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)
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)
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