Acts 6:13-15

17.

STEPHEN BEFORE THE SANHEDRIN. Acts 6:13Acts 7:57.

a.

The testimony of the false witnesses. Acts 6:13-14.

Acts 6:13

and set up false witnesses, who said, This man ceaseth not to speak words against this holy place, and the law:

Acts 6:14

for we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered unto us.

Acts 6:13-14 With Stephen before the council the false witnesses came forward with their specific charge:

This man ceaseth not to speak words against this holy place, and the law: For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered unto us.

The general charge of blasphemy is now made specific. The accusation prior to this time was general; these men had hurled the charge of blasphemy with no explanation; now we hear their explanation. They said:
He blasphemed because he said Jesus of Nazareth would destroy this place, and in so doing the customs of worship which Moses gave would perish with the temple.

This accusation was nothing but a black lie concocted by twisting Stephen's words. Stephen had probably in his preaching spoken of the destruction of the temple as Jesus had prophesied (Matthew 24:1-2) and he may have also given the words of the Master as to the destruction of His body (John 2:19-22). By accommodating these words to their own evil purpose and they formulated the charge.

b.

The glowing face of Stephen. Acts 6:15.

Acts 6:15

And all that sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

Acts 6:15 We like the words of McGarvey upon this verse, we quote here from his commentary upon this verse:

There is no need to suppose anything supernatural in his appearance. He was standing just where his Master had stood when condemned to die; he was arraigned on a similar charge; he had the same judges; and he knew perfectly well that the court had come together not to try him, but to condemn him. He knew that the supreme hour of his life had come; and the emotions which stirred his soul as he thought of the past, of death, of heaven, of the cause which he had pleaded, and of the foul murder about to be perpetrated, necessarily lit up his countenance with a glow almost supernatural. (Page 115.)

218.

State in your own words the specific objection urged by the false witnesses.

219.

How had these charges been formulated?

220.

Why did the face of Stephen glow as he stood before the council?