Study Questions for August 29, 2004

Acts 6:8-7:59 -Stephen's Stay in the Story Message

1. It seems ironic that a person selected to manage the distribution of material resources should give the longest message in the Book of Acts. Read through the entire passage and ask yourself, what was so special about Stephen?
 
2. What is the significance of Stephen’s radiant face?
 
3. How does Stephen’s depiction of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and David capture the essence of God’s work? Does his synopsis of the Old Testament differ from your understanding of the Old Testament? If so, in what way? 
 
4. How does Stephen’s description of salvation history emphasize Israel’s resistance to the will of God and validate his verdict, “You always resist the Holy Spirit?”
 
5. What made the Sanhedrin so angry? Can you understand why they stoned Stephen?
 
6. In many ways Stephen embodied the best of the persecuted church. He delivered the Gospel with clarity and power. How does his death remind us of how Jesus died?
 
7. Luke used Stephen’s death to introduce Saul. Was Paul thinking about Stephen’s martyrdom when he wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21)?    

<return>