Acts 7

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Acts 7 is Stephen's defense before the Sanhedrin, the longest speech in Acts, and the story of the first Christian martyr. Accused of speaking against the temple and the law, Stephen retells Israel's history from Abraham through Joseph and Moses to David and Solomon, showing that God has always met his people outside the land and outside any building, and that Israel has always resisted the deliverers God sent. He ends by charging the council with betraying and murdering the Righteous One. Enraged, they stone him while he sees Jesus standing at God's right hand and prays for their forgiveness. A young man named Saul watches.

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Acts 7 is a history lesson that ends in a stoning. Stephen, accused of speaking against the temple and the law, does not deny the charges directly. He tells Israel's story, and the way he tells it is the defense. God appeared to Abraham in Mesopotamia, long before there was a land or a temple, and gave him a promise rather than a foot of ground. Joseph was rejected by his brothers and became the ruler who saved them. Moses was rejected by his people twice, once in Egypt and once in the wilderness, and met God on holy ground in the desert near Sinai, far from Jerusalem. The people who received the tabernacle, built to a heavenly pattern, turned to a calf and to the stars. Solomon built a house, but the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands; heaven is his throne. Then Stephen turns on his judges. You always resist the Holy Spirit, as your fathers did; they killed the prophets who foretold the Righteous One, and you have betrayed and murdered him. The council's rage is immediate. But Stephen is looking elsewhere. He sees heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God, and he says so. They drag him out and stone him, laying their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. Stephen's last words are prayers: receive my spirit, and do not hold this sin against them. Luke says he fell asleep.

Bagian kunci

Acts 7:2-8 Acts 7:30-38 Acts 7:44-53 Acts 7:54-60 Isaiah 66:1-2

Historical and literary context

Stephen was one of seven men chosen in chapter 6 to serve the Greek-speaking widows, and his preaching in the Hellenistic synagogues drew the charge that he spoke against Moses and the temple. The Sanhedrin was the same council that had condemned Jesus. Stephen's speech draws on Genesis, Exodus, Amos, and Isaiah, and reflects a reading of Israel's story in which the tabernacle, made to a heavenly pattern, stands over against the temple, and in which God's presence was never confined to Jerusalem. His death, apparently a mob action rather than a formal execution, scattered the church and, Luke notes, was approved by Saul of Tarsus.

How the chapter unfolds

Verses 1 to 8 cover Abraham, called in Mesopotamia and given no land but a promise. Verses 9 to 16 cover Joseph, rejected by his brothers and made a ruler in Egypt. Verses 17 to 43 cover Moses at length: his birth, his rejection by his own people, the burning bush on holy ground far from the land, the exodus, the promise of a prophet like him, and the golden calf, with Amos quoted on Israel's idolatry. Verses 44 to 50 move from the tabernacle to Solomon's temple and Isaiah's word that the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands. Verses 51 to 53 are the indictment. Verses 54 to 60 are the vision, the stoning, Saul at the edge, and Stephen's two prayers.

Why this chapter matters

Stephen's speech is the New Testament's most sustained reading of the Old Testament as a story of rejected deliverers, Joseph and Moses foreshadowing Jesus, and of a God who is not bound to one place. It laid the foundation for the church's move beyond Jerusalem and the temple. His death models Christian martyrdom on the pattern of Christ: he commits his spirit to the Lord Jesus, as Jesus committed his to the Father, and prays for his killers' forgiveness, as Jesus did. His vision of the Son of Man standing, rather than seated, at God's right hand has been read as Jesus rising to receive him. And the presence of Saul at the stoning is Luke's quiet introduction of the man whose conversion the death helped prepare.

Interpretive tension to watch

Stephen's history contains details that differ from Genesis and Exodus as usually read, seventy-five people going down to Egypt, a tomb at Shechem bought by Abraham, which reflect the Greek Old Testament and the traditions of his day. And his tone shifts from careful narration to fierce accusation in verse 51. Was the speech a defense at all, or a prophetic indictment that made his death certain? The chapter invites readers to hear it as both.

Pertanyaan untuk pasal ini

  • Stephen shows that God met Abraham, Joseph, and Moses outside the promised land. What does that pattern say about where God can be found?
  • Joseph and Moses were both rejected by the people they were sent to save. How does that pattern prepare the council to hear about Jesus?
  • Stephen dies praying for his killers, with Saul watching. What might it have meant for Paul to remember that day after his conversion?

Study with context

Use this as a chapter guide, then press deeper into the text itself. The goal is to slow down observation, notice structure, and ask better questions before jumping to conclusions.

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1 Then sayde the chefe prest: is it even so? 2 And he sayde: ye men brethren and fathers harken to. The God of glory appered vnto oure father Abraham whyll he was yet in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in Charran 3 and sayd vnto him: come out of thy contre and from thy kynred and come into the londe which I shall shewe the. 4 Then came he out of the londe of Chaldey and dwelt in Charran. And after that assone as his father was deed he brought him into this lande in which ye now dwell 5 and he gave him none inheritaunce in it no not the bredeth of a fote: but promised that he wolde geve it to him to possesse and to his seed after him when as yet he had no chylde. 6 God verely spake on this wyse that his seade shulde be a dweller in a straunge londe and that they shulde kepe them in bondage and entreate them evyll .iiii.C. yeares. 7 But the nacion to whom they shalbe in bondage will I iudge sayde God. And after that shall they come forthe and serve me in this place. 8 And he gave him the covenaunt of circumcision. And he begat Isaac and circumcised him the viii. daye and Isaac begat Iacob and Iacob the twelve patriarkes. 9 And the patriarkes havinge indignacion solde Ioseph into Egipte. And God was with him 10 and delivered him out of all his adversities. And gave him faveour and wisdome in the sight of Pharao kynge of Egipte which made him governer over Egipte and over all his housholde. 11 Then came ther a derth over all the londe of Egipt and Canaan and great affliccion that our fathers founde no sustenauce. 12 But when Iacob hearde that ther was corne in Egipte he sent oure fathers fyrst 13 and at the seconde tyme Ioseph was knowen of his brethren and Iosephs kynred was made knowne vnto Pharao. 14 Then sent Ioseph and caused his father to be brought and all his kynne thre score and xv. soules. 15 And Iacob descended into Egipte and dyed bothe he and oure fathers 16 and were translated into Sichem and were put in the sepulcre that Abraham bought for money of the sonnes of Emor at Sichem. 17 When the tyme of the promes drue nye (which God had sworme to Abraham) the people grewe and multiplied in Egipte 18 till another kynge arose which knewe not of Ioseph. 19 The same dealte suttelly with oure kynred and evyll intreated oure fathers and made them to cast oute their younge chyldren that they shuld not remayne alyve. 20 The same tyme was Moses borne and was a proper childe in the sight of God which was norisshed vp in his fathers housse thre monethes. 21 When he was cast out Pharoes doughter toke him vp and norisshed him vp for her awne sonne. 22 And Moses was learned in all maner wisdome of the Egipcians and was mighty in dedes and in wordes. 23 And when he was full forty yeare olde it came into his hert to visit his brethren the chyldren of Israhel. 24 And when he sawe one of them suffre wronge he defended him and avenged his quarrell that had the harme done to him and smote the Egypcian. 25 For he supposed hys brethren wolde have vnderstonde how that God by his hondes shuld save them But they vnderstode not. 26 And the next daye he shewed him selfe vnto them as they strove and wolde have set the at one agayne sayinge: Syrs ye are brethren why hurte ye one another? 27 But he that dyd his neghbour wronge thrust him awaye sayinge: who made the a rular and a iudge amonge vs? 28 What wilt thou kyll me as thou dyddest the Egyptian yester daye? 29 Then fleed Moses at that sayenge and was a stranger in the londe of Madian where he begat two sonnes. 30 And when .xl. yeares were expired ther appered to him in the wyldernes of mounte Syna an angell of the Lorde in a flamme of fyre in a busshe. 31 When Moses sawe it he wondred at the syght. And as he drue neare to beholde the voyce of the Lorde came vnto him: 32 I am the God of thy fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob. Moses trembled and durst not beholde. 33 Then sayde the Lorde to him: Put of thy showes from thy fete for the place where thou stondest is holy grounde. 34 I have perfectly sene the affliccion of my people which is in Egypte and I have hearde their gronynge and am come doune to delyver them. And now come and I will sende the into Egypte. 35 This Moses whom they forsoke sayinge: who made the a ruelar and a iudge: the same God sent bothe a ruler and delyverer by the hondes of the angell which appered to him in the busshe. 36 And the same brought them out shewynge wonders and signes in Egypte and in the reed see and in the wyldernes .xl. yeares. 37 This is that Moses which sayde vnto the chyldre of Israel: A Prophet shall the Lorde youre God rayse vp vnto you of youre brethren lyke vnto me him shall ye heare. 38 This is he that was in the congregacion in the wyldernes with the angell which spake to him in the moute Syna and with oure fathers. This man receaved the worde of lyfe to geve vnto vs 39 to who oure fathers wolde not obeye but cast it from them and in their hertes turned backe agayne into Egypte 40 sayinge vnto Aaron: Make vs goddes to goo before vs. For this Moses that brought vs out of the londe of Egypte we wote not what is become of him. 41 And they made a calfe in those dayes and offered sacrifice vnto the ymage and reioysed in the workes of their awne hondes. 42 Then God turned him selfe and gave them vp that they shuld worship the starres of the skye as it is written in the boke of the prophetes. O ye of the housse of Israel gave ye to me sacrefices and meate offerynges by the space of xl. yeares in the wildernes? 43 And ye toke vnto you the tabernacle of Moloch and the starre of youre god Remphan figures which ye made to worshippe them. And I will translate you beyonde Babylon. 44 Oure fathers had the tabernacle of witnes in the wyldernes as he had apoynted the speakynge vnto Moses that he shuld make it acordynge to the fassion that he had sene. 45 Which tabernacle oure fathers receaved and brought it in with Iosue into the possession of the gentyls which God drave out before the face of oure fathers vnto the tyme of David 46 which founde favour before God and desyred that he myght fynde a tabernacle for the God of Iacob. 47 But Salomon bylt him an housse. 48 How be it he that is hyest of all dwelleth not in temple made with hondes as saith the Prophete: 49 Heven is my seate and erth is my fote stole what housse will ye bylde for me sayth the Lorde? or what place is it that I shuld rest in? 50 hath not my honde made all these thinges? 51 Ye stiffenecked and of vncircumcised hertes and eares: ye have all wayes resisted the holy goost: as youre fathers dyd so do ye. 52 Which of the prophetes have not youre fathers persecuted? And they have slayne them which shewed before of the commynge of that iust whom ye have now betrayed and mordred. 53 And ye also have receaved a lawe by the ordinaunce of angels and have not kept it. 54 When they hearde these thinges their hertes clave a sunder and they gnasshed on him with their tethe. 55 But he beynge full of the holy goost loked vp stedfastlye with his eyes into heven and sawe the glorie of God and Iesus stondynge on the ryght honde of God 56 and sayde: beholde I se the hevens open and the sonne of man stondynge on the ryght honde of god. 57 Then they gave a shute with a loude voyce and stopped their eares and ranne apon him all at once 58 and caste him out of the cite and stoned him. And the witnesses layde doune their clothes at a yonge mannes fete named Saul. 59 And they stoned Steven callynge on and sayinge: Lorde Iesu receave my sprete. 60 And he kneled doune and cryed with a loude voyce: Lorde laye not this synne to their charge. And when he had thus spoken he fell a slepe.

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