Stephen's witness draws a hostile hearing

Stephen's wisdom cannot be withstood, so false witness is recruited

Stephen, full of faith and power, does great wonders and miracles among the people. There arise certain of the synagogue of the Libertines, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen. They are not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he speaks. These named synagogues are Jewish institutions in an intra-Jewish controversy. The scene is not a preview of later Gentile contempt for Jews.

They suborn men who say they have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God. They stir up the people, elders, and scribes, come upon him, catch him, and bring him to the council. False witnesses say this man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law, that they have heard him say Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses delivered. All who sit in the council look on him and see his face as it had been the face of an angel. The accusations blend false witness with real disputes the next speech will address. Stephen's later critique of confinement is not the same as the charge that he announced a wrecking of the temple.

A shining face does not make the hearing fair

The council sees something like an angel's face and still hears hired testimony. Signs and wisdom do not cancel the duty to tell the truth about a neighbor. Christians cannot seize this synagogue dispute as a story of Jewish villainy; it is a fight inside Israel's institutions about Moses, temple, and Jesus.