Acts 8:1-40

What is the theme of this chapter?

Jews scattered and the preaching in Samaria.

What is the key verse(s) of this chapter? Verses 12, 14-17

"But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women."

"Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit."

What can I apply to my life from this chapter (things to do/avoid)?

It is very encouraging to look at the victory of those scattered Jews.  Men may persecute believers, put them in prison, take away everything they own, even kill them, but they cannot rob them of their message.

In fact, killing them can often proclaim the truth louder than life and health ever could.  As Stam said so well, "And this, in the final analysis, is all that matters.  The only reason God has left us here—the only good reason for wanting to be here—is to glorify God by proclaiming the blessed message of grace to the multitudes about us.  Every other reason for living—or dying—revolves around this reason."

Additional observations/questions:

The Samaritans actually put the leaders at Jerusalem to shame because they listened to Philip and trusted Christ as their Messiah.  Once before the Samaritans at Sychar had responded like this when Christ Himself had appeared among them (Jn 4:39).  Who would have ever thought that Israel's leaders — the Pharisees and scribes — would have rejected their Messiah while the children of apostate Samaria accepted Him.

But it's always been this way, hasn't it?  The truth is not the private property of a favored few who may look down on those who don't have it.  The truth is God's Word to be believed!  So often those in the most unfortunate circumstances believe the truth, while those who are privileged, thinking they have no more to learn, reject it.

Acts 8:26-40

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him.  Who can describe his generation?  For his life is taken away from the earth.” And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”  And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.


Gaza - "The most southern of the five great cities of the Philistines which played so important a part in Old Testament history.  It was two miles from the sea.  The main road to Egypt passed through it, so that it was an important centre of traffic.  It appears to have been destroyed about 96 B.C. by the Maccabaean prince Alexander Jannaeus, a new city being built in the Roman period on the sea-coast and distinguished from its predecessor by the name of 'maritime Gaza'." (Walker)

"Gaza was deserted then.  Gaza was a fortress in the extreme south of Palestine.  It was destroyed by Alexander the Great in the fourth century before Christ.  What was not destroyed by him was in the year 96 completely overthrown by the Maccabaean prince Alexander so that it was literally a desert." (Gaebelein)

a desert place - "If this remark refer to Gaza, we must understand it as indicating the old city which lay in ruins.  Since the high way to Egypt passed through the old city, the comment of the text is pertinent.  Others, however, consider that the road from Jerusalem to Gaza is intended, and not the city.  In that case, we must understand that Philip was instructed to take the less frequented route via Hebron..." (Walker)

Ethiopia - "Not present-day Abyssinia but ancient Nubia, south of Aswan.  Apparently he was not yet a full-fledged proselyte." (Ryrie)

"In the light of Acts 11:19 and 15:14 it appears that the eunuch was a proselyte to Judaism.  He had come all the way to Jerusalem to worship." (Stam)

Candace - "The hereditary title of Ethiopian queens." (Ryrie)

"It was the name of a dynasty of queens, just as Pharaoh and Ptolemy were the titles of different lines of Egyptian kings." (Walker)

like a sheep...like a lamb - "The order of these words in the LXX differs from that in the Hebrew which is more precise.  'All the utterances of the New Testament regarding the Lamb of God are derived from this prophecy' (Delitzch)." (Walker)

In his humiliation justice was denied him - "This may be interpreted iin a twofold sense: (a) In His state of humiliation, the righteous judgement which was His due was taken away; i.e. He was unjustly treated; (b) When He humbled Himself (Phil 2:8), His condemnation was taken away and cancelled; i.e. He was exalted because of His self-humiliation.  The Hebrew original emphasizes the severity of the suffering by, or from, which He was taken away." (Walker)

Who can describe his generation? - "The most natural interpretation of this is, 'Who shall declare and number the generation or seed which He has won by His death and passion?' (cf. Ps. 22:30).  They have, however, been explained as meaning 'Who shall declare the wickedness of the generation in which He lived and by which He was put to death?'  The Hebrew original seems to lay stress on the carelessness and thoughtlessness of His contemporaries who failed to lay to heart the meaning of His passion." (Walker)

his life is taken away from the earth - "This means, most naturally 'He was put to death', and the Hebrew original agrees.  Some, however, interpret 'His life is taken from the earth to a high and heavenly sphere' (Phil 2:9-11), referring the words to His exaltation." (Walker)

told him the good news about Jesus - "Before the coming of Jesus, the Jews understood Isa. 53 as referring to the Messiah.  This interpretation was abandoned as believers applied the prophecy to Jesus of Nazareth, and Isa. 53 was then considered by the Jews to be referring either to Isaiah himself or to the people of Israel, who would be a light to the nations, etc." (Ryrie)

"To gain an understanding of this passage it was necessary for the Ethiopian prince to start from the very beginning: 'Of whom speaketh the prophet this?'  Also, his visit to Jerusalem had left him with even this question—the most important of all—unanswered, for the religious leaders there would not believe, hence could not tell him, that Christ was the theme of the prophetic Scriptures.  Indeed, until this present day apostate Israel refuses to see Christ in Isaiah 53, contending that the prophet in this passage described Hezekiah's sufferings, or perhaps Jeremiah's or his own or Israel's...Yes, Jesus is the theme of Isaiah 53.  He is the key to all the Word of God.  One can look anywhere and find Him, for every page of it has a vital relation to Him (Lk 24:27; Jn 5:39)" (Stam)

"Philip dealt with the Ethiopian in a way exactly fitting to the dispensation in which he lived, but if we were to deal with souls today in exactly the same way we should most assuredly suffer loss at the judgment seat of Christ (1 Cor 3:13).  In Philip's day God was still dealing with Israel as a nation and the kingdom rights of Christ were being proclaimed.  But not long after that Israel lost her favored position and the kingdom was held in abeyance while God ushered in the dispensation of grace." (Stam)

Isaiah - "Those who have supposed that the gospel of the grace of God is found in  Isaiah 53 and that this is what Philip preached to the eunuch, have failed to notice two things: the scope and the tone of Isaiah's prophecy.  As to the scope of the prophecy, it must be noted that Isaiah speaks strictly as a Hebrew prophet.  He does not speak of Christ dying for the world, but of His dying for Israel.  The 6th verse says: 'All WE [not 'all men'] like sheep have gone astray ... and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of US all.'  The thoughtful student of Scripture will therefore immediately inquire: To whom does the 'all we' and the 'us all' refer?  This question is plainly answered in Verse 8, where the prophet goes on to say: 'For the transgression of MY PEOPLE was He stricken.'  Thus Isaiah, as a Hebrew prophet, spoke of Messiah's death for his (Isaiah's) people and it must not be forgotten that the eunuch had joined himself as a proselyte to this people.  All this is not to deny that we Gentiles too were lost when God found us, or that Christ died for us too.  It is simply that this had not yet been made known.  Nor did Philip expound Romans, Galatians or Ephesians to the eunuch, but the Old Testament Scriptures, in the light that had thus far been given.  The tone of Isaiah's prophecy, too, deserves careful notice.  It is by  no means the joyous proclamation that Christ should die for sinners and that they might find salvation through faith in His finished work.  There is rather a tone of disappointment and wonder that He should have to suffer for their sins though, indeed, the prophet declares that God will reward Him and that He shall yet see the glorious results of His humble submission...Some suppose that substitution—which indeed is taught in Isaiah 53—is the very acme of Christian truth, while in fact it is but the very beginning...Many an innocent man has suffered for a guilty one, but do people generally rejoice in this?  No indeed.  And neither were the twelve nor Philip yet proclaiming the cross in this manner.  There was as yet no boasting about the cross, as in Gal. 6:14.  God was rather calling upon His people to repent of their wicked deed and to be baptized, acknowledging Jesus as their Messiah (Read carefully Acts 2:23,32,36,38; 3:13-15;19-21; 4:1012; 5:30,31 and cf. John 1:31).  Those who have not quite taken in this important fact should reflect that the Scriptures clearly teach that the nation Israel will be saved only when she acknowledges her sin against Christ; when, condemned by her guilt and touched by His gentle submission, she breaks down in contrite confession and humbly acknowledges Him as her Messiah (Zech. 12:10,11; 13:6; 14:9)  This, then, is God's purpose in the cross as revealed in Old Testament prophecy and it must not be confused with 'the mystery,' that deeper, more glorious purpose 'hid from ages and from generation' but made known in due time through Paul (Col 1:26)  Not until the chief of sinners was saved and sent forth with the gospel of the grace of God did the world hear what is properly called 'the preaching of the cross,' i.e., as good news.  Not until Paul did God offer salvation through faith in Christ's shed blood.  Thus in expounding Isaiah 53, Philip called upon the eunuch, not to trust in Christ's shed blood (though we NOW know he was saved THROUGH that blood) but to acknowledge the lately crucified One as 'the Christ, the Soon of God' (See Matt. 16:16; John 1:49; 11:27; 20:30,31; etc.)." (Stam)

vs 37 - Most manuscripts do not contain this verse.

"We have omitted the 37th verse.  It does not belong into the text at all, but is an interpolation.  The profession of faith put by this verse in the mouth of the Ethiopian anticipates Paul.  The first time that Christ is preached that He is the Son of God is in Acts 9:20.  Peter preached Him as the rejected Jesus of Nazareth, raised from the dead and Philip simply preached Jesus.  It was reserved for Paul to declare the fullness of the Gospel of the Son of God, that Gospel of which he writes to the Galatians 'I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ' (Gal. 1:12)  The best Greek manuscripts have not the verse, which speaks of the eunuch's confession that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (Gaebelein)

What prevents me from being baptized? - "...It must be remember that this incident took place before Paul was even converted.  At that time there had as yet been no hint of any change from the Pentecostal program or from the instructions of our Lord that 'He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved' (Mark 16:16)...As far as the record of Scripture is concerned, water baptism was still required for salvation at that time and Philip merely pointed out to the Ethiopian prince that if he truly believed, it was his privilege to avail himself of the means of salvation.  (We do not use the term 'means' as Lutherans and Roman Catholics do in their doctrine of baptismal regeneration.  We hold simply that when God required water baptism for salvation it was necessary to submit to that rite to be saved, even though the baptism in itself accomplished nothing.)" (Stam)

"Those who would make this incident a pattern for our day should not overlook the miracle with which the story closes, for no sooner is the eunuch baptized than the Spirit catches Philip away to another.  This is not in harmony with God's program for today, but it does coincide with the 'great commission' to the eleven, where we find that miraculous signs were to follow those who believed and were baptized.  It is not without significance that wherever we read of water baptism in the Book of Acts we find some miracle taking place in the near context." (Stam)

Azotus - "...was OT Ashdod, 20 mi (32 km) N of Gaza.  Apparently Philip settle in Caesarea, for he was there 20 years later (Acts 21:8)." (Ryrie)

Caesarea - "A city on the sea-coast, about thirty miles north of Joppa.  It was originally an obscure town called Strato's Tower; but Herod the Great, to whom Augustus had given it, rebuilt it on a large scale and constructed a fine harbour with immense breakwaters.  He renamed it Caesarea Augustus in honour of the emperor, and built himself a magnificent palace there.  The population consisted partly of Gentiles and partly of Jews, between whom frequent feuds occurred.  When Judaea passed directly under Roman rule, Caesarea became the residence of their procurator, and so alike the capital city and a garrison town.  Since we find Philip residing there still in A.D. 57 (see Acts 21:8), it seems almost certain that he made it his head-quarters from this time forward." (Walker)

Acts 8:14-25

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.” Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

"The twelve, having heard at Jerusalem that the Samaritans had received the Word of God, had sent Peter and John to them.  Why?  And why had not those who had believed and been baptized received the Holy Spirit according to the program of the 'great commission' (Mark 16:16,17) and of Pentecost (Acts 2:38)?  The answer to this question is again found in the relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans.  As we have seen, the schism between Jerusalem and Samaria must be healed before Christ can reign.  Israel and Judah, the ten tribes and the two, must be reunited (Ezek. 37:15-19) for Christ is to reign over all twelve tribes.  The apostles recognized this, for had not our Lord promised them twelve throne in the kingdom? (Matt. 19:28).  Nor was it enough that the two factions should be brought together.  It was the ten tribes which had apostatized and had made Samaria their capital city and had set up their own temple at Mt. Gerizim.  They must now renounce all this and recognize Jerusalem as the seat of authority, for there Christ and the twelve must reign.  Meantime this fact is also impressed upon the Samaritan believers, for though these Samaritans had believed and been baptized, they did not receive the Holy Spirit until two apostles had come from Jerusalem and had prayed for them and laid their hands upon them.  Two apostles were enough for this, for it is written: 'In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established' (Deut. 17:6; 19:15; 2 Cor. 13:1) and Peter and John, with Philip, made three witnesses.  Indeed our Lord had specified that any two of the apostles could act officially for Him in His absence: 'Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.  Again I say unto you, That if TWO of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven.  For where TWO OR THREE are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them' (Matt 18:18-20).  Thus the believers at Samaria recognized the authority of the twelve at Jerusalem and, had the kingdom been accepted, would have become one nation with the Jews.  As it is, the restoration of the United Kingdom of Israel under Messiah awaits a future day." (Stam)

he offered them money - "Simon thought he could buy the gift of God (v. 20).  When Peter urged him to repent, Simon replied, in effect, 'Pray for me that I may escape punishment' (v. 24).  He was still thinking in terms of magical powers rather than repentance of heart." (Ryrie)

gall of bitterness - "Refers to Simon's apostasy and idolatry (Deut. 29:18)." (Ryrie)

"It is from this base act of Simon's that the word 'simony' is derived.  He sought to deal in sacred things for financial gain.  He actually wished to buy and sell the gift of the Holy Spirit!  Peter's utter disgust with such unspeakable wickedness is seen in his retort: 'Thy money perish with thee!'  It had been demonstrated again and again, as the kingdom was proclaimed, that those who believed with their hearts and were baptized were saved, but it had also been demonstrated that those who did not believe with their hearts, whether baptized or not, remained lost (See Mark 16:16).  Though intellectually convinced of the truth, this sorcerer had to hear Peter say: 'Thou has neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.'" (Stam)

"He was alarmed.  He trembled like the demons, who believe and tremble.  There is no confession from his lips, no self-judgment.  He does not exhibit confidence in the Lord nor does he ask for forgiveness.  He was not moved by repentance, but only by fear.  We do not read anything again of him in the Word of God.  Much is reported of Simon the sorcerer by the most ancient sources, the writings of the so-called fathers.  Justin Martyr, who was a native of Samaria, who lived about a hundred years later, tells us that Simon held the doctrines of Gnosticism (the same which have appeared in a modern garb in Christian Science) and that the Samaritans worshipped him as a divine being.  Epiphanius declares that he claimed deity among the Samaritans and that he was a Messianic pretender.  Other sources say that he became after this a greater enemy of the truth, and having lost his prestige in Samaria he went to Rome and there established a wicked movement, which became a gall and bitterness to the true believers there.  That he should have met Peter again in Rome and found his end there is only a legend.  It is certain that he did not repent." (Gaebelein)

Acts 8:4-13

Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city.  But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.


those who were scattered went about preaching the word - "And this, in the final analysis, is all that matters.  The only reason God has left us here—the only good reason for wanting to be here—is to glorify God by proclaiming the blessed message of grace to the multitudes about us.  Every other reason for living—or dying—revolves around this reason.  Thank God, the proclamation of the truth does not suffer from opposition.  It suffers only from indifference or perversion.  In the case described in the passage above, persecution was used of God to further the truth, for 'they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word...Here it must be pointed out, however, that 'the Word' which these scattered disciples preached was not exactly the same as 'the Word' which 2 Tim. 4:2 instructs us to preach today.  These disciples proclaimed the kingdom rights of Christ and called upon Israel to repent and receive Him as her King.  But since Israel persisted in her rejection of Christ, God cast her aside as a nation and has now committed unto us 'the word of reconciliation' (2 Cor. 5:19).  In both the disciples' case and ours, of course, the word referred to is the Word of God, but in their case it was the Word of God for that day, which in our case it is the Word of God for this day—and there is a difference.'" [see Acts 11:19] (Stam) 

city of Samaria - "...was then called Sebaste.  Some texts read 'a city of Samaria,' which would mean 'some smaller city in Samaria.'  The Samaritans were descendants of colonists whom the Assyrian kings planted in Palestine after the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C.  They were despised by the Jews because of their mixed Gentile blood and their different worship, which centered at Mount Gerizim (John 4:20-22)." (Ryrie)

"The quondam capital of the northern (Israelite) kingdom, and an important centre commanding the roads northward to Esdraelon and westward to the coast.  It was first built by Omri (1 Kings 16:24).  After its capture by Sargon, the Assyrian monarch (722 B.C.), its Israelite inhabitants, in common with those of the whole northern kingdom, were largely replaced by foreign colonists.  It passed through various vicissitudes under the Greeks and Romans, being finally rebuilt by Pompey.  Herod the Great embellished and fortified it, renaming it Sebaste in honour of the Emperor, (Sebastos being the Greek equivalent of the Latin Augustus).  Its inhabitants at this period represented a mixture of various races." (Walker)

"The Samaritans are not considered Gentiles in the Scriptures, though indeed the Jews of Judaea looked upon them as worse than Gentiles.  The ten tribes, it will be remembered, broke away from Judah and Benjamin in the apostasy under Rehoboam.  After that the two tribes were generally called Judah and the ten Israel.  Renouncing Jerusalem and the temple, the ten tribes had made Samaria their capital city, hence Israel is also referred to as Samaria in the Old Testament (1 King 13:32; 2 Kings 17:24,26,28; Ezek. 16:53, etc.).  After the Syrian conquest, in which Israel was carried into captivity, the King of Syria sent colonists to repopulate the land.  These intermarried with those of the ten tribes still remaining in the land and brought them to a still lower moral and spiritual level.  The Lord, however, sent lions into their midst to devour them until the King of Syria found it necessary to send onf the Hebrew priests to Samaria to teach them 'the manner of the God of the land' (2 Kings 17:25-28).  After the Babylonian captivity the Jews did not permit the Samaritans to help them to help them rebuild the temple at Jerusalem (Ezra 4) whereupon the Samaritans built a rival temple on Mt. Gerizim (Cf. John 4:20).  Since the Samaritans had renounced Jerusalem and its authority, the Jews would have no dealings with them, but it is important to remember that whatever their heresies, Samaria represented the ten tribes, that they held to the law of Moses, worshipped the true God and looked for the coming of Messiah.  There came to be, of course, an increasing number of individuals from the ten tribes who did not go along with the great apostasy nor intermarry with the Syrians, and lived in Judaea, Galilee and other places in and outside of Palestine.  Thus the term Israel later began again to be applied to all from the twelve tribes who were true to the God-appointed priesthood and to the temple at Jerusalem.  In the same way, Israelites from the ten tribes came to be called Jews, along with those of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.  If anything is clear in the prophetic Scriptures it is that one day the breach between the ten tribes and the two will be fully healed and that all ten tribes of Israel will be restored and exalted in the kingdom (Ezek. 37:15-19; Jer. 31:31-34; etc.).  Thus in the proclamation of the kingdom as recorded in the four Gospels and the Acts, the term Israel refers to all twelve tribes (See Matt. 19:28; Acts 1:6; etc.).  Paul later used the term in the same way (Acts 26:7; 28:20).  Philip's ministry among the Samaritans, therefore, was no departure from the prophetic kingdom program, nor did it constitute the sending of the gospel to the Gentiles through Israel's unbelief.  Philip went to the Samaritans to seek to win them to the true Messiah, who was to reign in Jerusalem over all twelve tribes of Israel.  It was not until after the raising up of another apostle—Paul—that the gospel of the grace of God was proclaimed and salvation sent to the Gentiles through Israel's fall.  This also explains the miraculous element in this passage, for these demonstrations were associated with the kingdom and ceased only when Israel as a nation was set aside.  It was not prejudice, then, that kept the apostles and disciples ministering only among the people of Israel, but a clear understanding of the Abrahamic Covenant and of the prophetic program, in which the blessing of the nations depended upon the blessing and exaltation of Israel." (Stam)

the Christ - "The Samaritans were not a heathen people, though, from their mixed descent, they had proclivities which were Gentile rather than Jewish.  There was at least some admixture of Hebrew blood in their veins, and they had adopted a modified Jewish sacrificial ritual.  They gloried in their famous temple, built on Mt. Gerizim (John 4:20), probably in the time of Sanballat, Nehemiah's chief opponent.  Their sacred book was the Samaritan Pentateuch, which presents many variations from the Jewish Pentateuch.  They held a strong Messianic hope (cf. John 4:25-26), and Philip, with true wisdom, made that his avenue of approach to them in his presentation of the Gospel message, as indeed our Lord had done before him.  He 'proclaimed unto them the Messiah', for whom they were looking as a nation." (Walker)

magic - "Simon was a practitioner of magic, quackery, and various kinds of sorcery.  He may also have made messianic claims." (Ryrie)

the power of God that is called Great - "Simon seems to have taught, along with his practice the arts of magic, a sort of pseudo-philosophy of which we find other traces at that period and which was afterwards elaborated in the system of Gnosticism.  It represented man as united to God by a series of mediators in the shape of divine emanations called Aeons or Powers.  The Samaritans saw in Simon the chief of these Powers, a sort of might effluence from the deity rendered human in incarnation.  We have a faint adumbration of this in the Vaisnavite sect of Hinduism, according to which the deity infused certain portions of his essence, in varying degrees, in the different avadars or (so-called) incarnations." (Walker)

"Simon was one of the numerous persons who preached all kinds of evil and forbidden things.  Suetonius, a Roman historian, who lived in the first part of the second century of our era, gives the information that the whole eastern countries were astrologers, healers and necromancers.  One of the greatest was Apollonius of Tyanaeus, who died about 97 A.D.  He was a great sorcerer and worker of miracles.  His life and supposed miracles were often compared with those our Lord.  Satan had anticipated the coming of the Gospel and used this man to keep the Samaritans in bondage, to counterfeit the power of God, and to oppose the truth." (Gaebelein)

"Simon Magus, as we call him because of the magic he practiced, had exercised almost complete control over these Samaritans before the coming of Philip.  We read that he 'bewitched' the people, that is literally, he drove them out of their senses, claiming that he himself was 'some great one.'  And he had exercised this power over them for a long time, so that 'they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest.'" (Stam)

Simon himself believed - "Peter's denunciation (vv. 20-23) indicates that Simon's faith was not unto salvation (James 2:14-20)." [Cf. Jn. 2:23-25; Acts 8:37; 16:14; Rom. 10:9,10] (Ryrie)

Acts 8:1-3

And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.


Saul approved of his execution - "Concerning Saul the Lord said to Ananias, 'I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake' (Acts 4:16).  What was done unto Stephen was done unto Saul.  The Jews and Saul with them, as we believe, disputed and resisted Stephen in the synagogue.  The Jews disputed with Paul, resisted him, and rejected his testimony.  Stephen was accused of blasphemy; so was Paul (Acts 14:37).  Stephen was accused of speaking against Moses, the holy place and the customs; so was Paul (Acts 21:28; 24:6;25:8; 28:17).  They rushed upon Stephen with one accord and seized him.  The same happened to Paul (Acts 14:29).  Stephen was dragged out of the city.  So was Paul (Acts 14:19).  Stephen was tried before the Sanhedrim; so did Paul appear before the Sanhedrim.  Stephen was stoned and Paul was stoned at Lystra.  Stephen suffered martyrdom; so did Paul in Rome.  And yet, with all the sufferings that Paul had to undergo, he rejoiced.  His eyes rested constantly upon that glorious one, whom Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, beheld in Glory.  Later we hear him crying out from the prison in Rome, 'That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made comformable unto His death' (Phil. 3:10)." (Gaebelein)

"We read that Saul was 'consenting' unto Stephen's death.  Does this mean that he was a member of the Sanhedrin?  He was a 'young man' (Acts 7:58) as we have said, and it was a great exception for a young man to be made a member of the Sanhedrin.  Yet in Gal. 1:14 he later testified: '[I] profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.'  If not already a member of the Sanhedrin, he must have been promoted to that position soon after the slaying of Stephen, for both Acts 23:6 and Phil. 3:5 make it clear that he was a Pharisee, and testifying before Agrippa concerning his persecution of the saints at Jerusalem, he says that when they were put to death he cast his vote against them (Acts 26:10).  (This probably means that he was married and had children at that time, for evidently only fathers were admitted to Israel's supreme court, on the ground that parents were apt to be more humane in their judgment of others.  His wife could not have lived very long after this, however. - See 1 Cor. 7:7,8.)" (Stam)

they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria - "Now in the opening verses of Acts 8 we find the Jewish believers going from Jerusalem to Judaea and Samaria.  This has led some to conclude that this passage records progress in the carrying out of the 'great commission.'  The very opposite, however, is the case.  These disciples did not leave Jerusalem in response to any command of our Lord.  They were scattered and fled for their lives.  And the twelve apostles, the very ones our Lord had commanded to go from Jerusalem to all the world, stayed at Jerusalem!" (Stam)

except the apostles - "The reason the twelve stayed at Jerusalem is that they had been sent to proclaim, not the gospel of the grace of God, but the kingdom rights of Christ.  These twelve had been promised thrones to be established at Jerusalem and could not be established until Jerusalem had accepted Messiah.  Had not God promised Abraham that in his multiplied seed all nations should be blessed? (Gen 22:17-18).  How then could the nations be blessed through Israel when Israel herself would not receive the blessing?  Is it not clear from all Old Testament prophecy that Christ was to reign in Jerusalem on David's throne?  Had not our Lord Himself made it clear that He would not return until Jerusalem should say: 'Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord'? (Matt. 23:37-39).  How could the apostles complete their commission by going on from Jerusalem now?  How could the kingdom be established on earth if Jerusalem and the nation Israel did not turn to Christ?  Where would Christ reign beside Jerusalem; in Washington, Moscow, London, Rome? ... Which took the greater courage, to flee from Jerusalem now or to remain there in the raging persecution, in daily peril of death?  Would not unfaithful men have fled at such a time as this?  It was rare courage and fidelity to their 'great commission,' then, and not cowardice or unfaithfulness, that caused these twelve apostles to remain at Jerusalem while the rest fled.  Thus the continuance of the apostles at Jerusalem and the flight of the believing multitude indicated the same thing:  that Israel was not turning to Christ." (Stam)

"In this passage, then, rather than seeing the Great Commission (which would have brought in the kingdom) further carried out, we find that program stalled.  True, God permitted the twelve to continue their labors at Jerusalem for some time after that, but this was because He would leave Israel without excuse.  After this the kingdom right of Christ still continue to be proclaimed for some time; the apostles—even Paul—continue to remind Israel of His qualifications and credentials, but there is no record of another offer of the kingdom.  Already God is preparing to usher in a new dispensation while the establishment of Messiah's kingdom on earth is held in abeyance." (Stam)

ravaging - A word meaning 'ravaging like a wild beast,' describing the intensity of Saul's hatred of believers.

"There has been some discussion as to whether or not Paul was the chief of sinners.  The answer to this question is simply that the Scripture say he was, and sets forth this fact to demonstrate the truth 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save SINNERS.' 'This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.  Howbeit for the cause I obtained mercy, that in me first [chiefly] Jesus Christ might show forth all long suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting' (1 Tim. 1:15,16).  The question has probably arisen through a misunderstanding of terms.  When Paul is spoken of as the chief of sinners, some suppose that it is meant that he was the worst of sinners.  Of course he was not.  Even in his unsaved state he 'lived in all good conscience' (Acts 23:1) and later testified; 'I verily thought with myself, that ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth' (Acts 26:9).  This could hardly have been said of Judas or of the chief priests, for example, and in this sense they were worse sinners than Paul.  But the word chief does not mean worst; it means foremost.  It denotes rank.  The original word is translated 'chief' at least six other times in our Authorized Version, giving us an insight into the usage of the word: Matt. 20:27, 'chief among you,' Luke 19:47, 'chief of the people,' Acts 16:12, 'chief city,' Acts 17:4, 'chief women,' Acts 25:2 and 2817, 'chief of the Jews.'  In none of these instances could the word chief be rendered worst.  Now, Saul was the chief, the foremost, of sinners.  He was their leader at this time when sin abounded.  Remember, the Gentiles had long ago rebelled against God at Babel.  Three times in Romans 1 we read that 'God ... gave them up,' 'God gave them up,' 'God gave them over' (Rom. 1:24,26,28).  Then, choosing Abraham's seed, He proposed to restore and bless the world through them.  But here Abraham's seed join the Gentiles in their rebellion against God, and Saul of Tarsus leads them.  Thus Saul was the chief of sinners; he led Israel, yea the world, in rebellion against God and His Christ.  He was the personification of the world's real attitude toward God and His Christ (Psa. 2:1-3)." (Stam)

Acts 7:1-53

What is the theme of this chapter?

The sermon and stoning of Stephen.

What is the key verse(s) of this chapter?  Verse 51

"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you."

What can I apply to my life from this chapter (things to do/avoid)?

Looking at the big picture, I need to remember that the goal of the law and the prophets was Christ, not to help people repent and "be good." Man's disobedience to both shows that he desperately needs a Savior. 

Additional observations/questions:

Stephen's sermon shows that Christ's rejection was no proof that He was not the Messiah because Israel's heroes had frequently been accepted only after having first been violently rejected. Israel rejected Christ when He came to earth the first time, but she will accept Him when He comes to earth the second time.

Acts 7:54-60

Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.


Jesus standing at the right hand of God - "Jesus' priestly work of offering a sacrifice for sin was finished on the cross; He is therefore sometimes pictured as seated at the right hand of God (Heb 1:3).  But His priestly work of sustaining His people continues (as here with Stephen); therefore, He is portrayed as standing to minister (cf. Rev 2:1)." (Ryrie)

Stam offers a different point of view regarding 'Jesus standing at the right hand of God' which I think makes a lot more sense: 

"...we must again caution the reader not to anticipate revelation in considering Stephen's experience.  Up to this time nothing whatever had been said about Christ sitting at the Father's right hand because He had finished the work of redemption.  The proclamation of the finished work of Christ, or 'the preaching of the cross, as it is called, belonged to 'the dispensation of the grace of God' and 'the mystery' later committed to Paul by revelation (See 1 Cor. 1:18-25; Eph 3:1-3).  Prophetically our Lord's session at the Rather's right hand had a very different signification and, remember, the believers of Stephen's day had a prophetic background.  The mystery of God's present purpose had not yet been revealed.  Who can read Mark 16:19 without recalling Psa. 110:1, which is given so prominent a place in the Gospels and the Acts?  'The Lord said unto my Lord, sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.'  Here, plainly, the finished work of redemption is not at all in view.  Rather the Lord is invited to the Father's right hand because he has 'enemies' on earth who will not have Him.  But He is to remain seated with His Father as a royal Exile only 'until' the time when His enemies shall be made His footstool.  Little wonder that so often in the Psalms we find the cry: 'Arise, O God' and 'Arise, O Lord.'  It is in connection with the judgment of Christ's enemies and the deliverance of the faithful remnant that we find the Father and the Son rising again in such prophetic passages as the following: 'Arise, O Lord, in Thine anger; lift up Thyself because of the rage of mine enemies...' (Psa. 7:6).  And since Israel's rebellion was but the climax of the world's rebellion against God and His Christ (Acts 4:23-28) we read further: 'Arise, O Lord; let not man prevail: let the heathen [lit. nations] be judged in Thy sight' (Psa. 9:19).  Had Israel, by her persistent rejection of Messiah, brought the wrath of God upon herself and the other nations?  Had the rejected Father and His rejected Son risen to smite the world in judgment"  Was Christ about to avenge His persecuted disciples?  Surely conditions were ripening for the outpouring of God's wrath, as far as prophecy was concerned.  Thank God, 'where sin abounded, grace did much more abount' (Rom 5:20).  In matchless love and mercy God still postponed the judgment and ushered in the present dispensation of grace.  But let us not get ahead of our story." (Stam)

vs 58 - "The mention of witnesses suggests that they went through the motions of a legal execution (Lev. 24:14), though probably without securing the official approval of Pilate." (Ryrie)

vss 58-59 - "In stoning, the first official witness pushed the naked victim off a nine foot (2.75 m) scaffold.  Then the second official witness dropped a large stone on his head or chest, and others pelted the dying man." (Ryrie)

he fell asleep - "This expression is used of the physical death of believers (John 11:11; 1 Thes. 4:13, 15)." (Ryrie)

"A word aptly expressing the peaceful passing of his soul to be with Christ.  Contrast the verb used of the death of Ananias and Sapphira (ch. v. 5, 10).  For the use of this verb to denote the 'passing' of true believers, see Matt. 27:52; John 11:11; Acts 13:36; 1 Cor 15:18, 20, 51; 1 Thes. 4:13-15; 2 Pet. 3:4.  From this Greek verb our word 'cemetery' is taken.  The Jews, doubtless, exceeded their legal powers in the execution of Stephen.  We know from John 18:31 that the Sanhedrin had no authority, at this period, to put anyone to death." (Walker)

"It was John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets, who was sent as the forerunner of Christ to call Israel to repentance.  He was beheaded by Herod, the wicked and licentious 'king of the Jews.'  After John, Christ Himself took up the cry: 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'  Him they crucified.  Then, at Pentecost, Israel was given a third opportunity to repent, until they shed blood again, stoning Stephen to death.  It should be noticed, too, that their guilt, as well as their bitter enmity, increased with the second and third murders.  As to the beheading of John the Baptist, they PERMITTED it.  (Had Israel responded to John's call to repentance Herod would never have dared to even put him in jail.  This explains why our Lord did nothing to release John from prison, even though it had offended John.  It was not His, but theirs to do something about John's unjust, imprisonment and every moment he spent in prison testified against them.  Read carefully Luke 3:18-20; 7:19-29 and Matt. 14:1-11).  As to the crucifixion of Christ, they DEMANDED it (Luke 23:23-24).  As to the stoning of Stephen, they COMMITTED it, casting him out of the city with their own hands and stoning him there.  And so that generation in Israel committed the unpardonable sin which our Lord warned would not be forgiven, either in that age, or in the age to come.  (Remember, this present age of grace was still a mystery when this was spoken, so that 'the age to come' refers to the coming kingdom age.  There was at least one blasphemer among them, however, who had not been included in our Lord's warning, for he had not been under Christ's ministry.  This was Saul, who had come to Jerusalem from Tarsus in Cilicia.  Saul was in somewhat the same position as the Jewish leaders had been before the crucifixion of Christ.  At that time they had not known that Jesus was the Christ.  True, they could have known, yea, should have known.  But the fact remains that they did not know.  Our Lord Himself had said to them: 'When ye have lifted up the Son of man, THEN shall ye know that I am He' (John 8:28).  This agrees with our Lord's prayer on the cross: 'Father, forgive them, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO' (Luke 23:34).  It also agrees with Peter's declaration to the 'men of Israel': 'And now, brethren, I wot that THROUGH IGNORANCE YE DID IT, as did also  your rulers' (Acts 3:17).  Now, of course, the rulers did know that Jesus was the Christ and their sin was unpardonable, but Saul of Tarsus had not been among them when Christ was on earth.  He did not know.  True, he too could have known and should have know, but again the fact remains that he did not know.  Hear his own inspired words: 'And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; who was before A BLASPHEMER, AND A PERSECUTOR, AND INJURIOUS: BUT I OBTAINED MERCY, BECAUSE I DID IT IGNORANTLY IN UNBELIEF' (1 Tim. 1:12-13).  Here we find Saul among the murderers of Stephen, soon to become the leader of Israel's, yea of the world's, rebellion against God and His Christ." (Stam) 

Acts 7:44-53

“Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.  But it was Solomon who built a house for him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, “‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?’ “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”


tent of witness - "I.e., the tent was a witness to the presence of  God in their midst." (Ryrie)

vss 51-53 - "Stephen's indictment of unbelieving Jews is amply illustrated in the previously cited history of Israel." (Ryrie)

until the days of David - "We can trace the presence of the tent in Shiloh (1 Sam 1:3); in Nob (1 Sam 21:1) and in Bieon (2 Chron 1:3).  We lose sight of it finally when it is carried by Solomon into the newly build temple (2 Chron v. 5)." (Walker)

Solomon who built a house for him - "The 'tent' was thus displaced not merely by a 'tent-like habitation' but by a substantial and stately 'house'.  For the building of Solomon's temple, see 1 Kings 6-8 chapters.  This, when destroyed by the armies of Babylon, was replaced by Zerubbabel's temple (completed 516 B.C.); which, in turn, was rebuilt and beautified by Herod the Great 20 B.C.  It was Herod's temple in which St. Stephen's hearers made their boast." (Walker)

"In closing his address Stephen dealt with still another of their accusations.  They had charged him with speaking blasphemous words against the temple.  This, of course, was untrue.  The fact was that they were guilty of blasphemy against the Holy One of whom the temple was but a type.  The tabernacle had been replaced by the temple, but even this glorious abode did not do God justice.  The temple was but a type of a still more glorious abode: Christ, in whom dwelleth 'all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.'  He was God, manifested in the flesh.  Had not Isaiah said: 'They shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us'? (Matt. 1:23)." (Stam)

as delivered by angels - "Cf. Gal. 3:19: Heb. 2:2, in which passages the angels are regarded as intermediaries through whom the Law was given; a view based, apparently, on Deut. 33:2, where the LXX reads 'At His right hand were angels with Him', in lieu of 'At His right hand was a fiery law unto them'... The general idea would appear to be that additional lustre was attached to the law on account of the presence and ministry of angels at its first promulgation.  Its inception was attended with all the concomitants of heavenly glory." (Walker)

"That the rulers understood perfectly what Stephen had been getting at is clear from these verses and the rest of the account.  Apparently it became evident that the rulers would reject any appeal Stephen had hoped to make, and he sensed that they would not listen much longer, for suddenly the tone of his message changes.  Rather than an appeal there is a stinging indictment.  He seems to disown them as he changes his repeated 'our fathers' to 'your fathers,' and charges them with resisting the Holy Spirit, betraying and murdering Christ and despising Moses and the law which they pretended to uphold.  In his indictment Stephen went backward from their sin against the Spirit, to that against Christ, to that against Moses and the law, for the effect it would have upon them.  Actually their sin against the Spirit was that which sealed their doom.  Though Stephen had stood before them filled with the Holy Spirit and supernaturally transformed as he dealt with them, they would not listen.  They had there and then resisted the Holy Spirit and committed the unpardonable sin of which our Lord had so solemnly warned them (Matt. 12:31-32)." (Stam)

Acts 7:17-43

“But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph. He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive. At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God's sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father's house, and when he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand. And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?’ But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons. “Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord: ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and did not dare to look. Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’ “This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’ This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us. Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: “‘Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’


another king - "For the history of vv 17-41, see Exodus, chapters 1-32.  The king in question is thought to be Rameses II, of the nineteenth dynasty, who was pre-eminent as a builder.  His son and successor, Merenptah, was, most likely, the Pharaoh of the Exodus.  There is some ground, however, for regarding Thothmes III, of the eighteenth dynasty, as the Pharaoh of the captivity, and his son Amenotep III as the Pharaoh of the Exodus." (Walker)

Moses - See Ex 2 and Heb 11:24-26.

it came into his heart - "Literally 'it came up on to his heart', a non-classical expression adopted from the LXX. in which it occurs several times (2 Kings 12:4; Isa. 65:17).  We meet with it again in 1 Cor 2:9.  It represents a Hebrew idiom.  It is as though an idea which had lain dormant in the depths of Moses' mind suddenly rose up as a distinct plan and purpose, awakened into activity by a divine impulse." (Walker)

when forty years had passed - "In addition to the 40 years of verse 23, making Moses 80 years old." (Ryrie)

the congregation in the wilderness - "Lit., the assembly in the wilderness; i.e., the gathering of the people to receive the law.  The word translated congregation (or church, assembly, gathering) is used in the NT of four kinds of groups: (1) the children of Israel gathered as a nation; (2) in 19:32, 39, 41, a group of townspeople assembled in a town meeting; (3) in a technical sense, all believers who are gathered together in the one Body of Christ, the church universal (Col 1:18); and (4) most frequently, in reference to a local group of professing Christians; e.g., the church at Antioch (13:1)." (Ryrie)

living oracle - "That is, in effect, 'living words and utterances of revelation'.  The word translated 'oracles' was used by the pagan Greeks of the (supposed) oracular utterances of their gods, in answer to the inquiries of their worshippers.  It was then employed by the Greek translators of the Old Testament to represent divine utterances and communications.  It is found again in Rom 3:2; Heb 5:12; 1 Pet 4:11.  They are called 'living oracles' because of the divine power and life which lay behind them (cf John 6:63; Heb 4:12; 1 Pet 1:23).  Perhaps Stephen would hint to his hearers that the Law which they revered so highly was intended to be a spiritual and effective system, and not merely a dead and mechanical code, observed only with a scrupulous attention to the letter." (Walker)

they made a calf - "The word rendered 'calf', borrowed from the LXX, really means 'a young bull', and there can scarcely be any doubt that the golden image fashioned by Aaron assumed that special shape.  The Egyptians worshipped the sacred bulls Apis and Mnevis, considered as incarnations of Osiris and the sun-god respectively, and the Israelites most probably learnt this form of idolatry from them." (Walker)

to worship the host of heaven - "That is 'to worship the sun, moon, and stars'.  We find references to such a worship in Deut 17:3; 2 Kings 17:16; 21:3; 2 Chron 33:3; Job 31:26-28; Jer 8:2; 19:13.  In Egypt, the sun was worshipped under the names Ra, Tum, etc.; the moon under the title Aah; while the planets also received special veneration.  Similar systems prevailed among the Assyrians, Babylonians, etc." (Walker)

Moloch ... Rompha - "Moloch was a title for various Canaanite deities to whom human sacrifices were offered.  Rompha (better, Rephan) was the name of a god connected with the planet Saturn." (Ryrie)

tent of Moloch - "The word for 'tent' is the same as is used in v. 44 of the 'tent of the testimony', and is probably employed of set purpose to denote both the true and the counterfeit.  The real becomes counterfeit when the heart is wrong.  This translation follows the LXX of Amos v. 26, and has something to be said in its favour.  But the word used by the prophet in the original Hebrew (Siccuth) is not the usual one for 'tent' (Ohhal), thought it closely resembles the usual word for 'booths' (Succoth), which is regularly employed of the Feast of tabernacles (booths).  It is regarded, therefore, in the Revised Version as a proper name; and, instead of 'Moloch', we have the words 'your king', which are literal translation of the original Hebrew the Hebrew for king being Melech).  Thus the whole sentence in Amos now runs 'Ye have borne Siccuth your king' ... The parallelism which predominates in Hebrew poetry favours this interpretation: Ye have borne Sikkuth (Saturn) your king; Yea, Chiun (Saturn) your images; The star of your god Which ye made to yourselves." (Walker)

"Such was the tendency of even God's covenant people to despise His prophets and to depart from His Word.  In the minds of the rulers Stephen left the question: Were they doing this again by rejecting Christ?  And were they too, perhaps, in danger of being 'given up' to even greater evils?  It was not Stephen; it was they who were despising Moses and the law.  Had not Moses himself said 'A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear" (Ver. 37).  What Stephen, tactfully, did not quote, but what the rulers well knew, was the rest of the prophetic declaration, where God goes on to say: 'And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My word which He shall speak in My name, I will require it of him' (Deut 18:19).  Did not this prophecy about Messiah clearly indicated that the Old Covenant was a temporary institution?  Did it not prove that Christ was to supersede Moses?  And the remarkable part is that Christ had not come to destory the law, but to fulfil it (Matt 5:17) and to bring in the New Covenant by the shedding of His blood and the coming of His Spirit, so that Israel might carry out the law from the heart (Read carefully Jer 31:31-34, Acts 21:20)." (Stam)

Acts 7:1-16

And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so 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. “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh. And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers, and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.


the high priest - Caiaphas

vss 2-53 - "Stephen's sermon is the longest recorded in Acts.  The text is 'you are doing just as your fathers did' (v 51).  Stephen recited the privileges of the nation Israel and their rejection of God's messengers; then he laid blame for the slaying of Jesus squarely on his hearers (v 52)." (Ryrie)

"Stephen had been specifically, though falsely, charged with speaking against the sacred law and the holy temple of the Jews (Acts 6:13-14), which, to their minds, were indissolubly bound up with the chosen race and the promised land.  In his defence, the preacher takes up these points and speaks, in a truly patriotic spirit, as well of the election and history of the Hebrew race as of their possession of the land of promise (vv 2-16; 45).  He also deals with the giving of the law and the building of the temple (vv 17-41; 44-45).  In so doing, he lays stress upon certain important facts which bore directly upon the points at issue between himself and his accusers: (a) Their own history proves abundantly that God's presence and glory cannot be confined to any place, however sacred (vv 2, 9, 16, 29, 39, 44). (b) It proves, also, that, as a race, they had constantly resisted God's chosen messengers, just as they were now resisting and rejecting the last and greatest of those messengers, the Christ Himself (vv 9; 22-9; 35-40; 51-3). (c) It demonstrates the fact, again, that law and temple and every sacred institution are capable of abuse, and may become, by such abuse, worse than useless; spirit and truth being infinitely more important than external rites and ordinances (vv 42-3; 48-50). (d) It makes it quite clear, once more, that Christ, the Messiah, is the goal of the law and the prophets, and that, in accepting Him, the true Jew fulfils the purpose of the God of his fathers and the sacred destiny of his race (vv 5, 37, 52)." (Walker)

"Stephen's address as it is given here is a remarkably comprehensive synopsis of Israel's history.  Doubtless it was designed to show 1) that Christ's rejection was no proof that He was not the Messiah, for Israel's outstanding heroes had frequently been accepted only after having first been violently rejected, and 2) that the Mosaic Covenant was not a permanent institution, for Abraham had enjoyed a close relationship with God long before the Mosaic law had been given, and Moses himself had promised another Leader, saying of him: 'Him shall ye hear' (Ver 37)." (Stam)

vs 2 - "God's call to Abraham came first when he was in Mesopotamia (Gen 15:7); Neh 9:7).  Later he went to Haran (Gen 11:31-32) and later to Palestine." (Ryrie)

four hundred years - Probably a round number.  Galatians 3:17 indicates 430 years.

"A period given, probably, in round numbers.  In Exodus 12:40, we find the duration of Israel's sojurning stated to be 430 years (cf. Gal 3:17).  Josephus mentions both these numbers.  Possibly both may be correct, as reckoned from different initial dates; but, in any case, we shall not be far wrong if we regard 430 as the exact figure and 400 as a round number.  Philo, like Stephen, gives the latter total, 400.  The period of 430 years may be computed as follows: Abraham's arrived in Canaan to birth of Isaac - 25 years, Isaac's age at the birth of Jacob - 60 years, Jacob's age on going to Egypt - 130 years, Jacob's arrival in Egypt to death of Joseph - 71 years, Joseph's death to birth of Moses - 64 years, Birth of Moses to the Exodus - 80 years = 430 years." (Walker)

circumcision - "Abraham's part in the covenant - making process was circumcision, a rite practiced earlier and by other peoples.  God here makes it a sign of this covenant (see Rom 4:11).  For a Hebrew to refuse circumcision was to excise himself from the covenant community (Gen 17:14)." (Ryrie)

seventy-five persons -  "This number follows the LXX, which arrived at 75 by including the son and grandson of Manasseh and two sons and grandson of Ephraim.  Genesis 46:27 reflects a different way of numbering Jacob's family, totaling 70.  The total of 70 included the 66 mentioned in Genesis 46:26, plus Jacob, Joseph, and Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim (see also Ex 1:5; Deut 10:22).  However, the total number, including wives of Jacob's sons and grandsons and husbands of his daughters and granddaughters (not listed), would have been greater than 70." (Ryrie)

"It should be noted here that there is no discrepancy between Acts 7:14 and Gen 46:27, for in the Genesis passage those of 'the house of Jacob' are referred to, that is, those who 'came out of his loins,' while in Acts 7:14 it is his 'kindred.'" (Stam)

vss 15-16 - "Jacob was buried at Hebron in the Cave of Machpelah, which Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite (Gen 23:16).  Joseph was buried at Shechem in a piece of ground Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor (Josh 24:32).  The two transactions are simply telescoped in these verses because of the pressure of Stephen's circumstances and need for brevity." (Ryrie)

"The typical meaning is obvious.  God had also delivered Him, whom they had rejected and crucified.  He had raised Him from the dead and made Him, as Peter preached, both Lord and Christ.  Then there is a great dispensational foreshadowing.  The rejected One, like Joseph, is received by the Gentiles.  Famine and tribulation awaits the nation who rejected Him who came to His own, they must suffer as Joseph's brethren suffered.  'The second time Joseph was made known to his brethren,' refers to the second coming of the Lord.  Joseph was the salvation of his brethren." (Gaebelein)

"Note the growing power of Stephen's skillful argument.  He had not even mentioned Christ yet, for that would only have enraged them so that he would not have been heard, but every Jew in the Sanhedrin knew what he meant.  By the mere repetition of this familiar history he was saying: 'Do not be too sure that you have disposed of Christ by nailing Him to a tree.  Joseph's brothers also through they had disposed of him when they threw him into the pit.  But they were wrong, and after a time they were made to face him whom they had rejected.'"  (Stam)