Acts 7

Then said the high priest, Are these things so?

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,

And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.

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.

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.

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

And 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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?

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

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.

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,

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

This is 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:

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

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.

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

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?

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.

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.

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;

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

But Solomon built him an house.

Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,

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?

Hath not my hand made all these things?

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

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:

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

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

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,

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

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

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

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

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.

What does Acts 7:59 mean?

Explanation

Acts 7:59 is a powerful and moving verse that describes the final moments of Stephen's life. Stephen is considered the first Christian martyr, a person who is killed because of their testimony of Jesus.

The verse captures the scene where Stephen, having been condemned to death, is being stoned by an angry mob.

Yet, even in the face of such violence, he remains devout, calling upon God.

He specifically invokes "Lord Jesus" to receive his spirit, which signifies his unwavering faith in Jesus as his savior and his relinquishment of his life into Jesus' care.

The use of "calling upon God" emphasizes his appeal to divine authority, and the personal address to "Lord Jesus" shows his relationship with Jesus as both Lord and Savior.

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

The Book of Acts, written by Luke, is a historical account of the early Christian church after Jesus' ascension.

The stoning of Stephen is recounted in Acts 7, where Stephen gives a lengthy speech before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish council), defending his beliefs and accusing the Jewish leaders of resisting the Holy Spirit and betraying and murdering the Righteous One, who is Christ.

His words enrage the council, and they decide to execute him.

Stoning was a traditional Jewish method of execution for blasphemy.

This event likely occurred around AD 34-35.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, Stephen's martyrdom serves as a profound testament to the Christian belief in Christ as the mediator to God.

His final words echo Jesus' own during the crucifixion, highlighting a theological connection that in both cases, there is an entrustment of the spirit to God at the moment of death.

This event illustrates the early church's understanding of Jesus' role in salvation and the afterlife, where Jesus stands as the intercessor for those who believe in him.

Moreover, it solidifies the identity of Jesus as "Lord," which signifies divine authority and messianic kingship.

Practical Applications

The bravery and faith demonstrated by Stephen in the face of death provide a challenging example to contemporary believers.

It speaks to the call for steadfastness in faith, even under persecution or adversity.

Modern applications could include the encouragement to stand firm in one's beliefs, to forgive and love one's enemies (as Stephen did), and to entrust one's life to God, especially during trying times.

Cross-References

Acts 7:54-58 (Stephen's stoning)
Luke 23:34 (Jesus on the cross: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.")
Luke 23:46 (Jesus' last words: "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.")
Acts 6:8-15 (Stephen's arrest and false accusations)
Matthew 5:44 (Jesus' teaching to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you)

Language Study

In the original Greek, "calling upon" translates to "ἐπικαλούμενον" (epikaloumenon), which means to "call upon" or "invoke," emphasizing the action of appealing for divine help.

The name "God" is given as "θεόν" (theon), which is the general Greek term for deity.

"Lord Jesus" uses "κύριος" (kyrios) for "Lord," denoting sovereignty and authority, and "Ἰησοῦς" (Iesous), the Greek form of Jesus' name.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Stephen's invocation of Jesus at the time of death is akin to various cultural and religious practices where prayers or invocations are made to divine figures or ancestors.

For example, in some ancient pagan traditions, individuals might call out to a particular god or goddess to aid them in passing.

In Buddhism, some branches advocate the invocation of Buddha's name at death to ensure favorable rebirth.

Scientific Perspectives

The stoning of Stephen doesn't directly intersect with modern scientific understandings but poses intriguing questions about consciousness at the moment of death and the psychological mechanisms of faith that allow individuals to face such extremities with a sense of peace or purpose, subjects that both neuroscientists and psychologists explore in understanding the human response to stress, trauma, and mortality.

Commentaries

Expert commentaries on Acts 7:59 often focus on the remarkable similarity between Stephen's last words and Jesus' last words on the cross.

Many scholars remark on the courage and conviction Stephen displays, as well as noting the theological significance of his direct appeal to Jesus as indicative of the early church's Christology.

Commentators also often discuss the role of Stephen's death in the larger narrative of Acts, suggesting that it serves as a catalyst for the subsequent spread of Christianity, particularly through the dispersion of believers resulting from the persecution that follows Stephen's martyrdom.

Acts 7

Acts 7

What does Acts 7:59 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Acts 7:59 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?