Then said the high priest, Are these things so? Acts 7:1
Some of the more radical religious people in Jerusalem had tried to debate with Stephen, and they got nowhere. Led by the Holy Spirit, Stephen was too eloquent and too convincing with his presentation of Jesus Christ as the risen Saviour. Rather than accept that Stephen was telling the truth, they determined to get rid of him. The false witnesses that they brought before the council accused Stephen of blasphemy against the temple and the law. Now, the high priest is asking in our text for Stephen to respond to those charges. As far as defending himself goes, Stephen stood no chance. Not only were the witnesses false, twisting the truth to suit their purposes, but also the judge was deeply biased. This high priest was probably Caiaphas, the same manipulative wretch who had condemned the Lord Jesus. And just as he did with Jesus, Caiaphas was merely interested in giving Stephen an opportunity to condemn himself. What was Stephen to do? The same as what we ought to do when challenged about our faith: preach the Gospel.
Stephen did not make any attempt to defend himself against the false charges. Rather, he provided those Jewish leaders with the historical background to their religion and how it all pointed forward to the Saviour. Had they been listening for anything but a way to condemn Stephen, those Jewish leaders would surely have been convinced of the truth. But they were not interested in the truth; they were interested only in defending their own position and in condemning Stephen. They were just like those around us who criticize our Christian testimony and who oppose the Gospel message. We are highly unlikely to be able to convince these evil people that they are wrong and that our witness is true. They will do all they can to defend their sinful lifestyle and their opposition to God. Fighting against them does no good. Arguing with them accomplishes nothing. But the Gospel is always the truth and preaching the Gospel is always the power of God unto Salvation. If we quote the Word of God, and if we present the simple, clear message of the Gospel, God can use it for His purposes.
We don’t know how many of those who heard Stephen’s response to the high priest’s question were ever saved. But we know that at least one was, although he was not saved that day. If Stephen could have know that Saul of Tarsus would come under conviction as a result of his message, he would have been pleased. Only God can know the result of our faithfulness in speaking for Him. So let us be faithful. -Jim MacIntosh