Acts 7

Acts 7 contains Stephen’s defense speech before the Sanhedrin, in which he recounts a panoramic summary of Israel’s history to show that the Jewish leaders have consistently rejected God’s messengers and misunderstood God’s true dwelling place.

Key points of Acts 7 include:

  • Stephen begins with Abraham (verses 1-8), recounting how God called Abraham to leave his homeland and promised him and his descendants the land of Canaan as an inheritance, though Abraham at the time had no child and no land. This highlights God’s faithfulness to His covenant promise.

  • Stephen then recounts the story of the patriarchs in Egypt, especially Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers but whom God protected and exalted.

  • He continues with the oppression of the Israelites in Egypt and God’s promise that their descendants would be in bondage for a time but eventually freed to serve Him in their own land. This captivity period is sometimes debated—Stephen mentions 400 years in verse 6, but there is evidence the actual time might have been shorter (around 215 years).

  • Stephen emphasizes the recurring pattern of Israel’s rejection of God’s chosen leaders such as Moses. The Jewish leaders are accused of following the same rebelling spirit by rejecting Jesus.

  • Another important theme is Stephen’s assertion that God’s presence cannot be confined to one place, such as the temple in Jerusalem. He quotes Scriptures from Amos and Isaiah to argue this, thereby challenging the Jewish leaders’ focus on the temple as the exclusive place of God’s dwelling.

  • The speech ends with Stephen accusing the Sanhedrin of being stiff-necked and resisting the Holy Spirit, which enrages them, and they stone him to death, with Saul (later Paul) consenting.

Difficulties in Acts 7 involve some apparent discrepancies in Stephen’s historical recounting, such as the timing of Abraham leaving Haran relative to his father’s death, or the length of the captivity in Egypt, but these apparent issues have been addressed by scholars who note Stephen’s speech is a summary and thematic presentation rather than a detailed historical lecture.

In summary, Acts 7 serves as a powerful sermon by Stephen, defending his faith with a historical overview that points to Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises while exposing the Jewish leaders’ rejection of God’s plan.

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