More than most, this speech of Stephen has been subject to that skepticism that is inclined to regard all the speeches of Acts as Luke’s own composition. There is no denying that Luke’s hand may be seen in them all in their literary style and vocabulary. But there is about each of them a distinctiveness that not only fits each to its context, but in some cases, at least, to the speaker’s own writings elsewhere (see, e.g., disc. on 5:30, 13:39; 15:13ff.; 20:17–38). To attribute this entirely to Luke’s art is to give him greater credit than he deserves. In short, there is every reason for confidence that the speeches are genuine reflections of what was actually said, and Stephen’s no less than the others. In this case, of course, there are no external criteria on which to base such a judgme…