Act 7:1-53 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Acts 7:1-53: 7:1-53 Stephen responded to the accusations by testifying about his Lord (cp. Luke 21:12-17 ). Instead of defending himself against their prosecution, he became a witness in God’s prosecution of them, exposing their stubbornness and unfaithfulness to God. Stephen’s recital of Israel’s past reminded them of their repeated rejections of those whom God had sent. • Stephen’s review of Israel’s history has three principal parts, dealing with the work of the patriarchs (Acts 7:2-16 ), the ministry of Moses (7:17-43 ), and the role of the Tabernacle and the Temple (7:44-50 ). Stephen followed up his historical survey with a clear attack on the hard-heartedness of his own people. With a prophetic challenge, he urged them to stop rebelling against the Holy Spirit and turn to God with repentance and faith.

Summary for Acts 7:1-53: 7:1-53 ^a Stephen responded to the accusations by testifying about his Lord (cp. Luke 21:12-17 ^b). Instead of defending himself against their prosecution, he became a witness in God’s prosecution of them, exposing their stubbornness and unfaithfulness to God. Stephen’s recital of Israel’s past reminded them of their repeated rejections of those whom God had sent.

• Stephen’s review of Israel’s history has three principal parts, dealing with the work of the patriarchs (Acts 7:2-16 ^c), the ministry of Moses (7:17-43 ^d), and the role of the Tabernacle and the Temple (7:44-50 ^e). Stephen followed up his historical survey with a clear attack on the hard-heartedness of his own people. With a prophetic challenge, he urged them to stop rebelling against the Holy Spirit and turn to God with repentance and faith.
7:8 ^f the covenant of circumcision: See Gen 17:9-14 ^g; see also thematic note for Circumcision in the New Testament at end of chapter.
7:14 ^h Compare this figure with the seventy mentioned in the Hebrew text of Gen 46:27 ⁱ. The number seventy-five is probably taken from the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) for Gen 46:27 ^j. The Septuagint includes three descendants of Ephraim and two of Manasseh at Gen 46:20 ^k, making for a total of five more persons, whereas the Hebrew text does not include descendants for Joseph’s sons. The New Testament authors often quote from the Septuagint, which sometimes differs from the Hebrew Masoretic Text.
7:16 ^l a certain price: Four hundred pieces of silver, according to Gen 23:16 ^m.
7:37 ⁿ This verse quotes Deut 18:15 ^o. Moses had prophesied that the Messiah would come, and it had happened as Moses said.
Summary for Acts 7:39-40: 7:39-40 ^p Just as the ancient Jews had rejected what Moses was saying, now Stephen was speaking to descendants who were still rejecting God’s deliverers—in this case, Jesus, the ultimate deliverer.
Summary for Acts 7:42-43: 7:42-43 ^q This passage quotes Amos 5:25-27 ^r (Greek version) to illustrate how the people of Israel rebelled against Moses (Acts 7:39-41 ^s). Molech was a Canaanite god to whom human sacrifices were offered (Lev 18:21 ^t; 20:2-5 ^u; 1 Kgs 11:7 ^v; 2 Kgs 23:10 ^w; Jer 32:35 ^x). Rephan, a star god identified with the planet Saturn, was worshiped by the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings.
Summary for Acts 7:48-50: 7:48-50 ^y One of the charges was that Stephen was speaking against the Temple (cp. 6:14 ^z). The leading priests and scribes controlled the Temple commerce and had a vital business interest in maintaining their enterprises unhindered (see Luke 19:45-48 ^aa). That is why these leaders were so worried about the Temple despite the fact that God himself had said that the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands.
7:51 ^ab Stephen raised the same charge that God had raised against his people in the wilderness: that they were heathen at heart and deaf to the truth, because they were rejecting the gospel and obstinately resisting the Holy Spirit (see Exod 32:9 ^ac; 33:3 ^ad; 34:9 ^ae; Deut 9:6 ^af, 13 ^ag; 31:27 ^ah; see also Ps 78:8 ^ai; Zech 7:11-12 ^aj).