Acts 7:1-60
1 Then said the high priest, Are these things so?
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,
3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.
4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.
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.
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.
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.
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.
9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,
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.
11 Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.
12 But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.
13 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.
14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.
15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers,
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.
17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.
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.
20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months:
21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.
22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.
24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
25 Fora he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
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?
27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?
29 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.
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.
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,
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.
33 Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.
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.
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.
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.
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, likeb unto me; him shall ye hear.
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:
39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
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.
41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
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?
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.
44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speakingc unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.
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;
46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon built him an house.
48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
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:
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
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,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 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.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
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.
Good News for Everyone
Acts
Marion Adams
Chapter 7
Stephen’s speech, part 1: Abraham’s *faith in God, 7:1-8
v1 The *high priest asked Stephen, ‘Is this true?’ v2 Stephen replied, ‘Listen, brothers and fathers. The God who has *glory appeared in front of our *ancestor Abraham. It happened in Mesopotamia. This was before he lived in Haran. v3 God said to Abraham, “Leave your family and country. Go to the country that I will show you.” v4 So, Abraham left his country, where people called Chaldeans lived. And he lived in Haran. Abraham’s father died. Then God made Abraham move to this country. You live here now. v5 God did not give any part in it to him. Abraham received no part in it as his own. He did not even receive as much as his foot could cover. But God promised to give the country to him and his *descendants. At the time when God made this promise, Abraham had no children. v6 This is what God said to him. “Your *descendants will live in a foreign country. There, they will be slaves. The people will do bad things to them for 400 years. v7 But I will punish the nation that they serve. After that, they will come out from that nation. Then they will *worship me in this place.” v8 And God gave to Abraham the *covenant about *circumcision. So, a week after Abraham’s son Isaac was born, Abraham *circumcised him. Isaac *circumcised his son Jacob. And Jacob *circumcised his 12 sons, our famous *ancestors.’
Verse 1 Stephen’s answer to the *high priest’s question is the longest speech in ‘Acts’. It is a very important speech. In it, Stephen showed that God wants people to *worship him everywhere, not just in one special place. God is everywhere. Stephen talked about people whose stories are in the *Old Testament. The men in the *Sanhedrin already knew these stories very well. But Stephen was not just repeating the stories. He was using the stories to teach new things. Stephen used examples from *Jewish history to teach about real *faith and *worship. The *Old Testament showed that Jesus, the *Messiah, would come. Stephen told the men how it showed this. Jesus used the *Old Testament like that, too (for example, Luke 24:27).
Verses 2-4 Stephen began his speech with a greeting that was polite and friendly. He called his audience ‘brothers and fathers’. This reminded them that he was a *Jew too. Then he started his lesson from history. Abraham was among the earliest people in all the *Jewish history. And he was among the most important people in it. Stephen showed how Abraham had great *faith. When Abraham lived, the *Jews did not have their own nation or *Temple. They did not get those until many hundreds (100s) of years later. But God showed himself to Abraham. God told him to leave his country. Abraham did not know where he was going. But he obeyed God. People who want to obey God must always be willing to leave. They must go wherever God leads them. Stephen showed that God can appear in front of people anywhere. They do not have to be in a special place.
Verses 5-7 Abraham arrived in the country that God had promised to him. He trusted God again. Abraham had no children. But God said that Abraham’s *descendants would own the country. Abraham believed all God’s promises. And all God’s promises became true. Abraham did have children and their *descendants were slaves in *Egypt. They did leave *Egypt and they did live in the *Promised Land.
Verse 8 *Circumcision was a *sign that showed God’s *covenant with Abraham. It was the only *sign that people could see for that *covenant. So, *circumcision was very important to the *Jews. Here, Stephen was reminding them why it was so important. God had given this *sign to them. Abraham had a special friendship with God. God had made this *covenant because Abraham had trusted him. And Abraham had obeyed him.
‘Our famous *ancestors’ means Jacob’s 12 sons. These were the *ancestors of the 12 great families in *Israel.
Stephen’s speech, part 2: Joseph, 7:9-16
v9 ‘Jacob’s sons became jealous of their brother Joseph. So, they sold Joseph as a slave. He would be a slave in *Egypt. But God was with him. v10 And God rescued him from all his troubles. God gave wisdom to Joseph, so that Pharaoh, the king of *Egypt, liked Joseph. And Pharaoh made Joseph ruler over *Egypt. And he made Joseph ruler over all the people in his palace. v11 Then there was a *famine in all *Egypt and Canaan. Many people suffered and our *ancestors could not find any food. v12 But Jacob heard that there was food in *Egypt. So, he sent his sons, our *ancestors, to go for their first visit there. v13 On their second visit, Joseph let his brothers recognise him. So, Pharaoh also knew who Joseph’s family were. v14 After that, Joseph sent someone to fetch his father Jacob and his whole family. They were 75 in number. v15 Then Jacob went down to *Egypt. He and our *ancestors died there. v16 People brought their bodies back to Shechem. And they buried them in the grave that Abraham had bought. He had bought it from Shechem’s sons. He had paid a certain sum of money for it.’
Verse 9 Stephen continued his lesson about history. He told the story about Joseph. Joseph was Jacob’s favourite son (Genesis 37:3). Joseph had dreams that he was superior to his brothers. His dreams showed that later he would rule over them (Genesis 37:5-11). His brothers were jealous of him. They hated him and they sold him as a slave.
Verse 10 But Stephen showed that nothing could stop God’s plan for Joseph. Although Joseph was in a foreign country, God was with him. ‘Pharaoh’ was the name that people always called the kings of *Egypt. Pharaoh did not believe in God but God used him. Pharaoh gave to Joseph what he needed. Joseph became an important ruler, too.
Verses 11-16 The men in the *Sanhedrin knew this story about Joseph very well. But Stephen told it in a new way. He showed how well God looked after his people. God told Joseph to get ready for the *famine. God told him about it 7 years before it happened (Genesis 41:25-32). At the right time, Jacob (Joseph’s father) heard that there was food in *Egypt (Genesis 42:2). There, God provided food for the *Jews’ *ancestors. It was in a country that was not their own country. To emphasise this, Stephen mentioned *Egypt 8 times in this story. God had promised that the *Jews would have their own country. But that promise had become too important to them. They could not make God stay in one place. They could not do that, even if that place was special to them. God is with his people wherever they live. Stephen was teaching this wonderful fact to them.
Stephen’s speech, part 3: Moses, 7:17-43
v17 ‘God had promised to Abraham that he (God) would do something. And it was nearly time for God to do that thing. Our people in *Egypt had increased in number. v18 At last, another king became the ruler of *Egypt. He did not know about Joseph. v19 That king plotted against our people. He did wicked things to our *ancestors. He forced them to leave their babies outside, so that the babies died. v20 At this time, Moses was born and God was pleased with him. Moses lived in his father’s house for three months. v21 When someone put him outside, the king of *Egypt’s daughter took him in. She adopted him. She looked after him as if he was her own son. v22 Moses learned all the knowledge that the *Egyptians knew. And his words and actions were powerful. v23 When Moses was 40 years old, he decided to visit his own people, the *Israelites. v24 He saw an *Egyptian who was hurting an *Israelite. So, he defended this *Israelite and he killed the *Egyptian. v25 God was using Moses to rescue his own people. Moses thought that they would understand this. But they did not understand. v26 The next day, Moses saw two *Israelites who were fighting. He tried to make them become friends again. He said, “Men, you are both *Israelites. You should not hurt each other.” v27 But the man who was hurting the other one pushed Moses aside. The man said, “You are not a ruler over us. And you are not a judge over us. v28 Perhaps you want to kill me, as you killed that *Egyptian yesterday.” v29 When Moses heard this, he went quickly to Midian. He lived there as a foreigner and he had two sons.’
Verse 17 God had warned Abraham about what would happen. And what God told him had become true (Acts 7:6). The *Israelites were slaves in *Egypt for 400 years. But God had not forgotten his promise. This promise had two parts.
1. God had promised that Abraham would have many *descendants. This had already happened. ‘Our people in *Egypt had increased in number.’
2. God had promised to give to his people their own country. This had not happened. And it did not seem likely now, because they were slaves in *Egypt. Things had become worse.
Verses 18-19 The new king did not know about Joseph and he did not respect the *Israelites. He thought that they were too many in number. So, the king made them kill their male babies. (Look also at Exodus 1:22.) And he forced them to work.
Verses 20-22 Stephen now introduced Moses into the story. Moses was a very special child. God had chosen him to rescue the *Israelites. So, God had saved his life by a *miracle (Exodus 2:1-10). Stephen said good things about Moses here. The *Jews had accused him of talk ‘against Moses’ (Acts 6:11). Perhaps that is why he said those good things now. Stephen wanted to show that he admired Moses very much.
Verses 23-28 Stephen told this part of the story in a new way. He showed that the *Israelites had tried to stop God’s plan. They did not realise that Moses would save them from the *Egyptians. They did not realise that God had chosen him. Later, the *Jews *rejected God’s other *prophets. Then they *rejected their *Messiah, the *Lord Jesus. In the first century, *Jews were very proud of their nation and their culture. They thought that they were superior to all other nations and cultures. But Stephen showed that the *Jews’ great leader Moses had been born in a foreign country. When Moses was a child, a foreign woman brought him up. He learned from a foreign culture. Stephen praised this culture. He called it ‘the knowledge that the *Egyptians knew’ (verse 22). Not everything that the *Egyptians did was right. Stephen was not saying that. But not everything that they did was wrong. So, he was not saying that, either. In the first century, *Jews wanted to keep themselves completely separate from *Gentiles. This caused arguments in the first *church. Stephen was showing that *Jews could mix with *Gentiles. It did not make the *Jews less *holy.
Verse 29 Moses had killed an *Egyptian. He was defending someone who was from his own people, the *Israelites. So, he ran away from *Egypt. Like his *ancestors, Abraham and Jacob, Moses left his home and he lived ‘as a foreigner’ (verse 29). (Look also at Exodus 2:22.)
v30 ‘After 40 years, an *angel came to him. A bush was on fire. And the *angel appeared in the flames in the bush. v31 Moses felt very surprised. He came closer to look at it and then he heard the *Lord’s voice. The *Lord said, v32 “I am your *ancestors’ God. I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Moses trembled and he did not dare to look.
v33 Then the *Lord said to him, “Take off your shoes because you are standing on *holy ground. v34 Cruel things have happened to my people in *Egypt. I have certainly seen those things and I have heard their groans. (Groans are noises. People make these noises when they are suffering.) I have come down to bring them out. Come now and I will send you back to *Egypt.” ’
Verses 30-34 God spoke to Abraham and Joseph when they were far from their own country. Moses was far from the country that God had promised to the *Israelites. But now, this *Gentile land was ‘*holy ground’ (verse 33). This was because God had spoken to Moses there. A long time before God’s people (the *Jews) built their *Temple, God had shown himself to them. He had shown himself to them in foreign countries. *Holy places are *holy because God is there. They are not *holy because of the country that they are in. God can show himself to people anywhere.
God showed that he had not forgotten his *covenant with Moses’ *ancestors. He was still ‘the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’ (verse 32). God’s people were suffering as slaves in *Egypt. He cared about that and he would rescue them. God told Moses that he was sending him. Moses would act with God’s authority.
v35 ‘This Moses is the same man that the *Israelites *rejected. They said, “You are not a ruler over us. And you are not a judge over us.” But Moses was the person that God sent. Moses would lead the people and he would rescue them. God’s *angel helped him. This *angel had spoken to Moses from the bush. v36 Moses led the *Israelites out from *Egypt. In *Egypt, he did *miracles and wonderful things. He did such things at the Red Sea. And he did them in the desert for 40 years. v37 Moses is the man who said this to the *Israelites. “God will choose someone from among your people to be a *prophet. God will choose him, exactly as he chose me.” v38 Moses was with the *Israelites when they were in the desert together. He was with the *angel on *Mount Sinai. And the *angel spoke to him there. And Moses was with our *ancestors. He received messages from God to give to us. v39 But our *ancestors would not obey him. Instead, they *rejected him. They wished that they could go back to *Egypt. v40 They said to Aaron, “Make some gods that will lead us. That man Moses led us out from *Egypt. But we do not know what has happened to him.” v41 Then they made an *idol that was like a young cow. They brought *sacrifices to it. And they were very pleased with something that they had made with their hands. v42 But God turned away from them. He left them and he let them *worship the stars. That same thing is in the book that contains the *prophets’ messages. In that book, someone has written this.
“People of *Israel!
You did not really bring *sacrifices to me.
You did not really make offerings (gifts that are food or drink) to me.
You did not really do those things for 40 years in the desert.
v43 You have lifted up *Molech’s tent.
And you have lifted up the star of your god Rephan.
Those are *idols. You made them in order to *worship them!
So, I will send you away.
I will make you go to live beyond Babylon.” ’
Verses 35-36 Again, Stephen emphasised that the *Jews had *rejected Moses as their ruler at first. But he had led them out from *Egypt. God showed the people that he had chosen Moses. The proof was that Moses did *miracles. He did not do *miracles in just one place. He did them in *Egypt. He did them at the Red Sea. And he did them in the desert. God showed that he was with Moses wherever he went.
Verse 37 Stephen repeated Moses’ words about a *prophet (the *Messiah). This *prophet would be ‘someone from among your people’, like Moses. (Look also at Acts 3:22.) As those people had *rejected Moses, so Jesus’ own people *rejected Jesus.
Verses 38-39 The *Israelites were in the desert. They were far away from the *Promised Land. But God was there with them. He was speaking to them by means of Moses. But they did not obey God. They *rejected the leader whom God had chosen. They were very ungrateful.
Verses 40-41 Then the *Israelites *rejected God. God was giving the *Law to Moses on *Mount Sinai. But while he was doing that, the *Israelites made an *idol. They *worshipped something that they had made. They stopped *worshipping God, who had made them!
Verses 42-43 ‘The book that contains the *prophets’ messages’ includes the book by the *prophet Amos. The verses that Stephen uses here are from Amos 5:25-27. These verses show how the *Israelites *worshipped many false gods. At first, they had *worshipped one *idol in the desert. God allowed them to do what they wanted. God always allows us to choose what we do. We can choose to do good things. Or we can choose to do bad things. The Bible shows to us what is right. And it shows to us what is wrong. The *Holy Spirit guides us. But we are free to choose. God never forces us to obey him.
Stephen’s speech, part 4: People who do not obey, 7:44-53
v44 ‘Our *ancestors had a tent where they *worshipped God. The tent was with them in the desert. God had told Moses how to make it. It was like the model that Moses had seen. v45 Our *ancestors received it. And they took it with them when they followed Joshua. They carried the tent when they came into this country. They took control of the country. And they replaced those people that God chased away. The tent remained in this country until David became king. v46 David pleased God. David asked God if he (David) could provide a place to *worship him, Jacob’s God. v47 But it was Solomon who built the house for God. v48 However, the Most High God does not live in houses that people build. It is as the *prophet says. He says this.
v49 “My *throne is heaven,
and my feet rest on the earth.
You cannot really build a house for me.
You do not know what sort of place I could stay in.
v50 I have made everything!”
v51 You *stubborn people, you think like *pagans. And you do not hear God’s message. You are exactly like your *ancestors. You always fight against the *Holy Spirit! v52 There is not one *prophet that your *ancestors did not *persecute. They killed some *prophets. Those *prophets said that God’s *righteous Servant was coming. Now you have opposed that Servant and you have killed him. v53 You are the people who received God’s *Law. The *angels gave it to you. But still you do not obey it.’
Verses 44-50 This tent was called the ‘tabernacle’. The ‘tabernacle’ was like a *temple that people could carry with them. God had given the *Law to Moses on *Mount Sinai. Its words were on two pieces of stone. These pieces of stone were big and flat. They were in a special box inside the tent. The people believed that they must have this special tent with them. Then God would be there too. They carried it in the desert. They took it with them into the *Promised Land. And they had it for several hundred years.
King David wanted to build a *temple instead of the tent. At that time, the *Jews had their own country. They thought that they would always stay there. They did not need to carry the tent with them. It was Solomon, David’s son, who built the first *Temple. The *Jews’ enemies destroyed it in 587 *BC. Then the *Jews built a second one. The *Romans destroyed the second *Temple in 63 *BC. The *Temple in this book called Acts was the third *Temple. King Herod the Great had built it. He started it in 19 *BC. But it took many years to finish. It was the most magnificent *Temple. But Stephen reminded the *Jews that God was bigger than any *Temple. Stephen said some words from the book by the *prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 66:1-2). God is bigger than heaven and earth. He made all things. He cannot stay in one place only.
Both the *Law and the *Temple were very important to the *Jews. Stephen showed that although the *Law and the *Temple were important, God was more important. And God was much bigger. Their idea about God was too small!
Verses 51-53 The people in Stephen’s audience were proud about their religion. They thought that they were very *holy people. They studied the *scriptures. But they did not hear what God was saying. They thought like people who do not know God. They were exactly like their *ancestors. Their *ancestors had *rejected the *prophets. Now the *Jewish leaders here had *rejected ‘God’s *righteous Servant’, the *Messiah. And there was something even worse than that. They had killed him. Peter had already said twice that they had killed the *Messiah (Acts 4:10; Acts 5:30). Stephen also said that they had not obeyed the *Law (verse 53). God had chosen the *Jews for his special purposes. He had given the *Law to them. He had sent his *Messiah. But they had opposed both the *Law and the *Messiah.
The people kill Stephen, 7:54-60
v54 When the men in the *Sanhedrin heard this, they became very angry. They were so angry that they made noises at Stephen. They made the noises with their teeth. v55 But Stephen was full of the *Holy Spirit and he looked up to heaven. He saw God’s *glory. And he saw Jesus, who was standing at God’s right side. v56 ‘Look’, Stephen said. ‘I see heaven. It is open. And I see the Son of Man, who is standing at God’s right side.’ (For ‘Son of Man’, read the note below.) v57 When he said this, those men put their hands over their ears. They shouted with anger and they all rushed towards him. v58 They dragged him out from the city. And they began to throw stones at him. The witnesses put their coats down at a young man’s feet. His name was Saul. v59 People continued to throw stones at Stephen as he prayed to the *Lord. ‘*Lord Jesus’, he said, ‘receive my *spirit.’ v60 He kneeled. And he shouted in a loud voice, ‘*Lord! Do not blame them for what they are doing.’ Then he slept (see note).
Verses 54-56 The men in the *Sanhedrin were very angry. They had very much hate and their faces showed this hate. But Stephen was full of the *Holy Spirit. He turned his face towards heaven. He saw a wonderful *vision and he described the *vision to those men.
‘The Son of Man’ (verse 56) was a special name that Jesus used for himself. It had many meanings. In Mark 14:61-62, Jesus used it to answer the *high priest’s question. The *high priest asked him if he was the *Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus said, ‘I am.’ Then he added, ‘You will all see the Son of Man. He will be sitting at Almighty God’s right side. (‘Almighty’ means ‘the *Lord of everything’. Or it means ‘totally powerful’.) The Son of Man will come with the clouds that are in heaven.’ There is a similar description in the *Old Testament, in the book called Daniel. There, Daniel describes ‘someone like a son of man’ (Daniel 7:13-14). The *prophecy in Psalms 110 is also similar. In Psalms 110:1, God invites *Israel’s king to sit at his right side.
Stephen’s *vision showed that Jesus’ words about himself were true. Jesus was at God’s right side. But when Stephen saw Jesus, Jesus was standing. Jesus was not sitting then. Some students say that this was because Jesus was giving another chance to the *Jews. They could accept him as their king before he sat down on his *throne. Other students say that Jesus had stood up to welcome Stephen. This was because Stephen would be in heaven soon. Or perhaps Jesus was standing because he agreed with Stephen’s words. Perhaps in that way Jesus was showing that he agreed.
Verse 57 Stephen’s *vision annoyed the men in the *Sanhedrin even more. They did not want to listen to Stephen. So, they covered their ears with their hands. To them, Jesus was a criminal. And there was something even worse than that. He had died on a *cross. *Jews believed that God *rejected a person, if that person died on a *cross. But Stephen saw that Jesus was at God’s right side. This meant that Jesus had the same authority as God.
Verse 58 The *Jews killed people who had done very bad crimes. In order to kill such a person, the *Jews threw big stones at that person. The witnesses were the first people that threw the stones. That was what happened to Stephen. Some students think that the *Jews acted against the *Roman law when they killed Stephen. This was because the *Jews had not asked the *Roman rulers about it first. But the *Jews did not always have to ask the *Roman rulers before *Jews did such things. For some crimes, the *Romans allowed them to decide whether the person should die. Those were some crimes that people did against the *Temple. It was probably legal to kill Stephen. If it was not legal, probably Luke would not have mentioned the witnesses. Luke also mentioned Saul. This was the first time when Luke mentioned him. Saul took care of the witnesses’ coats. So, he approved of what was happening.
Verses 59-60 As Stephen was dying, he said a prayer. Before Jesus died, he also said a prayer. Stephen’s prayer was like Jesus’ prayer. Jesus said, ‘Father, I put my *spirit into your hands.’ (‘Into your hands’ means ‘into your care’.) Stephen asked Jesus to receive his *spirit. Jesus asked his Father (God) to forgive the people who were killing him. Stephen also asked for this. But when Stephen said ‘*Lord’ (verse 60), he probably meant Jesus again.
Stephen died in much pain. But he was calm. He did not speak words that were angry or unkind. He saw the *Lord Jesus. Jesus was waiting for him in heaven. So, Luke wrote that Stephen ‘slept’ (verse 60).
Stephen was the first Christian *martyr. There have been many *martyrs since then and there are even more *martyrs today. Tertullian was a man who wrote books in about *AD 150. He wrote that ‘the blood of the *martyrs is the seed of the *church’. Often, when people kill *martyrs, the *martyrs lose blood. The blood may fall to the ground, like a seed falls. But when a seed falls to the ground, a plant can grow from it. Similarly, when people *persecute Christians, the *church grows. People kill *Christians because they want to destroy the *church. But instead, the *church becomes stronger. This has always been true and it is true today.
faith ~ when someone believes in someone or something; when someone is really sure about God and Jesus his Son; ‘the faith’ means the things that Christians say are true about Jesus.Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.'high priest ~ the most important priest in the Jewish Temple.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
temple ~ a building where people worship God (or a false god).
Temple ~ the Temple was the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise and thanks.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city in Israel.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
glory ~ great love and praise and honour; the beautiful light round God; God’s power and his great importance.
ancestors ~ a person’s relatives that lived a long time ago.
descendant ~ a future member in a family or nation.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise and thanks.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.
covenant ~ a promise that people (or God) must obey; an agreement between God and a person or people.
circumcision ~ when someone circumcises someone.
circumcise ~ to cut off the skin from the end of a boy’s or man’s sex part. For Jews, this was a sign to show God’s agreement with Israel. It was a special mark. It showed that the man agreed to obey God.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
signs ~ these give us an idea that something else exists. Or it will exist. But we cannot see that other thing yet.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
circumcise ~ to cut off the skin from the end of a boy’s or man’s sex part. For Jews, this was a sign to show God’s agreement with Israel. It was a special mark. It showed that the man agreed to obey God.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
signs ~ these give us an idea that something else exists. Or it will exist. But we cannot see that other thing yet.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.'Old Testament ~ the Bible’s first part, which the writers wrote before Jesus lived on earth; the holy things that the writers wrote before *Christ’s birth.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
Sanhedrin ~ a special group in Israel that met together to be judges over the people. The priests’ leaders were in it. The important Jews were also in it. And the men that taught about the Law were in it. The high priest led the group.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Law ~ the rules that God gave to Moses for the Jews.
high priest ~ the most important priest in the Jewish Temple.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
temple ~ a building where people worship God (or a false god).
Temple ~ the Temple was the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise and thanks.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city in Israel.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Messiah ~ in the Old Testament, the anointed king; in the New Testament, Jesus. It means the same as *Christ.
Old Testament ~ the Bible’s first part, which the writers wrote before Jesus lived on earth; the holy things that the writers wrote before *Christ’s birth.
anoint ~ to mark a person with oil. This shows that God has chosen him or her.
New Testament ~ the Bible’s last part, which the writers wrote after Jesus lived on earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church. It is about what Christians believe. And it is about what they do.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.
church ~ a group of Christians that meet together. (A church is not just the building that they meet in.) It can also mean all the Christians in the world.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
temple ~ a building where people worship God (or a false god).
Temple ~ the Temple was the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise and thanks.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city in Israel.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Egypt ~ a country in North Africa. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt for several hundred years. God told Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. And finally they went to the Promised Land. The escape from Egypt was a very important event in Jewish history.
Israelites ~ another name for the Jews. They are the people from Israel.
Promised Land ~ the country that God promised to give to Abraham and his family.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
circumcision ~ when someone circumcises someone.
circumcise ~ to cut off the skin from the end of a boy’s or man’s sex part. For Jews, this was a sign to show God’s agreement with Israel. It was a special mark. It showed that the man agreed to obey God.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
signs ~ these give us an idea that something else exists. Or it will exist. But we cannot see that other thing yet.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
signs ~ these give us an idea that something else exists. Or it will exist. But we cannot see that other thing yet.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
famine ~ when crops do not grow, so that there is not much food.
Egyptian ~ a person from Egypt.
Egypt ~ a country in North Africa. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt for several hundred years. God told Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. And finally they went to the Promised Land. The escape from Egypt was a very important event in Jewish history.
Israelites ~ another name for the Jews. They are the people from Israel.
Promised Land ~ the country that God promised to give to Abraham and his family.
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
Israelites ~ another name for the Jews. They are the people from Israel.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
miracle ~ a wonderful thing that God does by his power; a wonderful thing that happens.
reject ~ not to accept.
prophet ~ someone who tells God’s messages; a person that God sends to speak for him.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible; the name means that he is above all other things; a name that we use for Jesus when we obey him; someone with authority.
Gentile ~ not Jewish; a person that is not a Jew; a person who does not know God. ‘Gentiles’ can mean people from all countries (but it does not include Jews).
Jewish ~ a word that describes a Jew; or it describes anything that belongs to a Jew.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
church ~ a group of Christians that meet together. (A church is not just the building that they meet in.) It can also mean all the Christians in the world.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
angel ~ a servant of God. He brings messages from God to people that live on earth.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
Mount ~ a short word for mountain; or, a hill.
idol ~ a thing that people make from wood, stone or metal. It looks like an animal, a man or a god. People worship it instead of God. And they pray to it instead of God.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise and thanks.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.
sacrifice ~ when someone kills an animal and he offers it to God (or a false god). In this way, he asks God (or a false god) to forgive him.
Molech ~ a false god.
Law ~ the rules that God gave to Moses for the Jews.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
throne ~ a special chair that a king or ruler sits on.
stubborn ~ when people do not want to change their ideas, even when they are wrong.
pagans ~ people that worship a false god or gods.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise and thanks.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.
persecute ~ to attack people because they believe in *Christ; and to hurt them for that reason.
righteous ~ very good (only God is really righteous).
temple ~ a building where people worship God (or a false god).
Temple ~ the Temple was the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God.
worship ~ to give honour to God with praise and thanks.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city in Israel.
Jew ~ a person that is a member of Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s big family; a person that believes the Jews’ religion, which is called Judaism.
praise ~ to tell God how great he is. We can do this when we are praying to him. Or we can do it when we are singing to him.
Israel ~ the country that is the Jews’ home.
Judaism ~ the Jews’ religion.
BC ~ years Before Christ came to the earth.
Roman ~ a person from Rome; a word that describes someone from Rome; or it describes something from Rome. The Roman soldiers fought against people in many countries. And they defeated them. They made the people obey the rules that officials in Rome made. They made the people pay taxes to Rome.
Rome ~ the most famous city in the world when Jesus lived on earth.
scripture ~ the Bible, the book that contains God’s holy messages; the Old Testament.
holy ~ very, very good; separate from sin. Only God is really holy.
Old Testament ~ the Bible’s first part, which the writers wrote before Jesus lived on earth; the holy things that the writers wrote before *Christ’s birth.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil things; not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things that we do. We do them against God or against other people.
spirit ~ a person’s spirit is the part in them that will always be alive. It will be alive even after his or her body is dead. There are good spirits. Those include God’s Spirit and his angels. There are also evil spirits. These include Satan and his angels.
angel ~ a servant of God. He brings messages from God to people that live on earth.
Satan ~ the name for the worst spirit among the evil spirits, who are against God. He has another name, which is the Devil. He is God’s enemy.
vision ~ a dream; sometimes a dream that comes to a person when he or she is awake.
prophecy ~ special messages and stories that God gives to a person; messages about things that will happen in the future; the words that a prophet speaks or writes.
prophet ~ someone who tells God’s messages; a person that God sends to speak for him.
cross ~ two pieces of wood that someone has fixed together. They fix one piece across the other piece. The Romans fixed people to a cross to kill them. Jesus died on a cross.
Roman ~ a person from Rome; a word that describes someone from Rome; or it describes something from Rome. The Roman soldiers fought against people in many countries. And they defeated them. They made the people obey the rules that officials in Rome made. They made the people pay taxes to Rome.
Rome ~ the most famous city in the world when Jesus lived on earth.
martyr ~ a person that enemies kill, because of his or her beliefs.
AD ~ AD 50 means 50 years after Jesus was born, and so on.
Christian ~ a person who obeys Jesus *Christ; a person who believes in him.