What is the meaning of Acts 6:14? For we have heard him say... Acts 6:14 opens with the charge, “For we have heard him say,” revealing that Stephen’s accusers are presenting hearsay as fact. Earlier Luke notes that they “secretly persuaded men to say, ‘We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy’ ” (Acts 6:11). Just as false witnesses were recruited against Jesus (Matthew 26:60-61), so Stephen faces a similar tactic: • The phrase signals second-hand testimony, not direct evidence. • It prepares us to weigh what follows against the trustworthy words of Jesus and Stephen rather than the distortions of the crowd. • It reminds us that bold gospel preaching often attracts misrepresentation (John 15:20). that Jesus of Nazareth The title “Jesus of Nazareth” roots the discussion in the historical person who walked Galilee’s dusty roads (Acts 2:22; 4:10). By invoking His earthly hometown, the accusers intend to: • Emphasize Jesus’ humanity and humble origins, hoping to discredit His divine authority (John 1:46). • Tie Stephen’s message directly to Jesus’ teaching, which they consider subversive (Luke 4:24-29). Yet Scripture affirms that this very Jesus is “both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36), the One whose words carry final authority. will destroy this place “This place” means the Jerusalem temple (Acts 6:13). Stephen had proclaimed what Jesus foretold: “Not one stone will be left on another” (Matthew 24:2; Mark 13:2). The witnesses twist the prophecy: • Jesus spoke of the temple’s downfall as a judgment for national unbelief, fulfilled in A.D. 70. • He also offered Himself as the true Temple: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19-21). • Stephen’s teaching pointed to Christ as the new meeting place between God and man (Hebrews 9:11; 1 Peter 2:4-5). So the accusation is half-true: Jesus did predict the temple’s ruin, but He never advocated violent demolition by His followers. and change the customs that Moses handed down to us. The phrase targets the whole Mosaic system—sacrifices, purity laws, and temple ritual. Stephen preached that: • Jesus came “not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it” (Matthew 5:17). • By fulfilling it, He inaugurated a new covenant, rendering the old “obsolete and aging” (Hebrews 8:13). • Righteousness is now found in Christ, “the end of the law for all who believe” (Romans 10:4). The council fears loss of control and identity, yet Scripture insists that the Law always pointed forward to Christ (Galatians 3:24-25). Stephen isn’t rejecting Moses; he’s declaring Moses’ mission complete in Jesus. summary Acts 6:14 records a distorted accusation: Stephen supposedly claims that “Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.” In reality, Stephen faithfully echoes Jesus’ own prophecies. The temple would fall, and the ceremonial Law would give way to a superior covenant sealed by Christ’s blood. The verse highlights: • The clash between man-made security and God’s redemptive plan. • The way truth can be twisted by those resisting the gospel. • The unstoppable advance of God’s purpose: Jesus is the true Temple and the fulfillment of Moses, offering eternal access to God for all who trust Him. |
    |