51”You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 52Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; 53you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”
History lesson gives way to piercing denunciation. Stephen, like Peter before him (see Acts 2:22–23, 3:13–15), pointed his long prophetic finger directly at the souls of his detractors. They were not just resisting Stephen but the Holy Spirit, that is, God Himself! Everything Stephen has said until now in his sermon applies to the Jewish leaders, including the high priest, and all who followed their lead. Calling them “stiff-necked” portrays them as resolute in their rejection of the message. The phrase “uncircumcised in heart” judges them as acting and thinking totally contrary to the Abrahamic faith. They are dead-set against God as He has revealed Himself and His message through the prophets He sent to them. And this rejection continued to the present day. They were no better than the Gentiles, who were physically uncircumcised!
The present Jewish rejecters of Jesus Christ were falling in line with previous generations of descendants of Abraham who actually killed prophets sent by God (Neh. 9:26, Jer. 2:30). The present leaders to whom Stephen is speaking cannot hide behind pious study of history, as judges of the law. They themselves are guilty! And now their guilt is proven by its extension to the ultimate rejection of God, namely, rejecting Jesus Christ, “the Righteous One” who was “previously announced” by the prophets whom their ancestors murdered. Stephen paints with a very wide brush but stays accurately within the lines of OT prophecy. His interpretation and application of the OT teaching is right on!
So Stephen calls them betrayers and murderers and those who have not kept the law. The gavel of judgment falls hard, unerringly, and with great conviction. This man, previously described as “full of faith and the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5), now proves to be a man of conviction and powerful, prophetic preaching.
The beginning of the Christian movement was a movement of benevolence and compassion, but also a movement of conviction. It was not only “user-friendly” but also God-fearing. Grace did not mitigate judgment; rather, judgment was proclaimed to bring people to repentance, so they might receive God’s grace and forgiveness.
Lord, help me be bold in proclaiming the gospel, warning people to repent.
Not sure if I already said this but, we are studying the book of Acts and the writings of Paul in my Bible Study Fellowship group. It is great to be re-reading the verses and reiterating all that we just studied. Thank you for your teaching ….