I Appeal To Caesar!

P. 4 “Son of Man” is used only this once in Acts 8:56; however, this favorite self-description is used by Jesus of Himself 26 times in the Gospel of Luke.

P. 4 Face shown like that of an angel.” Acts 6:15, Luke’s description. Stephen’s face “glows as though he has the face of an angel” (TPT, The Passion Translation). Compare Exodus 34:29. “To Welcome Me Home” from TPT. P. 4 Obvious Application. Stephen retold Israel’s history using Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, and Solomon—slipping in several Messianic prophecies that clearly point out Jesus—and how the Sanhedrin’s verdict sent Him to the Cross.

P. 5 “ Lynch Mob Action.”

See Craig Keener’s discussion in Acts: An

Exegetical Commentary, Vol. 2, “Lynch Mobs, pp. 1432-1435.

P. 6 Paul’s Age at Stephen’s Martyrdom. “… Paul was somewhere between twenty and forty at the time of Stephen’s martyrdom in about the year A. D. 33, and even that date may be off two or three years, depending on one’s view of the date of Jesus’ crucifixion.” Robert E. Picirilli, Paul the Apostle, p. 6.

The date of Stephen’s death suggested by John Pollock is

“probably A. D. 31,” The Apostle: A Life of Paul , p. 25.

Most scholars will say that Paul was born sometime in the first decade of the century, which was the general time that Jesus’ twelve apostles were born. A surprising thought is that Paul possibly was born in the same year that Jesus was born. P. 9 Acts 22:20 (AMP): “… when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.” P. 11 “Fell asleep.” Acts 7:60, biblical way of describing dying: John 11:1; 1 Corinthians 11:30; 2 Corinthians 5:6-9; Philippians 1:23; Hebrews 12:22-23. “The body sleeps and the spirit goes to be with the Lord in heaven.” Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, Vol. 1, p. 433.