1.  Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.
Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”

2.   So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.  For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”
 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
Acts 6:8-15 (ESV)

3. Stephen and the Temple

4. Stephen and the Temple
One of the charges against Stephen is that he has spoken against the temple.

5.   So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.  For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”
 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
Acts 6:8-15 (ESV)

6. While the Bible tells us that the charge
Stephen and the Temple
One of the charges against Stephen is that he has spoken against the temple.
While the Bible tells us that the charge
is false, Stephen may have had an
ambivalent attitude toward the temple.

7. The Jews in the First Century

8. The Jews in the First Century
The Jews were scattered throughout the eastern Mediterranean and Persia.

9. The Jews in the First Century
The Jews were scattered throughout the eastern Mediterranean and Persia.
There may have been more Jews elsewhere than in Palestine.

10. The Jews in the First Century
The Jews were scattered throughout the eastern Mediterranean and Persia.
There may have been more Jews elsewhere than in Palestine.
Yet, the Jewish religion centered on the rites and rituals performed in the temple in Jerusalem.

11. Herod’s Temple

12. Herod was appointed King of the Jews
Herod’s Temple
Herod was appointed King of the Jews
by the Romans.

13. Herod was appointed King of the Jews by the Romans.
Herod’s Temple
Herod was appointed King of the Jews
by the Romans.
However, he was not a Jew by birth.

14. Herod was appointed King of the Jews by the Romans.
Herod’s Temple
Herod was appointed King of the Jews
by the Romans.
However, he was not a Jew by birth.
The Jews viewed Herod with suspicion.

15. Herod was appointed King of the Jews by the Romans.
Herod’s Temple
Herod was appointed King of the Jews
by the Romans.
However, he was not a Jew by birth.
The Jews viewed Herod with suspicion.
Subsequently, Herod rebuilt and renovated the temple.

16. Herod wanted to solidify his political position with the Jews.
Herod’s Temple
Herod wanted to solidify his political position with the Jews.

17. Herod wanted to solidify his political position with the Jews.
Herod’s Temple
Herod wanted to solidify his political position with the Jews.
He may have wanted to create a pilgrimage site which would benefit the local economy.

18. Herod’s Temple
By the time of Jesus, some real corruption had crept into temple worship.

19. Jesus had to cleanse the temple. (Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17,
Herod’s Temple
By the time of Jesus, some real corruption had crept into temple worship.
Jesus had to cleanse the temple. (Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17,
Luke 19:45-47, John 2:13-16)

20. Jesus had to cleanse the temple. (Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17,
Herod’s Temple
By the time of Jesus, some real corruption had crept into temple worship.
Jesus had to cleanse the temple. (Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-17,
Luke 19:45-47, John 2:13-16)
The devotion to the temple was creating a large number of widows and orphans.

21. Stephen and the Temple

22. Stephen and the Temple
One of the charges against Stephen is that he has spoken against the temple.

23. Stephen and the Temple
One of the charges against Stephen is that he has spoken against the temple.
While the Bible tells us that the charge is false, Stephen may have had an ambivalent attitude toward the temple.

24. Stephen and the Temple
One of the charges against Stephen is that he has spoken against the temple.
While the Bible tells us that the charge is false, Stephen may have had an ambivalent attitude toward the temple.
Stephen may have seen the problems with the temple and denounced the corruption there.

25. Stephen and the Temple
In his defense, Stephen pointed out that God could not be limited to the temple.

26. Stephen’s Defense
Acts 7:1-53

27. Stephen’s Defense
Acts 7:1-53
Abraham and God. (1-8)
Joseph and God. (9-16)
Moses and the tabernacle (17-45)
David’s temple and dwelling of God. (46-53)

28. Stephen’s Defense
Acts 7:1-53
Abraham and God. (1-8)
The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran.  ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’
Acts 7:2-3

29. Stephen’s Defense
Acts 7:1-53
Abraham and God. (1-8)
The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran.  ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’
Acts 7:2-3

30. Stephen’s Defense
Acts 7:1-53
2. Joseph and God. (9-16)
Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles.
Acts 7:9-10

31. Stephen’s Defense
Acts 7:1-53
2. Joseph and God. (9-16)
Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles.
Acts 7:9-10

32. Stephen’s Defense
Acts 7:1-53
3. Moses and the tabernacle (17-45)
After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
Acts 7: 30, 33 (ESV)

33. Stephen’s Defense
Acts 7:1-53
3. Moses and the tabernacle (17-45)
After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
Acts 7: 30, 33 (ESV)

34. Stephen’s Defense Acts 7:1-53
4. David’s temple and dwelling of God. (46-53)
After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for him. “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands Acts 7:45-48 (ESV)

35. Stephen’s Defense Acts 7:1-53
4. David’s temple and dwelling of God. (46-53)
After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for him. “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands Acts 7:45-48 (ESV)

36. Stephen’s defense is that God is not limited to one time and place.
Acts 7:1-53
Stephen’s defense is that God is not limited to one time and place.

37. So what?

38. So what?
God does not limit himself to one place. He can meet with when we are in the most humble of places.

39. So what?
God does not limit himself to one place. He can meet with when we are in the most humble of places.
God’s work is not limited to one time and place. He is at work in a variety of places at the same time.

40. We can ask him to work in any place.
So what?
God does not limit himself to one place. He can meet with when we are in the most humble of places.
God’s work is not limited to one time and place. He is at work in a variety of places at the same time.
We can ask him to work in any place.

41. Saeed Abedini * Iranian-American * Converted in 2000
* Called to return to Iran to establish an orphanage.
* Arrested in 2011
* Tortured and then denied medical care.
* In Iranian prison facing death threats.

42. Nigeria
*Christians have been bombed, attacked and killed by Boko Haram.
*The world has forgotten the girls that were captured this spring.
*This week an attack on a Christian village led even more women into slavery.