2. The MINISTRY OF STEPHEN
Acts 6:8-14

3. There are two words for “Crown” in the NT
Diadema, which means Royal Crown and gives us the English word DIADEM
Stephanos, the victors crown which gives us the popular name STEPHEN
You can inherit the Diadema but the only way to get a Stephanos is to earn it.

4. 1 This is the first case of anyone other than an Apostle having one of the gifts of the Spirit. It is one more step into the transition of the church age. Take note it was done with the primary purpose of being an attention getter to the JEWS.

5. 2 Do remember the wisdom of this world is FOOLISHNESS to God
1Co 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

6. 3 Again notice they took up FALSE WITNESSES against him saying he blasphemed Moses and God (take not of the Jewishness.)
Joh 9:28 Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.

7. Act 7:39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
Act 7:40 Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

8. Act 7:37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
Act 7:51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

9. Mat 23: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

10. 4 Just as they did to Christ they were now doing to His FOLLOWERS.
Joh 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

11. Joh 2: Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

12. Mat 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things
Mat 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

13. 5 The “customs” that “Moses delivered us” were long gone and replaced with the “TRADITIONS OF MAN…making the WORD OF GOD of none effect”
Mat 15:6… Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

14. Take note that they saw Stephens face as it was an ANGEL.

15. Exo 34:29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand,… that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.

16. Gal 2:4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: