"STEPHEN AND SAUL" (Pastor Tom Henry) ~ 8/27/26

“And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” (Acts 7:59)

“…and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.” (Acts 7:58b)

At the Holy Spirit’s direction, we have in these verses the names of two most remarkable young men, Stephen and Saul. Stephen was a young standout in the early church. He was a devout believer, full of faith and of the Holy Ghost. (Ch. 6:5) He was also full of wisdom - able to confound the great intellectuals at the synagogues of the Libertines. (Ch. 6:8-10) Saul of Tarsus was a highly educated Pharisee, a rising star in the Jew’s religion.

Each of these young men was extremely loyal to his cause. Stephen was an able defender of the Christian Faith, and willing to die, if need be, for sake of Christ and the Gospel. He became the first of a long list of Christian Martyrs. Saul, on the other hand, was zealous for the Jewish cause and dedicated himself to the destruction of the Christian Church. So, here we have in Stephen a willing martyr, who would defend the Faith to the death; and by contrast, we have in Saul a willing witness, whose job it was to oversee his execution. It was the duty of the “consenter” to cast the first stone. Who could have predicted the irony? He too will one day be martyred for the same cause that he is here trying desperately to eliminate.

At this juncture, however, these two impressive young men are on opposite sides of history’s most defining issue - the Christian Faith. That which was now in its infancy was destined to spread throughout the world. (Matt. 13:31-33) The birth of its Founder has divided history into two parts. (B.C. and A.D.) It is also that which divides all of humanity into two camps. All segments of the human race fall under the banner of one of only two groups. It matters not to what race, gender, political party, social class, etc., one may belong, God’s Word knows of only two classes, the righteous and the wicked; believers and unbelievers. There’s coming a day when these two groups shall appear separately before the great Judge of all the earth. On His right hand will stand the sheep, and on His left hand shall be gathered the goats. Eternally there shall be a great gulf of separation between things.

Stephen and Saul are clearly standing on opposite sides of this vital issue, for they are of opposite opinions concerning Jesus Christ. Regardless of the likenesses they share respecting youth, intellect, dedication, zeal, etc., the stark contrast between them could not be greater. Stephen’s entire life cause was the Christian Faith and the Gospel Kingdom, while Saul’s all-consuming passion was the destruction of the Christian Church and the restoration of the Jewish state. Stephen will give his life’s blood for sake of the name of Jesus, that name that he esteems more highly than any other. Saul will gladly shed Stephen’s blood, in his effort to stamp it out.

It must be for sake of showing this contrast that Luke was inspired to record these two names together. It is the singular case in the New Testament where the name of an official executioner is given. Saul had been on the war path for some time, but this is our first introduction to “A young man whose name was Saul.” It calls attention to a special providential arrangement. The cruel destroyer was allowed to observe the quality and character of those Christians that he was determined to destroy. The “chief of sinners” is allowed to encounter the choicest of saints, and witness firsthand a peaceful and gracious spirit under the severest of circumstances. That this had a powerful effect on Saul is without doubt. (Acts 22:20)

What Saul witnessed that day should melt a heart of stone. Yet, that did not appear to be the case. He was “yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter…” (Ch. 9:1; also 8:3) However, things are not always exactly as they seem. When a sinner comes under conviction, he’ll sometimes get worse before he is finally humbled and subdued. We know that Saul’s conscience was being pricked after this. (Ch. 9:5) No doubt God used this experience in bringing Saul to faith.

The mention of the two names, Stephen and Saul, together suggests to us how the Lord replaces those whom He calls home. Some of the Lord’s servants seem irreplaceable. How could the Church spare such a one as Stephen? We cannot always understand God’s ways. We can, however, see how the Sovereign Lord of the Church raised up a successor to His martyr, Stephen, in a most unlikely person, even his executioner, “A young man whose name was Saul.” His Christian name is Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ, the penman of fourteen New Testament Epistles, and the greatest missionary the Church has ever seen. “…and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.”