ACTS Chapter 7 – Charles

 

Acts chapter 7 is what I would call a narrative... it's in "story" form. 

Stephen preaches his defence message to the Council, who have put him on trial for blasphemy.

He goes as far back as the patriarch Abraham.

 

I will write each verse as found in the KJV followed by my transliteration of it in modern understandable English. 

 

I'll do my best... with a little help from The Living Bible. 

 

Question to ponder...

How did the writer Luke, get all this circumstantial account?

He might have been present, and heard the whole, or, more probably, he had the account from Paul, whose companion he was, and who was certainly present when Stephen was judged and stoned, for he was consenting to his death, and kept the clothes of them who stoned him.

 

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☆ Acts 7:1...

"Then said the high priest, Are these things so?"

 

The high priest asks Stephen, "Are these accusations true?"

 

☆ Acts 7:2...

"And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran..."

 

Stephen replies, "Men, brothers and fathers listen carefully. The glorious God appeared to our ancestral father Abraham, when he was in Iraq before he moved to live in Syria.

 

☆ Acts 7:3...

"And said unto him, Get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and come into the land which I shall show You."

 

The Lord said to Abraham, "I want you to get out of your country, move away from your family, and come to a land which I will show you."

 

☆ Acts 7:4...

"Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from there, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein you now dwell."

 

So he left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran, Syria... and from there, when his father died, he went into this land, where you now live.

 

☆ Acts 7:5...

"And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet He promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child."

 

But He gave Abraham no property of his own, not one little tract of land.

However, God promised, that eventually the whole country would belong to him and his descendants... even though as yet he had no children!

 

☆ Acts 7:6...

"And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years."

 

And God spoke like this, That his future family would live in a strange land, where they would be in bondage, and be treated in a bad way for four hundred years.

 

☆ Acts 7:7...

And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.

 

"The nation which they will be in bondage to, I will judge," God said. "And after that, they will come out of that land, and serve Me in this place."

 

☆ Acts 7:8...

And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.

 

God gave Abraham the ceremony of circumcision, as evidence of the special promise between God and the people of Abraham. And when his son Isaac was born, he was circumcised on the eighth day. Isaac had a son Jacob, and Jacob was the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Jewish nation.

 

☆ Acts 7:9...

And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,

 

These men were very jealous of their brother Joseph, and sold him as a slave in Egypt. But God was with him.

 

☆ Acts 7:10...

And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

 

God delivered Joseph out of his predicament and gave him favour as well as wisdom, so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all Egypt, as well as putting him in charge of all the affairs of the palace.

 

☆ Acts 7:11...

Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.

 

Now a great famine came over the whole land of Egypt and Canaan, and there was great misery for our ancestors when all the food was gone. 

 

☆ Acts 7:12...

"But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first."

 

When Jacob learned that there was plenty of corn in Egypt, he sent his sons over to that land to buy some.

 

☆ Acts 7:13...

"And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh."

 

It was during their second visit to Egypt that Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers and were also introduced to the Pharaoh. 

 

☆ Acts 7:14...

"Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls."

 

Then Joseph sent for and called his father Jacob over including all his brother's families... seventy five in total..

 

☆ Acts 7:15...

So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers,

 

So Jacob went to Egypt and died... and all his sons.

 

☆ Acts 7:16...

And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.

 

All of them were taken to Shechem and buried in a tomb Abraham bought for a certain sum of money from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father.

 

☆ Acts 7:17-18...

"But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,

Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph."

 

As the time drew near when God would fulfill his promise to Abraham to free his descendants from slavery, the Jewish people greatly multiplied in Egypt...

 

But then a king was crowned who had no respect for Joseph’s memory.

 

☆ Acts 7:19...

The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.

 

This Pharaoh plotted against our people, forcing the parents to abandon their children in the fields to die.

 

☆ Acts 7:20...

"In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months."

 

It was during this time that Moses was born. He was exceedingly handsome and was raised up by his parents, in their home for three months.

 

☆ Acts 7:21...

And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.

 

When they couldn't keep him any longer, Pharaoh's daughter took Moses in and raised him as if he were her own son.

 

☆ Acts 7:22...

"And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds."

 

Moses was educated in all the wisdom, knowledge and ways of the Egyptians and became a prince and a mighty orator.

 

☆ Acts 7:23...

"And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel."

 

When Moses was forty years of age, his heart was drawn to go and visit his brothers, the people of Israel. 

 

☆ Acts 7:24...

"And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian."

 

He saw one of his people being cruelly treated by an Egyptian, defended him and ended up killing his oppressor.

 

☆ Acts 7:25...

"For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by His hand would deliver them: but they understood not."

 

Moses was of the understanding that his people understood that God would deliver them out of the hand of their oppressors, but this was not so.

 

☆ Acts 7:26...

'And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?'

 

The next day he saw two of his Jewish "brothers" fighting and tried to be a peacemaker. He said, "You are brothers and shouldn’t be fighting like this! It is wrong!"

 

☆ Acts 7:27-28...

But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?

Will you kill me, as you did the Egyptian yesterday?

 

The man in the wrong told Moses to mind his own business. 

"Who made you a ruler and judge over us?" he asked.

"Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?"

 

Ouch! How did he know?

 

☆ Acts 7:29...

"Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons."

 

When Moses heard this, he fled and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he married and had two sons.

 

☆ Acts 7:30...

"And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush."

 

At the end of forty years, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, an angel of the Lord appeared, in flame of fire, in a burning bush that was not consumed.

 

☆ Acts 7:31...

"When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him."

 

When Moses saw this, he was perplexed. As he drew closer to it, the voice of the Lord spoke to him.

 

☆ Acts 7:32...

"Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold."

 

The Lord said, "I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham,  the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob."

Moses shook with terror and dared not look.

 

☆ Acts 7:33...

"Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground."

 

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Take off the sandals from your feet... because the place you are standing on is holy ground."

 

☆ Acts 7:34...

"I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt."

 

"I have seen the terrible situation of My people in this land of Egypt. I have heard their cries of anguish, and I am coming down to set them free. Come with Me Moses, I am going to send you to Egypt. "

 

☆ Acts 7:35...

"This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush."

 

God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected by saying, 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' 

Moses was sent by the Lord to be their ruler and saviour.

 

☆ Acts 7:36...

"He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years."

 

Moses brought the people out, after he had showed amazing signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea and in the wilderness forty years.

 

☆ Acts 7:37...

"This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear."

 

This is the same Moses, who said to the children of Israel, "The Lord your God is going to raise up a prophet from among you, like me... listen to Him."

 

☆ Acts 7:38...

"This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us."

 

How true this proved to be, for in the wilderness, Moses was the go-between... the mediator between the people of Israel and the Angel who gave them the Law of God... the Living Word... on Mount Sinai.

 

☆ Acts 7:39...

"To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt."

 

But our fathers rejected Moses and wanted to go back to Egypt. 

 

☆ Acts 7:40...

"Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him."

 

They said to Aaron, "Make us some gods to go before us. As for this Moses character, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we don't know what has become of him."

 

☆ Acts 7:41...

"And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands."

 

And so they made a golden calf back then, offered sacrifices to this idol, rejoicing in the thing they made.

 

☆ Acts 7:42...

"Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?"

 

God turned away from them and gave them up, and let them serve the sun, moon, and stars as their gods! 

In the book of Amos' prophecies, the Lord God asks, "Was it to me you were sacrificing during those forty years in the desert, Israel?"

 

☆ Acts 7:43...

"Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.

 

Actually, your real interest was not in Me, but in your heathen gods... Sakkuth, and the star god Kaiway, and in all the images you made. 

So... I will send you into captivity far away beyond Babylon."

 

☆ Acts 7:44...

"Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen."

 

Our ancestors carried along with them a portable Temple, or Tabernacle, through the wilderness. In it they kept the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments written on them. This building was constructed in exact accordance with the plan shown to Moses by the Angel.

 

☆ Acts 7:45...

"Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David."

 

Years later, Joshua led battles against the Gentile nations, whom God removed from before our fathers. This Tabernacle was taken with them into their new territory, and used until the time of King David.

 

☆ Acts 7:46-47...

"Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

But Solomon built Him an house."

 

David found favour with God, Who blessed him greatly, and he desired to build a permanent temple for God, the God of Jacob.

But it was Solomon, David's son, who built Him a house.

 

☆ Acts 7:48-50...

"Howbeit the most High dwells not in temples made with hands, as said the prophet.

'Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool: what house will you build Me?' says the Lord, 'Or what is the place of My rest?

Has not My hand made all these things?' "

 

But... the most High God does not dwell in temples made by human hands, as God's prophets say.

"Heaven is My throne... the earth is My footstool. What sort of house will you build Me?" Says the Lord.

"Where would I stay? Didn't My Hands make heaven and earth and all the things therein?"

 

☆ Acts 7:51...

"You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do you."

 

** Stephen now delivers his punchline... he digs in the spurs.

 

"You stiff-necked heathen! Must you forever rebel and resist the Holy Spirit? But your fathers did, and so do you!"

 

☆ Acts 7:52...

"Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers."

 

Tell me, which of the prophets haven't your father's persecuted?

They have murdered them which predicted the coming of the Righteous One... the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered.

 

☆ Acts 7:53...

"Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it."

 

Yes, and you deliberately ignored God’s laws, though you received them from the hands of angels.

 

☆ Acts 7:54...

"When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth."

 

When the Jewish leaders heard these accusations spoken by Stephen, they were furious and ground their teeth in rage.

 

☆ Acts 7:55...

"But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God."

 

But Stephen wasn't phased. Being full of the Holy Spirit, he fixed his gaze towards heaven, and he saw the glory of God, and His Son Jesus standing on the right hand of the Father. 

 

☆ Acts 7:56...

And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

 

Stephen said, "Behold, I can see the heavens opened... and I see the Son of man standing on the right Hand of God."

 

☆ Acts 7:57-58...

"Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord...

And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul."

 

The enraged mob, all shouted angrily and put their hands up to their ears to drown out his words. 

They all ran upon Stephen, dragged him off, threw him out of the city and stoned him.

 

The official witnesses... the executioners... took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.

 

** This young man Saul, we will hear a lot more of in the following chapters.

Let me say that at this moment in time... Saul is a nasty, little, Christian persecuting, Pharisee, who God has earmarked and destined for greater things.

 

Stay on this channel!

 

☆ Acts 7:59...

"And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."

 

The angry mob stoned Stephen, who was calling upon God and saying, "Lord Jesus, into Your hands I place my spirit."

 

Note... Jesus said the same when He died on the Cross.

 

☆ Luke 23:46...

"And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit: and having said thus, He gave up the ghost."

 

This tells us that we are more than just flesh and blood. Man is tripartite. That is he is spirit, soul and body. 

 

☆ Genesis 2:7...

"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

 

The physical body is temporal. It will die and waste away to dust. The spirit is immortal and goes back to God Who gave it.

 

☆ Ecclesiastes 12:7...

"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."

 

☆ Acts 7:60...

And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

 

Stephen kneeled down and cried out with a loud voice...

"Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!"

 

And died.

 

Note... Jesus too said similar words. 

 

☆ Luke 23:34...

"Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do..."

 

What does this say about Stephen's walk with the Lord?

 

Just a last few thoughts on this chapter...

 

Stephen is the first Christian martyr to die for his faith.

He loved his Jesus and paid the ultimate price for being His disciple. 

 

Stephen did not blaspheme God nor did he speak against Moses or the Commandments as the bribed lying witnesses said at his trial. 

In his lengthy defence message, he speaks nothing but positive words about such. 

 

The proverbial straws that broke the camel's back was when he said of them...

 

□ You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do you.

 

□ Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom you have been now the betrayers and murderers.

 

□ Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

 

What are your thoughts on what happened to Stephen? 

Did anything really stand out for you? 

What do you think about Stephen's defence argument?

How would you have done it or said it? 

 

Selah!