Commentary on Acts 7:55-60

Stephen’s story in the book of Acts powerfully exemplifies a bold, Spirit-empowered witness to the gospel that is expressed in word and deed. The account of his martyrdom in Acts 7:55–60 calls the church to acknowledge both the costly nature of serving the risen Christ and the reality of God’s presence amid suffering and injustice. 

We first meet Stephen in Acts 6, when the nascent church is growing in Jerusalem through the proclamation of the gospel of the crucified, resurrected, and exalted Jesus. Stephen is introduced as “full of faith and the Holy Spirit” (6:5) when he is appointed by the 12 apostles to a group whose ministry is to distribute food equitably within the Christian community, allowing the apostles to focus instead on preaching the gospel.

Apparently, God had additional plans for Stephen. Just two verses after he was commissioned for what some might call diaconal ministry (verse 6), Stephen is performing signs and wonders (verse 8) and preaching the gospel with wisdom and the Spirit’s power (verse 10). He is thereby cast in the same prophetic mold as Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, which was written by the same author as Acts. And as occurred with Jesus, false charges are brought against Stephen that lead to a sham trial before the Jerusalem leadership. 

Stephen’s defense comprises the longest speech in Acts (7:2–53). It is a recitation of the long history of God’s relationship with God’s people that highlights divine faithfulness and deliverance, as well as the people’s tendency to disobey God and turn to idolatry. Stephen concludes by charging his accusers with these same sins because they rejected Jesus, the Righteous One of God through whom God’s salvation is extended to all people (verses 51–53).

Stephen’s prophetic rebuke enrages the Jerusalem leadership (verse 54). Without giving an official verdict or even deliberating Stephen’s case, the leaders rush to drag him outside of the city and stone him to death (verses 57–60). The violence and injustice of their actions is highlighted by the description of Stephen being filled with the Holy Spirit and focusing on a vision of God and Jesus in heaven while his life is in imminent danger (verses 55–56). Stephen’s unjust execution recalls that of the Lord Jesus, to whom he has just boldly testified. 

Now, Stephen gives the ultimate witness to Christ by surrendering his very life into God’s care while asking for mercy for those who murder him, just as Jesus did on the cross (verses 59–60; Luke 23:34, 46). 

This account of Stephen’s martyrdom might evoke a range of reactions:

• Anger at the injustice of an innocent man being brutally executed
• Sadness that Stephen’s promising life and vocation are cut short
• Fear that we too might be persecuted for our faith in Christ, or simply for being misunderstood
• Being inspired by Stephen’s Spirit-empowered trust in God that allowed him to remain hopeful and calm in the face of death
• Feeling convicted that at times, we are like the accusers in this story who fail to recognize how God is addressing them 

Acknowledging the various ways people might experience this text and knowing one’s context will shape how this text is preached or taught. Even so, there are core elements of this text that can be developed in different ways. 

Fundamentally, Acts 7:55–60 proclaims the truth found throughout scripture that God remains present and faithful to God’s people, even amid sin, injustice, and suffering. Contrary to what the prosperity “gospel” would have us believe, illness, poverty, and other struggles are not signs that people lack faith or divine favor. In fact, Stephen was persecuted and killed precisely because he was faithfully living out God’s call. The Holy Spirit who empowered Stephen’s ministry remained with him through his death, when he was received by Jesus. 

This does not mean that all Christians are called to literally die for their faith or should seek to suffer as a mark of discipleship. Rather, the text identifies the reality that proclaiming the gospel in word and deed often meets with opposition in a world whose values do not align with the self-giving love of Jesus. Christians living in contexts where they face ongoing threats of violent persecution for their faith know this well. And other challenges to persevering in Christian faith abound, such as a miscarriage after years of hoping for a child, a negative medical diagnosis, or betrayal by one’s spouse. Stephen’s story calls Christians to acknowledge divine presence in situations that seem God-forsaken and to help each other persevere in times of struggle.

Similarly, this text challenges us to name the specific instances of injustice and suffering in our communities and around the world. It can be tempting to turn off the news when we see children starving in war zones or people battling addiction because it’s too uncomfortable to watch. But the biblical account of Stephen’s martyrdom does not allow us to look away from what makes us uncomfortable. And rather than just lamenting other people’s suffering, Stephen’s bold witness calls the church to speak out against injustice and act in solidarity with those in need. 

None of us can do this in our own strength. Like Stephen, we rely on the power and guiding presence of the Holy Spirit to witness to the risen Christ in the ways that God has uniquely equipped and called us to do. Our testimony may not be as dramatic as Stephen’s, but it is nonetheless a powerful manifestation of the gospel when the Spirit empowers us to forgive someone who has wronged us or refuse to respond in anger when provoked. 

And we can be encouraged by the fact that God calls and equips all Christians to proclaim the gospel in some way—not just clergy or professional church leaders. God’s empowerment of Stephen to preach the gospel does not negate the importance of his initial role of serving food. Acts portrays both vocations as necessary and Spirit-led. We too can expect God to work through us in whatever our daily lives entail. This may not look quite like it did with Stephen, but nonetheless, we can embrace his example of being attentive to the Spirit and being willing to follow God’s prompting.