grace and power through whom miraculous signs and wonders were performed. The presence and power of the Holy Spirit was working through him and his ministry could be compared to that of the Apostles. Individuals from different regions of the Jewish diaspora, Jews who had been scattered throughout the Roman Empire, engaged in a debate with Stephen. They were likely Hellenistic Jews, influenced by Greek culture and language, with different religious perspectives and practices than Jews from Judea. They were unable to refute his arguments due to his wisdom and the Holy Spirit that empowered his speech (Lk. 21:15). Stephen was most likely teaching about Jesus as the true temple and high priest and the fulfillment of the Temple and its sacrificial system (Jn. 2:19-21; Heb. 9:11-12). Frustrated because they could not counter Stephen's arguments, they resorted to false accusations of blasphemy against Moses and God, similar to those made against Jesus (Mt. 26:59-61).
Stephen’s opponents stirred up the crowd and the religious authorities and brought Stephen before the Sanhedrin. They brought false witnesses to testify that Stephen blasphemed against the Temple and its sacrificial system. The false witnesses distorted Stephen's teachings, claiming that he predicted the destruction of the Temple and the abolition of Moses' customs. Jesus did prophesy about the destruction of the Temple (Mk. 13:1-2), but he affirmed the validity of the Law (Mt. 5:17-20). The members of the Sanhedrin stared intently at Stephen whose face was radiant with a heavenly glow (Dan. 10:5-6).
Almighty God, grant us the wisdom and strength to stand firm in our beliefs and to proclaim your Gospel with boldness, even in the midst of adversity. Fill us with your Holy Spirit that we may be transformed in mind and body into your true sons and daughters. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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