Chapter 6 is a short chapter, and in it we meet seven new servant leaders of the growing church at Jerusalem, but especially Stephen. Stephen is described as:
Full of Faith—no room for doubt or fear in his heart (Acts 6:5).
Full of Grace—a gift from God proving itself in graciousness (Acts 6:8 RV).
Full of Power—the ability of God to do things (Acts 6:8).
Full of Light—the Holy Spirit within gave him the face of an angel (Acts 6:15).
Full of Scripture—Stephen covered history from Abraham to Christ (Acts 7).
Full of Wisdom (Acts 6:3, 10), wisdom from above (Jas. 1:5).
Full of Courage—the face and fear of man did not trouble Stephen (Acts 7:51-56).
Full of Love—the stones broke Stephen’s head but not his heart. Grace was his to forgive his murderers (Acts 7:60).
~Lockyer, All the Men of the Bible
I don’t know what the verse at the end of this chapter means when it says that the Jewish leaders “saw his face as the face of an angel.” Maybe Stephen’s facial expression was unusually courageous and joyful and honest and open. Or maybe his face was actually shining like Moses’ face after he met with God or Jesus’s face at the transfiguration. Whatever it was, it should have been a sign to the Jewish council to tread carefully and listen to Stephen’s message. (But it wasn’t.)
I do know that I prayed after reading this chapter: I want to be so Spirit-filled, wise and full of faith, like Jesus and Stephen, that the only thing men can find to bring against me is a pack of lies.
What did this introduction to Stephen and to the inner workings of the church at Jerusalem say to you?