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Acts Chapter
Seven
I.
Content of the Chapter
The Appeal and Martyrdom of Stephen
I. Stephen was questioned by the high priest (v.1).
II. Abraham was called (v.2-7).
III. The origin of the twelve fathers (v.8).
IV. The people of
V. The people of
VI. God arose Moses to lead the people of
VII. The people of
VIII. They brought the tabernacle of witness to
IX. He rebuked the Jews that they resisted the Holy
Spirit as their fathers did and killed the righteous (v.51-53).
X. Stephen saw the heavens open and the Son of Man
standing at the right hand of God (v.54-56).
XI. Stephen was martyred------he was stoned to death
by the multitude (v.57-60).
II.
Verse by Verse commentary
Acts. 7:1 “Then the high priest
said, ‘Are these things so?’”
YLT: “And the chief
priest said, ‘Are then these things so?'”
Literal Meaning: “Are these things
so?” “These things” indicates that Stephen was accused of “speaking blasphemous
words against this holy place and the law” and declaring that “Jesus of
Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs” (Acts. 6:13-14). In
conclusion, he was accused of slandering: 1) the holy place and the holy
temple; 2) the Law and the customs. And therefore Stephen clarified these two
things in his appeal.
Acts. 7:2 “And he said, ‘Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared
to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in
YLT: “and he said, `Men,
brethren, and fathers, hearken: The God of the glory did appear to our father
Abraham, being in Mesopotamia, before his dwelling in
Literal Meaning: “Abraham when he was in
Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) This witness of Stephen starts from “the God of
glory appeared” and it is diametrically opposed to the dead religion which
lacked revelation and had the form only at that time. It’s no wonder that the
witness cannot be accepted by the religious believers and they had to put him to
death.
2) God appeared to Abraham in the heretical land
where men worship idols, showing that the place is not so important. Do we pay
more attention to the place of worship than God Himself?
3) The Lord Jesus said that, “you will neither on
this mountain, nor in
4) The turning point of life lies in God’s
appearance. Every story of one’s being saved attributes to having seen God’s glory
(2Pet. 1:3).
Acts. 7:3 “and said to him, ‘Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come
to a land that I will show you.'”
YLT: “and He said to him,
Go forth out of thy land, and out of thy kindred, and come to a land that I
shall shew thee.”
Literal Meaning: “Get out of your country and
from your relatives” “your country”
refers to Mesopotamia (v.2), i.e.
“And come to a land that I will show you” Please note that here God did not tell him
where he should go. It is said in Hebrew that he went out, not knowing where he
was going (Heb. 11:8). He followed God’s guidance step by step by faith.
Spiritual Meaning: “your country”
typifies the world; “your relatives” typifies the flesh.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) All spiritual way starts when God speaks to us.
It is God that calls us and speaks us and inspires us to run on the heavenly
way.
2) God is the beginning of all things. We should
not do something by our own ideas unless it is initiated by God.
3) If God indeed speaks to you, He will be
responsible for your while life.
4) The world (“your country”) and the flesh (“your
relatives”) are the two elements that harm our spiritual life. If believers
want to enter the better spiritual realm, we have to deal with the world and
the flesh.
5) The environments, customs (“your country”) and
interpersonal relationship (“your relatives”) will harm our spiritual pursuit.
6) “And come to a land that I will show you” God did not point out the aim all at once
and He guided us step by step. It’s no wonder that someone says that,
“Christians do not have the right to know the future”.
Acts. 7:4 “Then he came out of the land
of the Chaldeans and dwelt in
YLT: “`Then having come
forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, he dwelt in
Literal Meaning: “Then he came out of the
land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in
God called Abraham, however, his father Terah took
Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter
in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the
Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt
there (Gen. 11:31).
“He moved him to this land in which you
now dwell” “He moved him”
refers to God’s second calling to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-5); “this land in which
you now dwell” refers to the
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “Dwelt in
2) God must let the father of Abraham died before
calling Abraham for the second time. The earthly relation of believers always
becomes our block to run on the heavenly way and makes us stop halfway.
3) “He moved him…” God is responsible for the
accomplishment of what He has initiated.
Acts. 7:5 “And God gave him no
inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham
had no child, He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his
descendants after him.”
YLT: “and He gave him no
inheritance in it, not even a footstep, and did promise to give it to him for a
possession, and to his seed after him -- he having no child.”
Meaning of Words: “inheritance”:
patrimony, possession; “promise”: to engage to do something; “descendants”:
seed (a singular number).
Literal Meaning: “God gave him no inheritance
in it” “It” refers to the
“Not even enough to set his foot on” It describes that he did not have a piece
of land as his own inheritance and he sojourned as a stranger (Heb. 11:9).
Spiritual Meaning: “He promised to give it to
him for a possession, and to his descendants after him” “descendants” in the original is a singular
number and means seed which refers to one, i.e. Christ (Gal. 3:16).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) This verse is quite contradictory: God promised
to give the land to him for a possession, however, he did not have a place to
set his foot on; God mentioned his descendants, however, he had no child. It
shows us that what God has promised him is spiritual and “cannot be touched”
(Heb. 12:18). They seem to be visionary but could be seen by the eyes of faith
(Heb. 11:13).
2) All “blessings” that God has given us “in
Christ” are spiritual and heavenly (Eph. 1:3). They are abstract and unreal to
the carnal ones, however, to those who have the spiritual visions, how glorious
and real they are.
3)
All the promises of God in Him are Yes, and
in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us (2Cor. 1:20).
4) Those who have God have everything and those do
not have God have nothing. What we should seize is “God” Himself and His
promises instead of the material blessings.
Acts. 7:6 “But God spoke in this
way: that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land, and that they would
bring them into bondage and oppress them four hundred years.”
YLT: “`And God spake
thus, That his seed shall be sojourning in a strange land, and they shall cause
it to serve, and shall do it evil four hundred years,”
Literal Meaning: “dwell in a foreign
land” refers to sojourning in
“And oppress them four hundred years” is quoted from Gen. 15:13.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The deprivation and trial (“dwelling in a
foreign land, being brought into bondage and oppressed”) of the cross are the
way that we have to pass to obtain and enjoy the spiritual inheritance of God
(v.5).
2) If indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also
be glorified together (Rom. 8:17).
Acts. 7:7 “‘And
the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will judge,' said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and serve Me in this
place.'”
YLT: “and the nation whom
they shall serve I will judge, said God; and after these things they shall come
forth and shall do Me service in this place.”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) This verse is a freehand drawing, showing that
we previously were enslaved by Satan and suffered its oppression in the world
for the livelihood and now we have been delivered from the power of darkness
and serve the living and true God in the kingdom of His beloved Son (Col. 1:13;
1Thess. 1:9).
2) God has saved us out of the world with the
purpose of making us serve Him in Christ and in the church (“serve Me in this
place”) in stead of making us have nothing to do and wait for heaven.
Acts. 7:8 “Then He gave him the
covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the
eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs.”
YLT: “`And He gave to him
a covenant of circumcision, and so he begat Isaac, and did circumcise him on
the eighth day, and Isaac [begat] Jacob, and Jacob -- the twelve patriarchs;”
Literal Meaning: “Then
He gave him the covenant of circumcision” “circumcision” means to cut the foreskin of men’s
genitals as the sign and token of the covenant between God and the people of
“And circumcised him on the eighth day” It is proved in the modern medicine that
men do not feel the pain when they were just born and on the eighth day there
are the maximum hemostatic compositions in men’s body and therefore the flow of
blood could be staunched at the quickest speed.
Spiritual Meaning: “circumcision”
typifies that in Christ we have put off the body of the sins of the flesh, by
the circumcision of Christ (Col. 2:11). The reception of circumcision means
that men do not rely on their natural flesh and only trust and rely on God.
“On the eighth day” symbolizes walking
in the life of resurrection (the Lord Jesus was risen on the first of the week,
i.e. the eighth day. See Mark. 16:9).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “The covenant of circumcision” shows that if believers want to enjoy the
blessings of the New Testament, we have to deal with the flesh.
2) We must live in the resurrection life of the
Lord (“on the eighth day”) in order to deal with the flesh.
Acts. 7:9 “‘And
the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into
YLT: “and the patriarchs,
having been moved with jealousy, sold Joseph to
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Though the brothers of Joseph were in the land
of promise------the
2) “Jesus said to her…you will neither on this
mountain, nor in
Acts. 7:10 “and delivered him out of
all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh,
king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.”
YLT: “and did deliver him
out of all his tribulations, and gave him favour and wisdom before Pharaoh king
of
Literal Meaning: “gave him favor and
wisdom” “favor” indicates that God gives Himself and what He has to men as
men’s enjoyment; “wisdom” refers to the discernment of God. These are the two
distinguishing characteristics of Joseph.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God is faithful, who will not allow you to be
tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the
way of escape, that you may be able to bear it (1Cor. 10:13).
2) God’s presence (v.9) makes us overcome all
troubles. The favor and wisdom that God gives us make us different from the
world.
Acts. 7:11 “Now a famine and great
trouble came over all the
YLT: “`And there came a
dearth upon all the
Acts. 7:12 “But when Jacob heard that
there was grain in
YLT: “and Jacob having
heard that there was corn in
Acts. 7:13 “And the second time
Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to the
Pharaoh.”
YLT: “and at the second
time was Joseph made known to his brethren, and Joseph's kindred became
manifest to Pharaoh,”
Literal Meaning: “and Joseph's family became
known to the Pharaoh” It means that
Pharaoh also heard the matter of Joseph’s family (Gen. 45:16).
Acts. 7:14 “Then Joseph sent and
called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people.”
YLT: “and Joseph having
sent, did call for his father Jacob, and all his kindred -- with seventy and
five souls --”
Meaning of Words: “all his relatives”:
all the kindred.
Literal Meaning: “and
all his relatives to him, seventy-five people” “seventy-five people” is different from “seventy”
in the Genesis (Gen. 46:27). The reason may be that Stephen used the Septuagint
(the Greek version) in which the son and grandson of Manasseh and two sons and
a grandson of Ephraim were added to the name list and there were altogether
seventy five people.
Acts. 7:15 “So Jacob went down to
YLT: “and Jacob went down
to
Meaning of Words: “die”: finish life,
end.
Acts. 7:16 “And they were carried
back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money
from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.”
YLT: “and they were
carried over into Sychem, and were laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a
price in money from the sons of Emmor, of Sychem.”
Literal Meaning: according to
Genesis, Abraham bought a burying place with silver from Ephron, the son of
Heth in Kirjath-Arba, i.e. “
In order to make this verse be in
concordance with other scriptures, many Bible exegetes said that Abraham bought
the burying place first and later the land was occupied by the sons of Hamor
for some reasons and then the land was bought by Jacob. There were about eighty
years from the time when Abraham bought the burying place to the time when
Jacob bought the land. However, the greatest hole of this explanation is that
the lands that the two men bought were not the same land: one was in
Actually, Stephen mentioned the two
lands in general terms. It seems to be contradictory to us, however, to the
Jewish listeners, it is a brief expression which is easy to understand. He
briefly stated that though Jacob and his offspring had went down to
Acts. 7:17 “‘But
when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the
people grew and multiplied in
YLT: “`And according as
the time of the promise was drawing nigh, which God did swear to Abraham, the
people increased and multiplied in
Literal Meaning: “But when the time of the
promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham” Please note that God had promised to give “the
land of Canaan” to Abraham and his descendants after him for a possession
(v.5).
“The people grew and multiplied in
The conditions of the people of
Acts. 7:18 “till another king arose
who did not know Joseph.”
YLT: “till another king
rose, who had not known Joseph;”
Meaning of Words: “another” refers to
the difference in character.
Literal Meaning: around the period
when Joseph was the ruler,
Acts. 7:19 “This man dealt
treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them
expose their babies, so that they might not live.”
YLT: “this one, having
dealt subtilely with our kindred, did evil to our fathers, causing to expose
their babes, that they might not live;”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Before “the time of the promise drew near” (v.17), the people of
2) Actually when “the night is far spent”, “the day
is at hand” (Rom. 13:12). When we face adverse conditions, it is the time that
God’s promise is about to be realized and His salvation is about to come.
Acts. 7:20 “At this time Moses was
born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father's house
for three months.”
YLT: “in which time Moses
was born, and he was fair to God, and he was brought up three months in the
house of his father;”
Literal Meaning: “at this time” is
the time when the people of
Enlightenment in the Word: though the people of
Acts. 7:21 “But when he was set out,
Pharaoh's daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son.”
YLT: “and he having been
exposed, the daughter of Pharaoh took him up, and did rear him to herself for a
son;”
Literal Meaning: “But when he was set
out” “was set out” means “being exposed outside and let him fend himself”.
Acts. 7:22 “And Moses was learned in
all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.”
YLT: “and Moses was
taught in all wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in words and in
works.”
Meaning of Words: “wisdom”:
intelligence (the intelligence of learning).
Literal Meaning: “And Moses was learned in
all the wisdom of the Egyptians” Since Moses grew
up in the palace of the daughter of the Pharaoh, he must have received the most
complete education in the
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Though Moses had all the wisdom and abilities
and seemed to be good at words and deeds, these were not the conditions that
God could use him but the reasons why God could not use him. And therefore God
let him flee to the
2) God does not need men to help Him. The reason
why God does not need many people is not that they lack wisdom and power but
that they have too much wisdom and power. It is of God that Moses was rejected
by the people of
Acts. 7:23 “‘Now
when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the
children of
YLT: “`And when forty
years were fulfilled to him, it came upon his heart to look after his brethren,
the sons of
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Moses had a willing (“it came into his heart”)
to take care of his brothers. Though men did not appreciate his willing
(v.25-28), God treasured men’s willing towards Him and therefore God still
remembered him after forty years and went to find him (v.30).
2) For if there is first a willing mind, it is
accepted (2Cor. 8:12).
Acts. 7:24 “And seeing one of them
suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down
the Egyptian.”
YLT: “and having seen a
certain one suffering injustice, he did defend, and did justice to the
oppressed, having smitten the Egyptian;”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Moses served God by the flesh and as a result he
struck down a man. The Jews were very jealous for God by the flesh and as a
result they killed Stephen (v.58).
2) Those who do not know God always kill men and
think that they render service to God (John. 16:2-3).
Acts. 7:25 “For he supposed that his
brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but
they did not understand.”
YLT: “and he was
supposing his brethren to understand that God through his hand doth give
salvation; and they did not understand.”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Though God does something through “the hand of
men”, He never relies on the hand of men. Moreover, if men presume to do
something by their own hands, they will contrarily block God’s works.
2) When we only know our wisdom and power and do
not know our stupidity and weakness, God uses men or things that are around us
to teach us. Even though we do something according to the purest motive and the
best power, the expected effect cannot be achieved.
Acts. 7:26 “And the next day he
appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them,
saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why
do you wrong one another?'”
YLT: “`On the succeeding
day, also, he shewed himself to them as they are striving, and urged them to
peace, saying, Men, brethren are ye, wherefore do ye injustice to one another?”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be
called the children of God (Matt. 5:9).
2) Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for
brethren to dwell together in unity (Ps. 133:1)!
Acts. 7:27 “But he who did his
neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who
made you a ruler and a judge over us?”
YLT: “and he who is doing
injustice to the neighbour, did thrust him away, saying, Who set thee a ruler
and a judge over us?”
Spiritual Meaning: Moses typifies the
Lord Jesus who was made by God the ruler and judge for God’s elect and was
rejected by the people of
Enlightenment in the Word: Though the willing of Moses was not bad (v.24-26),
he cannot be accepted by his brothers. It shows that men’s flesh cannot
accomplish the will of God.
Acts. 7:28 “Do you want to kill me as
you did the Egyptian yesterday?'”
YLT: “to kill me dost
thou wish, as thou didst kill yesterday the Egyptian?”
Literal Meaning: obviously, the word
implies that he threatened to inform against Moses. And therefore Moses was
forced to flee (v.29).
Acts. 7:29 “Then, at this saying,
Moses fled and became a dweller in the
YLT: “`And Moses fled at
this word, and became a sojourner in the
Literal Meaning: “became a dweller in
the
Enlightenment in the Word: when Moses was imprisoned by God in the wilderness
of the land of Midian and was strictly dealt with by Him, God made him find
grace in the sight of Jethro, the priest and marry his daughter Zipporah (Exod.
3:16-22) and “have two sons there”. It shows that God is still full of mercy
and love in his strict discipline so that we could enjoy the rest (what
marriage stands for) and manifest life (what having a son stands for).
Acts. 7:30 “‘And
when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of
fire in a bush, in the wilderness of
YLT: “and forty years
having been fulfilled, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai a
messenger of the Lord, in a flame of fire of a bush,”
Literal Meaning: “when forty years had
passed” Moses fled when he was forty years old because he had killed the
Egyptian (See v.23) and therefore after forty years, when he was eighty years
old (Exod. 7:7), he met God.
“In the wilderness of Mount Sinai” It is
recorded in
“An angel of the Lord” is God Himself
actually (See v.31-32; Exod. 3:2-6). In the Bible, Jehovah Elohim always
appeared to men as “an angel” (Gen. 16:7-13; Judg. 6:12-16; Zech. 2:3-5).
Spiritual Meaning: “a flame of fire in a bush” symbolizes that the people of
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “And when forty years had passed” God always calls us out of the work and makes us
have a rest so that we could take advantage of it and learn a something and
find out the place where He has appointed to work again. This waiting period is
absolutely not the waste.
2) Before receiving a great mission, long wait and
preparation are needed. God may delay but He never forgets. He is preparing His
vessel and gives them the considerable training and education. God will use
them to bear their work in due time that God has appointed. Even Jesus of Nazareth
must have the preparation of thirty years and began to work until He increased
in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
3) God is not hasty and He is willing to spend long
time in preparing the vessels whom He is about to put in the important
positions. He never thinks that the days of preparations are too long or
boring.
4) The toughest part of hardships is the long time.
It is easy for men to suffer the short hardships and it is hard for them to
bear the long hardships. However, God trains us now for our future------the
greater service and more blessings in future.
5) We should learn all lessons with endurance and
hearts in God’s school of hardships and do not hope for the immediate
salvation. Every lesson is prerequisite and if we have learned it, the
salvation will come naturally. At that time we will see that if we have not
been well educated in trials, we can in no wise bear the more important work in
the greater workshop.
6) We hope that we do not take away tomorrow in
God’s hand and give God enough time to cultivate us. He never comes too late
and we should learn to wait patiently.
7) We should never be hasty and walk before God and
we should learn to wait for His time. The moving of the minute hand and the
hour hand in the clock has certain laws.
Acts. 7:31 “When Moses saw it, he
marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord
came to him,”
YLT: “and Moses having
seen did wonder at the sight; and he drawing near to behold, there came a voice
of the Lord unto him,”
Meaning of Words: “observe”: observe
fully.
Literal Meaning: “the voice of the
Lord” “the Lord” proves that “an angel” in v. 30 is God Himself.
Enlightenment in the Word: Where there is no vision, the people perish (Prov.
29:18). Only those who see the “vision” can be used by God.
Acts. 7:32 “saying, ‘I am the God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, the God
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' And Moses trembled and dared not look.”
YLT: “I [am] the God of
thy fathers; the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
`And Moses having become terrified, durst not behold,”
Literal Meaning: “the God of Abraham, the God
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” the Lord Jesus
once used this sentence to prove that God is not the God of the dead, but of
the living (Matt. 22:32).
Acts. 7:33 “‘Then
the LORD said to him, ‘Take your sandals off your
feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”
YLT: “and the Lord said
to him, Loose the sandal of thy feet, for the place in which thou hast stood is
holy ground;”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) What’s important in “the holy ground” is not
“the ground” but “God”. No matter how remote the place where God has appeared
and spoken is, it is still the holy ground. No matter how solemn and sacred the
place where God’s glory has departed is, it has no difference with “the common
ground”.
2) No matter believers are at home or in the
workshop, if they can keep the close communication with God and have God’s
appearance and words, the place is “the holy ground”.
Acts. 7:34 “I have surely seen the
oppression of My people who are in
YLT: “seeing I have seen
the affliction of My people that [is] in Egypt, and their groaning I did hear,
and came down to deliver them; and now come, I will send thee to Egypt.”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) It’s not that God does not know believers’
tribulations in the world or is unwilling to save them. Everything that happens
to us is of His goodwill (Rom. 8:29). God works in due time.
2) God must have a suitable vessel before He begins
to work. God’s work is always restricted by men because men are lacked to be
sent and to go for Him (Is. 6:8).
Acts. 7:35 “‘This
Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a
judge?' is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the
Angel who appeared to him in the bush.”
YLT: “`This Moses, whom
they did refuse, saying, Who did set thee a ruler and a judge? this one God a
ruler and a redeemer did send, in the hand of a messenger who appeared to him
in the bush;”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The one whom men reject is chosen by God. What’s
important is not how men estimate us but how God estimates us.
2) In this verse “judge” is interchanged with
“deliverer”, showing that the aim of “judgment” is not for perdition but for
salvation.
Acts. 7:36 “He brought them out,
after he had shown wonders and signs in the
YLT: “this one did bring
them forth, having done wonders and signs in the
Acts. 7:37 “‘This
is that Moses who said to the children of
YLT: “this is the Moses
who did say to the sons of
Literal Meaning: “The LORD your God will
raise up for you a Prophet like me”
In the mind of Stephen, a Prophet must refer to Jesus Christ. Moses typifies
the Lord Jesus: 1) he was sent by God to the world to save God’s people (v.34);
2) he was unexpectedly rejected by the people of
Enlightenment in the Word: those who believe the Lord Jesus will by no means
contend with Moses and they are his true followers. Believing and obeying the
teachings of Moses include receiving Jesus instead of resisting Jesus.
Acts. 7:38 “‘This
is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to
him on
YLT: “`This is he who was
in the assembly in the wilderness, with the messenger who is speaking to him in
the mount Sinai, and with our fathers who did receive the living oracles to
give to us;”
Literal Meaning: “This is he who was in the
congregation in the wilderness” “congregation” is
translated from the Greek word ekklesia and it refers to the assembly of the
people of
“The one who received the living oracles
to give to us” The word of God is
full of the power and vitality of the Holy Spirit and therefore it is called
“the living oracles”.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and
sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12).
2) For the letter kills, but the spirit gives life
(2Cor. 3:6). When reading and using the Bible, we should avoid stressing on the
outer letters and words only and neglecting the inner “spirit”.
Acts. 7:39 “whom our fathers would
not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to
YLT: “to whom our fathers
did not wish to become obedient, but did thrust away, and turned back in their
hearts to
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Jews thought that they had obeyed the Law of
Moses, however, it is said that they were unwilling to listen to Moses and
contrarily rejected him. It shows that whether one obeys is not according to
the outer letters and regulations but whether they obey “the spirit of
prophecy” (Rev. 19:10).
2) Those who are unwilling to listen to God’s
“living oracles” (See v.38) to us “today” cannot overcome the temptations of
the world and as a result they will fall in the world gradually (“in their hearts they turned
back to
Acts. 7:40 “saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who
brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'”
YLT: “saying to Aaron,
Make to us gods who shall go on before us, for this Moses, who brought us forth
out of the
Acts. 7:41 “And they made a calf in
those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their
own hands.”
YLT: “`And they made a
calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in
the works of their hands,”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) If men rely on sight instead of faith, they will
worship the invisible idols unconsciously.
2) Many times, what believers love is “the works of
their own hands” instead of God’s works.
Acts. 7:42 “Then God turned and gave
them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the
Prophets: ‘Did you offer Me
slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O
house of Israel?”
YLT: “and God did turn,
and did give them up to do service to the host of the heaven, according as it
hath been written in the scroll of the prophets: Slain beasts and sacrifices
did ye offer to Me forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?”
Literal Meaning: “as it is written in the
book of the Prophets” The following
words are quoted from Amos. 5:25-27.
Acts. 7:43 “You also took up the
tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of your god Remphan, Images which you made
to worship; And I will carry you away beyond
YLT: “and ye took up the
tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan -- the figures that ye
made to bow before them, and I will remove your dwelling beyond
Literal Meaning: “You also took up the
tabernacle of Moloch” “Moloch” is the
idol of Ammonites and men sacrifice the living children to it; “the tabernacle of Moloch” is a kind of tabernacle that could be
carried everywhere.
“And the star of your god Remphan” “Remphan” is the name of the god of a star
and it is related to Saturn.
“And I will carry you away beyond
Babylon.” The northern
Acts. 7:44 “‘Our
fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as He appointed,
instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen,”
YLT: “`The tabernacle of
the testimony was among our fathers in the wilderness, according as He did
direct, who is speaking to Moses, to make it according to the figure that he
had seen;”
Literal Meaning: Stephen mentioned the
matter of the holy temple from v.44-50 because he was accused of speaking
blasphemous words against this holy place (Acts. 6:13).
“Had the tabernacle of witness” There were two tables of the testimony in
the ark of covenant and therefore it was also called “the ark of the testimony”
(Exod. 40:20). At that time, the tabernacle in the wilderness centered on the
ark of the testimony in the Holiest of all (Exod. 26:33-34) and therefore the
tabernacle was also called “the
tabernacle of witness”.
Acts. 7:45 “which our fathers, having
received it in turn, also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the
Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of
David,”
YLT: “which also our
fathers having in succession received, did bring in with Joshua, into the
possession of the nations whom God did drive out from the presence of our
fathers, till the days of David,”
Acts. 7:46 “who found favor before
God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob.”
YLT: “who found favour before
God, and requested to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob;”
Acts. 7:47 “But Solomon built Him a
house.”
YLT: “and Solomon built
Him an house.”
Acts. 7:48 “‘However,
the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:”
YLT: “`But the Most High
in sanctuaries made with hands doth not dwell, according as the prophet saith:”
Literal Meaning: “as the prophet says” the following words are quoted from Is.
66:1-2.
Acts. 7:49 “‘Heaven
is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says
the LORD, Or what is the place of My rest?”
YLT: “The heaven [is] My
throne, and the earth My footstool; what house will ye build to Me? saith the
Lord, or what [is] the place of My rest?”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The temples made with hands cannot make God have
rest. It shows that God seeks a temple that could make Him have rest, i.e. “a
new creature” made with His hands (2Cor. 5:17; 1Cor. 6:19; Eph. 2:22).
2) Our hearts that magnify the Lord are the place
where God could have rest.
Acts. 7:50 “Has My hand not made all
these things?'”
YLT: “hath not My hand
made all these things?”
Literal Meaning: please note that, in
the original of the book of Isaiah, the following sentence is that, “but on
this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who
trembles at My word”. From this we could know that the only place where God can
have rest is the new spirit in those who repent (Ezek. 35:26-27).
Acts. 7:51 “‘You
stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy
Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.”
YLT: “`Ye stiff-necked
and uncircumcised in heart and in ears! ye do always the Holy Spirit resist; as
your fathers -- also ye;”
Literal Meaning: “You uncircumcised in heart and
ears” It indicates that though they were
circumcised in the flesh, their hearts towards God were still hardened and they
were unwilling to obey the word of God. And therefore they were uncircumcised
in heart and ears.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit
and not in the letter (Rom. 2:29).
2) Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill
the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16), i.e. those who are truly circumcised.
Conversely, those who “always resist the Holy Spirit” are those who are
“uncircumcised in heart and ears”.
Acts. 7:52 “Which of the prophets did
your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of
the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers,”
YLT: “which of the
prophets did not your fathers persecute? and they killed those who declared
before about the coming of the Righteous One, of whom now ye betrayers and
murderers have become,”
Enlightenment in the Word: the religious believers who stick to established
practice not only persecute prophets but also kill the word of God.
Acts. 7:53 “who have received the law
by the direction of angels and have not kept it.’”
YLT: “who received the
law by arrangement of messengers, and did not keep [it].'”
Literal Meaning: “who have received the law
by the direction of angels” God did not give
the Law to men directly and gave the Law to men through the angels indirectly.
It implies that concerning the matter of giving the Law to men, God does not
feel that it is a kind and sweet thing to men from Him because the Law is not
the original intention of God and it is merely used by God to keep His people
(Gal. 3:23).
Acts. 7:54 “When they heard these
things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.”
YLT: “And hearing these
things, they were cut to the hearts, and did gnash the teeth at him;”
Meaning of Words: “were cut”: saw
asunder.
Acts. 7:55 “But he, being full of the
Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at
the right hand of God,”
YLT: “and being full of
the Holy Spirit, having looked stedfastly to the heaven, he saw the glory of
God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,”
Literal Meaning: “But he, being full of the
Holy Spirit” Concerning “being
full of the Holy Spirit”, please see the note in Acts. 6:3.
“And Jesus standing at the right hand of
God” The scriptures in other places tell us
that Christ of glory sits on the right hand of the power (Ps. 110:1; Matt.
26:64; Eph. 1:20;
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The feature of Stephen is that he was always
full of the Holy Spirit. He was not filled with the Holy Spirit one time (Acts.
6:5) and he was always abundant in life.
2) Those who are full of the Holy Spirit always
look above. They do not look at the things that are seen but at the things that
are unseen. And those who are full of the Holy Spirit shall see the Lord
Himself because the work of the Holy Spirit makes men see the Lord Jesus.
3) Men in the council saw Stephen’s face as the
face of an angel (Acts. 6:15). Those who are full of the Holy Spirit shall shine
the glory of God.
4) If we could see “the glory of God”, the
persecution and sufferings that others put on us are unworthy (Rom. 8:18).
Acts. 7:56 “and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man
standing at the right hand of God!’”
YLT: “and he said, `Lo, I
see the heavens having been opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right
hand of God.'”
Enlightenment in the Word: “the heavens” are opened for those who have been
rejected by “the earth”. Though the earth is closed to them, the heavens are
opened to them.
Acts. 7:57 “Then they cried out with
a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;”
YLT: “And they, having
cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and did rush with one accord
upon him,”
Spiritual Meaning: this verse is a
painting which shows the ways of religious believers: 1) “they cried out with a
loud voice”------they use their voice to oppress others; 2) “stopped their
ears”------they refuse to listen to the different ideas; 3) “and ran at him
with one accord”------they get united with each other by the fleshly ideas.
Acts. 7:58 “and they cast him out of
the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet
of a young man named Saul.”
YLT: “and having cast him
forth outside of the city, they were stoning [him] -- and the witnesses did put
down their garments at the feet of a young man called Saul --”
Literal Meaning: “and they cast him out of
the city and stoned him” It is the
punishment to those who blaspheme God (Lev. 24:14-16; Heb. 13:12-13).
“Laid down their clothes at the feet of
a young man named Saul” “Saul” was the
name of Paul the apostle before he was saved (Acts. 13:9). When he was young,
he advanced in Judaism beyond many of his contemporaries, being more
exceedingly zealous for the traditions of his fathers (Gal. 1:14) and therefore
someone held that he was the person in charge in putting Stephen to death.
The Lord allowed Stephen to be killed
and Saul to make havoc of the church in order to push His disciples to obey His
commandment of leaving Jerusalem to be witnesses everywhere (Acts.1:8). As
expected, after this the disciples were scattered into Judaea and
Enlightenment in the Word: God seems to have lost Stephen, however, He wins
Paul the apostle who preached the gospel and saved millions upon millions
souls. Every thing that believers encounter is God’s goodwill no matter it is
good or not (Rom. 8:28).
Acts. 7:59 “And they stoned Stephen
as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my
spirit.’”
YLT: “and they were
stoning Stephen, calling and saying, `Lord Jesus, receive my spirit;'”
Meaning of Words: “Stephen”: crown.
Enlightenment in the Word: Stephen bore witness not only by words but also by
“himself”. His state of being martyred especially reappeared the model of
“Christ crucified”: 1) full commitment to God------“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”; 2) complete forgiveness to men------“Lord, do not charge them
with this sin” (v.60).
Acts. 7:60 “Then he knelt down and
cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them
with this sin.’ And when he had said this,
he fell asleep.”
YLT: “and having bowed
the knees, he cried with a loud voice, `Lord, mayest thou not lay to them this
sin;' and this having said, he fell asleep.”
Literal Meaning: “he fell asleep”
“fell asleep” means (1Thess. 4:13-16). Stephen was the first martyr in the
church history.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) To the one who truly knows the cross, like
Stephen, his death is kingly, quite and self-controlled. He gives his spirit to
God (v.59) and asks for remission for those who kill him.
2) All those who truly take up the cross do not
complain but love. They do not seek men’s compassion but have pity for
others.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
The Error in Keeping the
I. God appeared to Abraham in
II. When God promised to give the land of Canaan to
Abraham for a possession, and to his descendants after him, he had no
inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on and had no child (v.5)------seize
God Himself and His promises with faith and overcome the visible facts.
III. God was with Joseph in
IV. When the Egyptian king arose and began to
oppress the people of
V. When Moses wanted to save the people of
VI. God appeared to Moses in the bush
(v.35)------where there is the appearance of God, it is the holy ground and the
holy temple.
VII. Moses was only the type of the Prophet
(Christ) that God will raise up (v.37)------the word of Christ is more
important than the Law which is given by Moses.
VIII. What Moses received and gave to the people of
IX. The people of
X. God does not dwell in temples made with hands
(v.44-50)------the substantial temple is not the place where God has rest.
XI. The people of
XII. The people of
XIII. The Prophet that God will raise up
(v.37)------speak for God.
The Three Periods of the History of the
People of
I. They were afflicted in the
II. They turned back to
III. They lost the presence of God in the
The Description of Religious Believers
II. Betray their brother (v.9b).
III. Do not understand the works of God (v.25).
IV. Fight with and bully each other (v.26).
V. Do not obey others (v.27).
VI. Be unwilling to listen to the living oracles of
God (v.38-39a).
VII. Turn back to
VIII. Make gods and sacrifice to the gods
(v.40-41a).
IX. Rejoice in the works of their own hands (v.41b).
X. Be stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and
ears (v.51a).
XI. Always resist the Holy Spirit (v.51b).
XII. Persecute prophets and kill the Just One
(v.52).
XIII. Do not obey the Law (v.53).
XIV. Be cut to the heart and gnash with their teeth
(v.54)------walk by the flesh.
XV. They cry out with a loud voice
(v.57a)------overcome the other with voice.
XVI. Stop their ears (v.57b)------reject to listen
to the word of others.
XVII. And run at him with one accord
(v.57c)------the union of the fleshly ideas.
XVIII. They cast him out of the city
(v.58a)------kick men out of their sphere of influence.
XIX. Stone men to death (v.58b)------wipe men out
and swear not to coexist with them.
XX. Be consenting to other’s death
(v.60b)------they not only do not know their wrongness but also regard their
wrongness as right.
The Three “Forty Years” of Moses
I. The first forty years (v.20-28)------he thought
that “he can”.
II. The second forty years (v.29)------he knew that
“he cannot”.
III. The last forty years (v.30-38)------he
experienced that “God can”.
Men’s “can” Contrarily Holds Back God’s
“can”
I. Moses was well pleasing to God (v.20).
II. Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the
Egyptians (the world) (v.22a).
III. Moses was mighty in words and deeds (v.22b).
IV. Moses was fervent in taking care of brothers
(v.23).
V. Moses was physically strong and redressed an
injustice for the weak (v.24).
VI. Moses thought that he worked for God (v.25).
VII. Moses persuaded brothers to be in peace with
good intention (v.26).
Moses Typifies Christ
I. Moses was sent by God to
II. Moses was rejected by the people of
III. Moses led the people of
The True Witness of God
II. He gazed into heaven (v.55b).
III. He saw the glory of God (v.55b).
IV. He saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God
(v.55c; v.56c).
V. He saw the heavens opened (v.56c).
VI. He gave his spirit to God (v.59).
VII. He prayed for the enemy (v.60a).
VIII. He was not “dead” but “fell asleep” (v.60b).
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren