Saul of Tarsus — the man who will later be called the Apostle Paul — is introduced at the stoning of Stephen.
Acts 7:58 records that the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet whose name was Saul. Les Feldick points out that this is the first time in Acts that someone other than the twelve apostles and the elders of Israel is brought into the account. Its significance is that the stoning marks the climax of Israel's rejection of Christ, and the same man standing there will later be saved by grace and commissioned to take the gospel to the Gentiles.
Acts 7:58 — This is the exact verse in which Saul of Tarsus is introduced by name at Stephen's stoning.
Acts 7 records Stephen's final address before the Jewish council. He declared, 'Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God' (Acts 7:56). The crowd 'cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord' (Acts 7:57), cast him out of the city, and stoned him. Verse 58 reads: 'And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.' Stephen's dying words were 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit' and 'Lord, lay not this sin to their charge' (Acts 7:59–60). The very next verse says, 'And Saul was consenting unto his death' (Acts 8:1). Later, Acts 9:1 shows the same Saul 'yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord,' and on the road to Damascus the risen Christ confronts him: 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' (Acts 9:4).
Les Feldick emphasizes that at the stoning of Stephen we meet Saul of Tarsus for the very first time in the Acts account. Nothing in the previous chapters introduced him; Acts 7:58 simply says the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. Les points out that this is 'the first time that we have someone other than the twelve and the elders of Israel introduced into the Acts account,' and that this same man will now fill the biggest part of the New Testament (Clip 4). Les describes Saul as a Jew, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, who hated the name of Jesus of Nazareth not because he thought Jesus was a blasphemer but because of his religious convictions — Saul honestly believed he was doing God's service by stamping out these early Jewish believers (Clip 1). The setting, Les notes, is still entirely Jewish: 'Gentiles didn't worship in the synagogue' (Clip 7). The significance, according to Les, is that Stephen's death marks the climax of Israel's rejection of Christ. At the very moment the Jewish leaders stone the one who appealed to them to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the future of the nation in Acts becomes 'all downhill' (Clip 5). But in that same moment, Saul of Tarsus steps onto the pages of Scripture as the man who will literally turn the world inside out (Clip 3). After his conversion on the Damascus road, God commissions him to go into the pagan Gentile Roman Empire with the gospel of grace (Clip 6).
Les describes Saul as a Jew, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, who hated the very name of Jesus of Nazareth. That hatred did not come from thinking Jesus was a blasphemer, but from Saul's religious convictions — he honestly thought he was doing God a service in trying to stamp out the early Jewish believers who claimed Jesus was the Messiah (Clip 1). Les adds that Saul was 'a fanatic to the extreme,' but a man who believed he was doing his God a favor (Clip 3). At the time of Stephen's stoning, Acts 8:1 confirms Saul was consenting to the death.
Les connects Stephen's message to the Psalms, where God arises and His enemies are scattered. Rather than bringing conviction, Stephen's words aroused the Jews' anger — they 'cried with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord' (Acts 7:57). Les notes that the entire setting is Jewish; under Roman government, Jews could never have gotten away with stoning a Gentile (Clip 0). He summarizes the outcome: from Stephen's stoning on, Israel's future in the book of Acts is 'all downhill' (Clip 5).
Les teaches that Acts is a transitional book. After the stoning of Stephen, the next event of importance is the conversion of Saul of Tarsus (Clip 2). Even though Peter goes to the house of Cornelius in chapter 10 and is mentioned again in chapter 11, after that Peter is never mentioned again for the rest of the book of Acts. Israel is now falling out of all the things that God had been promising, the Gentiles make an ascendancy, and 'here comes the Body of Christ' (Clip 2).
Les teaches that Jesus Christ is the foundation of Christianity, 'no doubt,' but it was the Apostle Paul who built upon that foundation (Clip 7). He recalls that U.S. News and World Report listed Paul among the men most influential in changing the direction of human history, giving Paul credit for being 'the instigator or the beginning of Christianity as we know it' (Clip 3). Les concludes that Christianity would not be where it is today had it not been for the Apostle Paul (Clip 7).
Stephen's Stoning and Jewish Anger
Les explains that Stephen's message from Psalm 68 aroused the Jews' anger instead of conviction. They cried out, stopped their ears, and ran upon him; under Roman government such a stoning could only happen among the Jews.
The First Appearance of Saul of Tarsus
Les identifies the first introduction of Saul of Tarsus at Stephen's stoning, where witnesses laid their cloak at his feet. He describes Saul as a Jew, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, who hated Jesus of Nazareth out of sincere religious conviction and thought he was serving God.
Acts as a Transitional Book
Les shows that after Stephen's stoning the next major event is Saul's conversion; Peter's story fades after chapter 11, Israel falls away, and the Body of Christ begins to emerge.
The Man Who Will Turn the World Inside Out
Les introduces Saul as a fanatic who thought he was doing God a favor, then reveals that this same man will turn the world inside out — the Apostle Paul was credited by a national magazine with starting Christianity as we know it.
First Non-Twelve Figure in Acts
Les emphasizes this is the first time in Acts that someone other than the twelve and the elders of Israel is introduced — a young man named Saul who will go on to fill the biggest part of the New Testament.
Israel's Future After Stephen
Les reads the stoning scene and then declares that from this point on, the future of the nation of Israel in the book of Acts is all downhill.
The Persecutor Commissioned to the Gentiles
Les contrasts Saul the great persecutor with the same man commissioned by God after his Damascus road salvation, sent into the pagan Gentile Roman Empire with the gospel of grace.
The Foundation and the Builder
Les distinguishes between Jesus as the foundation of Christianity and Paul as the one who built upon it, noting that Saul's story in chapter 9 is still set in an entirely Jewish world.
Acts 7:56: And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
Stephen's vision of Jesus standing at God's right hand is what provoked the Jewish leaders to rush upon him and stone him.
Acts 7:57: But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
The crowd's violent response immediately precedes the stoning and Saul's introduction.
Acts 7:58: And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
This is the key verse introducing Saul of Tarsus at Stephen's stoning.
Acts 7:59: And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
Stephen's final prayer during the stoning shows his faithfulness even as Saul watches.
Acts 7:60: And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Stephen's dying words complete the stoning scene in which Saul is introduced.
Acts 8:1: And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
The verse immediately following the stoning reveals Saul's complicity in Stephen's death.
Acts 9:1: And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
This shows the same Saul still persecuting believers after Stephen's stoning, which Les points to as the next major step.
Acts 9:4: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
The Damascus road encounter that changed Saul from persecutor to apostle to the Gentiles.
Saul of Tarsus is introduced. Acts 7:58 says the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet whose name was Saul. Les Feldick notes this is the first time someone other than the twelve and the elders of Israel appears in the Acts account.
Because it comes at the moment Israel's rejection of Christ reaches its climax, and the same man standing there will later be saved by grace and commissioned to take the gospel to the Gentile world. From this point on, Les teaches, Israel's future in the book of Acts is all downhill.
No. Les describes him as a Jew and a Pharisee of the Pharisees who hated the name of Jesus of Nazareth and honestly thought he was doing God's service by persecuting the early Jewish believers. Acts 8:1 says Saul was consenting unto Stephen's death.
Les teaches that after Stephen's death the next significant event in Acts is Saul's conversion in chapter 9. God then commissioned him to go into the pagan Gentile Roman Empire with the gospel of grace, and Les credits Paul with building on Jesus Christ, the foundation of Christianity.
Watch the Teaching: Why Israel Rejected Moses — And Then Rejected Christ