Stephen Before His Accusers

Stephen stands with a steady, upward gaze while hostile men crowd behind him, their faces twisted with accusation and outrage. The contrast between Stephen’s calm resolve and the alarmed expressions of the surrounding crowd presents the early church’s first recorded martyr as a faithful witness under persecution. In the book of Acts, Stephen, full of grace and power, is brought before the council after false witnesses accuse him of speaking against the temple and the law. His composed face recalls the biblical note that those who looked at him saw his face “like the face of an angel.” This artwork emphasizes courage, Spirit-filled testimony, and the cost of discipleship when truth is rejected by an angry religious crowd. by Jeff Preston