Acts, Chapter 7
© Copyright 2007 Darroll Evans, all
rights reserved
Chapter 6 should flow into
Chapter 7 without a break. The thought
and action are continuing. The chapter
and verse additions to the Bible were added only for the sake of reference.
Acts 7:1-8
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.
At this point of Stephen’s
trial, the High Priest asked, “Is that correct?”
And, Stephen replied, “Listen
to this! The God of glory appeared to
our father Abraham (Abram/It would be several years after this event that God
would change Abram’s name to Abraham.), when Abraham was in
“Then, Abraham moved out of
the land of the Chaldaeans, and lived in Charran. When his father was dead, he
moved to this land,
“It was then that God said that his progeny would sojourn in a strange land.
God said that they would live, for a period of approximately 400 years, in
bondage.
“God also told Abraham that
the nation to whom they shall be in bondage would be judged, and after that
judgment they, the children of Abraham, would come out of that bondage and
serve Him, God, in this place,
“God also gave Abraham the
covenant of circumcision. And so,
Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day. In turn, Isaac became the father of Jacob,
and Jacob fathered the twelve patriarchs.”
Acts 7:9-16
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
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
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.
Stephen said, “Following
that, the patriarchs (Joseph’s brothers), being envious of him, sold Joseph into
“At that point, a drought
came over all the
“It was during their second
visit that Joseph made his identity known to his brothers. It was also at that time that Joseph's family
background was made known to Pharaoh.
“Then, Joseph sent for his
father Jacob to come to him. He also
sent for all others in the family, and all 75 came with him.
“Jacob went down to
Acts 7:17-36
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
24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that
was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
25 For 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
30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness
of
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
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
Stephen continued, “When the
time of the promise drew near, the people grew and multiplied in
“The Pharaoh dealt harshly
with our ancestors, and treated our forefathers with great brutality.
“In due time, Moses was born. He lived
in his true father’s house for only three months. At that point, he was cast
out, and Pharaoh's daughter took him, and nourished him for her own son.
“Moses was educated in ways
of the Egyptians, and was well skilled in words and in deeds. When he was 40 years old, he decided, by the
will and entreaty of God, to visit his brothers the children of
“The very next day he showed
himself to them as they struggled in heard labor. Moses would have brought them into unity at
that time. He asked, ‘You all are
brothers, why do you do such things to each other?’
“Instead of listening to
Moses, one of them replied, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Will you
kill me, as you did the Egyptian yesterday?’
“At that, Moses fled to the
“When Moses saw it, he was in awe at the sight.
As he came near to take a closer look, the voice of the Lord came to
him.
The Voice said, ‘I am the God of your fathers. I am the God of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob.’ Then, Moses shook, and dared not to look.
“The Lord commanded, ‘Take
off your shoes, because you are standing on holy ground. I have seen the
affliction of my people in
“God said that Moses, whom
the Israelites refused, was to be a ruler and a deliverer.
“He, Moses (by the hand of
God) brought them out, after he showed many wonders and signs in the
Acts 7:37-53
37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall
the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall
ye hear.
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
44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had
appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion
that he had seen.
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.
Then Stephen told the
Sanhedrin, “It was Moses, who told the children of
“Our fathers received the
living oracles, and gave them to us. However, our fathers would not obey. They thrust Him (God) out of their hearts
turned back to the social ruin of
“They told Aaron, ‘Make us
gods to go before us, because as to this Moses, who brought us out of the
“In those days, they made a
golden calf, and offered sacrifice to it.
They even rejoiced over the works of their own hands.
“Then God gave them up to worship the host of heaven (false
worship). As it is written in the book
of the prophets, ‘O house of
“Our fathers had the tabernacle
in the wilderness. God told Moses that
he (Moses) should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.
“Our fathers that came
afterward were brought in into the possession of Gentiles whom God drove out
before the face of our fathers, until the days of David.
“It was David who found favor
before God, and desired to find a living place for the God of Jacob. But, it
was actually Solomon that built Him (God) a house (
“Nevertheless, the most High
God does not live in temples made with hands!
As the Prophet said, ‘Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool:
what house will you build Me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest?
Hasn’t My hand made all these things? You stiff-necked and uncircumcised of
heart and ears, will you always resist the Holy Ghost as your fathers did?
Which of the prophets haven’t your fathers persecuted?’ And indeed, they have
slain those who showed them the coming of the Just One. It is He, the Christ, whom you yourselves
have now become betrayers and murderers!
You have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not
kept it”
Acts 7:54-60
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.
When they heard these things
from Stephen, they were cut to the heart, and they gritted their teeth at his
words. But Stephen, being full of the
Holy Ghost, looked up with conviction into heaven, and saw the glory of God,
and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.
Stephen said, “Behold, I see
the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.”
Then, they shouted, holding
their ears in attempt to stop Stephen’s words they rushed toward him with an
evil intent. They threw him out of the
city, and stoned him. The official witnesses to that vile action laid down
their clothes at a young man's feet. That man was Saul of Tarsus.
As they stoned him, Stephen
called upon God (Gr. epikaloumenon-epikaloumenon/that Greek word indicates that Stephen actually
pronounced the name, which in not to be pronounced by anyone but the High
Priest and then only once a year at Yom Kippur when he entered the Holy of
Holies). Stephen called out, “Yahweh, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
At that Stephen knelt down, and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, lay not this
sin to their charge.”
And when he had said that, he
fell asleep/died.