How does Acts 7:1 set the stage for Stephen's speech? Immediate Literary Context Acts 6 ends with false witnesses testifying that Stephen “never stops speaking against this holy place and against the Law” (6:13). The narrative tension is high: the council’s charge is blasphemy, a capital offense under Leviticus 24:16. Luke therefore writes, “Then the high priest asked, ‘Are these charges true?’ ” (Acts 7:1). This single verse shifts the scene from accusation to apologia, inviting Stephen to respond publicly before Israel’s highest court. Legal and Historical Setting: The Sanhedrin Interrogation The “high priest” presiding is almost certainly Caiaphas—confirmed by first-century ossuary inscriptions found in 1990 in the Kidron Valley and by Josephus (Ant. 18.2.2). First-century Jewish legal procedure required a formal question before permitting a defendant to speak (cf. Sanh. 5:4 in the Mishnah). Acts 7:1 supplies that judicial trigger. The court setting fulfills Christ’s prediction that His followers would testify “before kings and governors” (Luke 21:12-15). Narrative Strategy in Acts Luke consistently moves from miracle to conflict to testimony (Acts 3-4; 5), demonstrating the Spirit’s empowerment (Acts 1:8). Acts 7:1 marks the transition in that pattern: persecution opens a door for proclamation. The verse cues readers that what follows will be Spirit-filled (cf. 6:10) and programmatic for the church’s mission. Stephen’s Speech Foreshadowed The accusations target (1) the Land (holy place) and (2) the Law. Stephen’s forthcoming defense will answer both by recounting Israel’s history outside the Land (Abraham in Mesopotamia, Joseph in Egypt, Moses in Midian) and by exposing Israel’s historic resistance to the Law-giver. Acts 7:1, therefore, sets thematic parameters for the longest speech in Acts. Covenantal Echoes The high priest’s question unwittingly invokes Deuteronomy 17:8-13, where priests adjudicate hard cases. Stephen’s speech will prove that the council, charged with guarding the covenant, has become covenant-breakers. Thus the opening query ironically indicts the interrogators themselves. Parallel to Jesus’ Trial Just as Jesus was asked, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” (Mark 14:61), Stephen is asked, “Are these things so?” Luke intends the reader to hear the resonance. Both trials occur before the Sanhedrin, both hinge on temple perception, and both end with a declaration of the Son of Man (Luke 22:69; Acts 7:56). Acts 7:1 launches the echo. Theological Significance The verse foregrounds God’s sovereign orchestration. What appears to be a hostile cross-examination becomes the Spirit’s platform to reveal redemptive history. Romans 8:28 is thus lived out: through opposition, God advances gospel clarity. Missional Trajectory Stephen’s answer, catalyzed by Acts 7:1, will precipitate his martyrdom (7:58) and the scattering of believers (8:1), fulfilling Acts 1:8 (“to the ends of the earth”). The question is the pebble that starts the missionary avalanche. Practical Application 1. Expect questions; prepare biblical answers. 2. Recognize adversarial settings as divine appointments. 3. Anchor defense in Scripture’s storyline, not personal opinion. 4. Trust that God’s sovereignty turns trials into testimonies. Conclusion Acts 7:1 is Luke’s strategic hinge. With a single juridical question the stage is set: legal drama, historical survey, prophetic indictment, gospel proclamation, and missionary expansion all unfold because the high priest asked, “Are these charges true?” |
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