Condemnation of Israel’s sin

From this passage, Stephen’s defense reaches its climax. The theme is the condemnation of the sins of the people of Israel. “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.” (1) Stephen’s words and demeanor here evoke the prophets of the Old Testament. Until now, he has spoken in the third person, but from this point, he addresses the members of the Sanhedrin directly in the second person with intense accusations. (2) The address “stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears” is the harshest rebuke possible. (a) “Stiff-necked” reflects the arrogant attitude of the people of Israel (ref. Ex. 32:9, 33:3, 5, 34:9, Deut. 9:6, 10:16). (b) “Uncircumcised in heart and ears” signifies an unrepentant heart (ref. Lev. 26:41, Deut. 10:16, Jer. 4:4, 6:10, 9:26, Ezek. 44:7). (c) The description “always resisting the Holy Spirit” mirrors the content of Isaiah 63:10. “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, and you have now become betrayers and murderers of Him.” (1) The sin of their ancestors was the persecution of the prophets. They killed the prophets who foretold the coming of the “Righteous One” (the Messiah). (2) Up to this point, Stephen had refrained from explicitly mentioning Jesus, but now he brings Jesus to the forefront. (a) Here, the “Righteous One” refers to Jesus. (b) The “Righteous One” is a title for the suffering servant (Isa. 53:11). (c) Judas Iscariot’s sin was betrayal, but the sin of the Sanhedrin is both betrayal and murder. (3) The people of Israel have consistently rebelled against God and rejected the Law. Their rebellion aligns with the testimony of the Hebrew Scriptures (2 Chron. 36:15-16). History moves forward to the goal of God’s glory. God’s dispensation has moved from the time of the Law to the time of grace. This means that the role the temple held during the time of the Law has ended, and the sacrificial system required by the Law has also ended. In the age of grace, Gentiles too can be saved through faith in Jesus Christ. We are now under the law of Christ, not the law of Moses. We must not allow our freedom in Christ to be taken away.