Actschapter 7

A.Stephen's Defense Begins: Abraham, Joseph, and the Promisevv. 1-16

1 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?” 2 And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and told him, ‘Leave your country and your kindred and go to the land I will show you.’ 4 So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God brought him out of that place and into this land where you are now living. 5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised to give possession of the land to Abraham and his descendants, even though he did not yet have a child. 6 God told him that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. 7 ‘But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come forth and worship Me in this place.’ 8 Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. 9 Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted Joseph favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and all his household. 11 Then famine and great suffering swept across Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers could not find food. 12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit. 13 On their second visit, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and his family became known to Pharaoh. 14 Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five in all. 15 So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died. 16 Their bones were carried back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a price he paid in silver.

B.Moses, the Exodus, and a People Who Would Not Obeyvv. 17-43

17 As the time drew near for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham, our people in Egypt increased greatly in number. 18 Then another king, who knew nothing of Joseph, arose over Egypt. 19 He exploited our people and oppressed our fathers, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die. 20 At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in the sight of God. For three months he was nurtured in his father’s house. 21 When he was set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. 22 So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. 23 When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. 24 And when he saw one of them being mistreated, Moses went to his defense and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian who was oppressing him. 25 He assumed his brothers would understand that God was using him to deliver them, but they did not. 26 The next day he came upon two Israelites who were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?’ 27 But the man who was abusing his neighbor pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 At this remark, Moses fled to the land of Midian, where he lived as a foreigner and had two sons. 30 After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight. As he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came to him: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. 33 Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have indeed seen the oppression of My people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’ 35 This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be their ruler and redeemer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and for forty years in the wilderness. 37 This is the same Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ 38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. And he received living words to pass on to us. 39 But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. 40 They said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us! As for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.’ 41 At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42 But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘Did you bring Me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 43 You have taken along the tabernacle of Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’

C.Tabernacle, Temple, and Stiff-Necked Resistancevv. 44-53

44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the wilderness. It was constructed exactly as God had directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. 45 And our fathers who received it brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations God drove out before them. It remained until the time of David, 46 who found favor in the sight of God and asked to provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who built the house for Him. 48 However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says: 49 ‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me, says the Lord, or where will My place of repose be? 50 Has not My hand made all these things?’ 51 You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers— 53 you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”

D.Stoned, He Sees the Son of Man Standingvv. 54-60

54 On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 At this they covered their ears, cried out in a loud voice, and rushed together at him. 58 They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

Stephen's defense.

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Stephen's defense. Salvation history from Abraham to Moses to David to Solomon to the prophets: 'ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears.' The first martyrdom, Saul consenting. 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit … Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.'

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

History · Luke — Acts overview

A. 1–16 Stephen's Defense Begins: Abraham, Joseph, and the Promise
B. 17–43 Moses, the Exodus, and a People Who Would Not Obey
C. 44–53 Tabernacle, Temple, and Stiff-Necked Resistance
D. 54–60 Stoned, He Sees the Son of Man Standing

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Exodus 36 verses
- Exodus 3:1Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
- Exodus 3:3So Moses thought, “I must go over and see this marvelous sight. Why is the bush not burning up?”
- Exodus 3:5“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
- Exodus 3:6Then He said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
- Exodus 3:7The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.
- Exodus 3:12“I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”
- Read Exodus 3 →
Exodus 15 verses
- Exodus 1:5The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all, including Joseph, who was already in Egypt.
- Exodus 1:6Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,
- Exodus 1:7but the Israelites were fruitful and increased rapidly; they multiplied and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.
- Exodus 1:8Then a new king, who did not know Joseph, came to power in Egypt.
- Exodus 1:9“Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us.
- Read Exodus 1 →
Acts 74 verses
- Acts 7:6God told him that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
- Acts 7:28Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
- Acts 7:35This Moses, whom they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ is the one whom God sent to be their ruler and redeemer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
- Acts 7:38He was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. And he received living words to pass on to us.
- Read Acts 7 →
John 184 verses
- John 18:10Then Simon Peter drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
- John 18:19Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about His disciples and His teaching.
- John 18:25Simon Peter was still standing and warming himself. So they asked him, “Aren’t you also one of His disciples?” He denied it and said, “I am not.”
- John 18:37“Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”
- Read John 18 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Hebrews 113 verses
- Hebrews 11:8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, without knowing where he was going.
- Hebrews 11:23By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were unafraid of the king’s edict.
- Hebrews 11:24By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.
- Read Hebrews 11 →
Exodus 23 verses
- Exodus 2:2and she conceived and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months.
- Exodus 2:11One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people and observed their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.
- Exodus 2:13The next day Moses went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you attacking your companion?”
- Read Exodus 2 →
Acts 223 verses
- Acts 22:1“Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”
- Acts 22:16And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’
- Acts 22:20And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’
- Read Acts 22 →
Genesis 123 verses
- Genesis 12:1Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you.
- Genesis 12:4So Abram departed, as the LORD had directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
- Genesis 12:7Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
- Read Genesis 12 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.