The Polemical Nature of Stephen’s Speech to the Sanhedrin in Acts 7

This thesis examines the polemical nature of Stephen‟s speech by examining how the content of the speech firstly defends the charges of blasphemy against Stephen and secondly serves to prove the counter-charges of blasphemy brought by him against the audience. The study shows that the speech is both a defence of the charges against Stephen and an arraignment of the counter-charges brought by him. The speech is therefore entirely relevant to its setting and cannot be a later addition to the martyrdom of Stephen. Moreover, the polemical material increases exponentially throughout the speech to culminate in the counter-charges.