What is the meaning of Acts 6:13? They presented false witnesses Stephen’s bold proclamation of Christ (Acts 6:8–10) threatened the religious leaders, so they resorted to breaking the ninth commandment (Exodus 20:16). Like the council that sought false testimony against Jesus (Matthew 26:59-60), these men valued their institution over truth. Proverbs 19:5 warns, “A false witness will not go unpunished,” yet they preferred lying lips to honest examination of Stephen’s message. "Who said" The phrase highlights that the accusers had to manufacture words. Rather than addressing what Stephen actually taught (Acts 6:10, Luke 21:15), they engineered a narrative. Psalm 27:12 captures this moment well: “For false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.” The Sanhedrin heard not the voice of a faithful preacher but the scripted lines of deceptive spokesmen. "This man never stops speaking" The complaint assumes persistence—as though Stephen’s continual testimony were criminal. Yet Acts repeatedly celebrates Spirit-empowered boldness (Acts 4:20; 5:42). Faithfulness to Christ is not an occasional hobby; it is a lifelong calling (2 Corinthians 4:13). Far from being a fault, Stephen’s “never-ending” witness fulfilled the Great Commission’s command to make disciples “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). "Against this holy place" Calling the temple “this holy place” reveals the heart of the charge: Stephen supposedly demeaned the very center of Israel’s worship. But Scripture shows that God’s presence is not confined to stone walls (1 Kings 8:27; Isaiah 66:1-2). Stephen will soon remind them that God met Abraham in Mesopotamia and Moses at the burning bush (Acts 7:2, 30-33). Jesus had already predicted the temple’s destruction (Mark 13:1-2), so Stephen’s view aligns with prophetic truth, not blasphemy. "And against the law" They accuse Stephen of despising Moses, yet he loves the law enough to proclaim its fulfillment in Christ (Matthew 5:17; Acts 6:14). Paul later clarifies, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Romans 10:4). By rejecting that fulfillment, the council, not Stephen, stands “against the law” (John 5:45-47). summary Acts 6:13 exposes a courtroom turned upside down: liars pose as truth-tellers, while the genuine servant of God is branded a rebel. False witnesses allege Stephen’s persistent preaching maligns the temple and Moses, yet his message actually honors both by pointing to their ultimate purpose in Christ. The verse reminds us that faithfulness to Jesus may invite slander, but God’s truth endures beyond every fabricated charge. |
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