The following is an excerpt from John Pollock's biography on Paul, The Apostle: A Life of Paul. Note that it is written as a biography not a textual study.
“Stephen and Paul were probably about the same age – the Greek word translated “young man,” denotes a male between youth and forty. Stephen’s birthplace is unknown, for Jews from Egypt and elsewhere used the same synagogue as Cilicians, but he spoke Greek as fluently as Aramaic. Both men were quick thinkers, powerful minds, able controversialists. No tradition remains of Stephen’s physique, but though Paul is believed to have been short, he held himself well enough to stand out in a crowd. His face was rather oval with beetling eyebrows, and fleshy from good living. He had a black beard, since Jews scored the Roman taste for shaving, and his clue-fringed robe and the amulet strapped to a turban-like headdress displayed his pride in being a Pharisee. As he strode about the Temple courts, he disclosed arrogance inevitable in a man whose ancestors and actions made him feel important. He carried out faithfully the unending cycle of ritual cleansings of platters and cups and of his own person. He kept the weekly fasts – between sunrise and sunset—and said the daily prayers in exact progression and number. He knew what was due to him: respectful greetings, high precedence, a prominent seat in the synagogue. Deep down in his character lay a vein of compassion, but he believed that a good man should keep away from bad men. Paul would have approved the Pharisee who, on seeing Jesus allow a prostitute to wash His feet with her tears…, took it as proof that the man could be no prophet...
Stephen, on the other hand, spent much of his time in doling food and necessities to widows. In the two years since the execution of Jesus, the holy city had become pervaded with those who believed that He had risen from the dead. Most were nondescript and poor. Many lived in communal groups and all of them shared their resources. When Greek-speaking disciples complained that widows were being neglected, Stephen and six others were chose to undertake routine daily distribution of food.
Paul was disturbed that a man of Stephen’s academic caliber should demean himself in social concerns; and irked that, while his own affairs absorbed him, Stephen should go around bringing happiness. Men respected but feared Paul; the respected Stephen and loved him. When Stephen preached, Paul could not fail to discern the gulf between them: Stephen always turned the Scriptures in the direction of Jesus as the Deliverer or Messiah … and proved his point by citing the evidence of eyewitnesses that, incredible as it seemed, a corpse had come to life again and climbed out of the grave…
Paul considered Stephen’s arguments nonsense. The Christ had not come yet. And the way to God was fixed forever: a man must belong to God’s chosen people the Jews, and try to obey the Law… Paul felt no personal concern, knowing his own goodness, but he recognized Stephen’s contentions as dangerous. Gamaliel had advised toleration; Simon Peter and other disciples of Jesus worshiped at the Temple and continued to obey the Law. But Paul saw, as Stephen saw, that the old and the new were incompatible; man was saved either by the Temple sacrifices and obeying the Law, or by faith in Jesus. The old must destroy the new or be destroyed.”
Pollock, John. The Apostle: A Life of Paul. pp. 20-22
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