Week 3 Bible Study: Acts 5–7

Theme: Holiness, Growth, and the Cost of Faithfulness

📖 Text: Acts 5:1–7:60

1. Group Discussion Questions

1. What patterns of growth and opposition do you notice across Acts 5–7, and how do they relate to one another?
2. How do these chapters hold together God’s grace and God’s holiness without diminishing either?
3. What does Stephen’s speech reveal about Israel’s history and repeated resistance to God’s work?
4. How does the apostles’ response to suffering redefine what “success” looks like in ministry?
5. Where does this passage personally challenge your assumptions about church, comfort, or faithfulness?
6. How does Stephen’s faithfulness at the end of his life shape the way you think about obedience to Christ?
7. In what areas of your life might God be calling you to greater honesty, reverence, or courage?
8. How does seeing Jesus exalted in Stephen’s vision strengthen your hope in moments of fear or loss?

2. Opening Overview

Brief Summary

Acts 5–7 portrays a rapidly growing church facing both internal and external threats. God confronts hypocrisy within the community, empowers faithful leadership, and allows persecution to intensify. Stephen’s speech and martyrdom expose Israel’s long-standing resistance to God and mark a turning point that propels the gospel beyond Jerusalem.

Why This Text Matters for Christians Today

These chapters confront shallow views of grace, comfortable Christianity, and success-driven ministry. They remind believers that God is holy, the church must be sincere, and faithfulness to Christ may involve suffering. At the same time, they reveal a sovereign God who advances his redemptive plan even through rejection and death.

3. Background and Context

Author, Audience, and Date

Luke continues his account to Theophilus and the wider church, writing likely around AD 60–62. The events occur in the earliest days of the Jerusalem church, shortly after Pentecost.

Historical and Cultural Setting

The church remains centered in Jerusalem, drawing increasing attention from Jewish authorities. The Sadducees oppose resurrection teaching, while the Sanhedrin seeks to preserve religious control. Internally, the church’s rapid growth creates practical and spiritual challenges.

Literary Context Within the Book

Acts 5–7 concludes the “Jerusalem phase” of Acts. Stephen’s martyrdom becomes the catalyst for the gospel’s expansion beyond the city, fulfilling Jesus’ promise in Acts 1:8.

Key Theological Themes

• God’s holiness among his redeemed people
• The danger of hypocrisy within the church
• Obedience to God over human authority
• God’s sovereignty over persecution and death
• Jesus exalted as the Righteous One

4. Exposition of the Text

A. Holiness and Hypocrisy in the Church (Acts 5:1–11)

Ananias and Sapphira lie about their generosity, seeking honor without integrity. Their sin is not withholding money, but deceiving God for spiritual recognition.

Peter identifies their offense as lying to the Holy Spirit, affirming God’s active presence in the church. God’s immediate judgment produces reverent fear.

Gospel connection: Grace invites sinners into God’s family, but it never trivializes sin. God protects the church’s witness by guarding its holiness.

B. Power, Growth, and Obedient Witness (Acts 5:12–42)

Despite internal judgment and external opposition, the church continues to grow. Signs and wonders authenticate apostolic witness, while arrests intensify.

The apostles insist, “We must obey God rather than men.” They preach Christ’s resurrection and forgiveness without compromise.

After being beaten, they rejoice that they were counted worthy to suffer for Jesus’ name. Joy flows from identity in Christ, not circumstances.

C. Servant Leadership and Gospel Care (Acts 6:1–7)

As the church grows, practical needs create tension. The apostles appoint Spirit-filled leaders to ensure care for vulnerable members.

This passage affirms the value of shared leadership and shows that spiritual maturity includes practical service. The Word of God continues to spread.

D. Stephen’s Defense and Israel’s History (Acts 6:8–7:53)

Stephen recounts Israel’s history to show a consistent pattern: God acts in grace, and God’s people resist.

Stephen emphasizes that God’s presence is not confined to the temple. God has always worked beyond geographic and institutional boundaries.

His speech climaxes with a direct charge: resistance to the Holy Spirit and rejection of the Righteous One, Jesus Christ.

E. The First Martyr and the Exalted Christ (Acts 7:54–60)

Stephen is executed, becoming the church’s first martyr. As he dies, he sees Jesus standing at God’s right hand.

Stephen entrusts himself to Christ and prays for his persecutors, echoing Jesus’ own words on the cross.

Redemptive significance: Stephen’s death marks the end of Jerusalem’s exclusive focus and prepares the way for global mission.

5. Voices from the Church

John Calvin “God will never allow the truth of his gospel to be extinguished, even when the world seems to triumph.” Calvin frames persecution as temporary and God’s purposes as unstoppable.

Charles Spurgeon “Holiness is the architecture of the soul.” Spurgeon’s words illuminate why God confronts hypocrisy so seriously in Acts 5.

Jonathan Edwards “True religion, in great part, consists in holy affections.” Edwards helps explain why faith in Acts produces joy, courage, and reverence, even in suffering.

John Stott “Stephen’s speech was not a digression from the gospel but a defense of it.” Stott clarifies that Stephen’s history lesson is a Christ-centered indictment and invitation.

6. Personal Study Questions

What is written in the text?

• What sins, conflicts, and challenges arise in the early church?
• How do the apostles and Stephen respond to opposition?
• What truths about God and Christ are emphasized?

What did this text mean to the original audience?

• Why was hypocrisy such a threat to the church’s witness?
• How did Stephen’s death both grieve and strengthen believers?
• What reassurance did this provide about God’s sovereignty?

What does this text mean for Christians today?

• What does it teach about integrity and leadership in the church?
• How does it redefine faithfulness and success?
• Why is suffering sometimes part of obedience?

How does this text shape my life and walk with Jesus?

• Where might God be calling me to deeper honesty or courage?
• How does seeing Jesus exalted reshape my fears?
• What would faithful obedience look like for me this week?

Closing Reflection

Acts 5–7 reminds us that the church belongs to a holy God and exists for a faithful witness. Grace saves us, holiness shapes us, and obedience may cost us. Yet Christ reigns, stands with his people, and advances his mission even through suffering.