7
Stephen’s Defense
1 Now the high priest asked [Stephen], “Are these charges true?”
2 And he answered, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory [the Shekinah, the radiance of God] appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, [Gen 11:31; 15:7; Ps 29:3]
3 and He said to him, ‘Lᴇᴀvᴇ ʏoᴜʀ coᴜɴᴛʀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʏoᴜʀ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪvᴇs, ᴀɴᴅ coᴍᴇ ᴛo ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ I wɪʟʟ sʜow ʏoᴜ.’ [Gen 12:1]
4 Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. And from there, after his father died, God sent him to this country in which you now live. [Gen 11:31; 12:5; 15:7]
5 But He did not give him inheritable property, not even enough ground to take a step on, yet He promised that Hᴇ woᴜʟᴅ ɢɪvᴇ ɪᴛ ᴛo Hɪᴍ ᴀs ᴀ ᴘossᴇssɪoɴ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛo ʜɪs ᴅᴇscᴇɴᴅᴀɴᴛs ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ʜɪᴍ. [Gen 12:7; 17:8; Deut 2:5]
6 And this is, in effect, what God spoke [to him]: That his ᴅᴇscᴇɴᴅᴀɴᴛs woᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴀʟɪᴇɴs (strangers) ɪɴ ᴀ ꜰoʀᴇɪɢɴ ʟᴀɴᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ woᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴇɴsʟᴀvᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍɪsᴛʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ ꜰoʀ ꜰoᴜʀ ʜᴜɴᴅʀᴇᴅ ʏᴇᴀʀs.
7 ‘Aɴᴅ I wɪʟʟ ᴊᴜᴅɢᴇ ᴀɴʏ ɴᴀᴛɪoɴ ᴛo wʜoᴍ ᴛʜᴇʏ wɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ɪɴ ʙoɴᴅᴀɢᴇ,’ said God, ‘ᴀɴᴅ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ wɪʟʟ coᴍᴇ oᴜᴛ ᴀɴᴅ sᴇʀvᴇ Mᴇ [in worship] ɪɴ ᴛʜɪs ᴘʟᴀcᴇ.’ [Gen 15:13, 14; Ex 3:12]
8 And God gave Abraham a covenant [a formal agreement to be strictly observed] of [which] circumcision [was the sign]; and so [under these circumstances] Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac [became the father] of Jacob, and Jacob [became the father] of the twelve patriarchs. [Gen 17:10-14; 21:2-4; 25:26; 29:31-35; 30:1-24; 35:16-26]
9 “The [ten elder] patriarchs, overwhelmed with jealousy, sold [their younger brother] Joseph into [slavery in] Egypt; but God was with him, [Gen 37:11, 28; 45:4]
10 and He rescued him from all his suffering, and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made Joseph governor over Egypt and over his entire household. [Gen 39:2, 3, 21; 41:40-46; Ps 105:21]
11 “Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great distress and our fathers could not find food [for their households and livestock]. [Gen 41:54, 55; 42:5]
12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time. [Gen 42:2]
13 And on the second visit Joseph identified himself to his brothers, and Joseph’s family and background were revealed to Pharaoh. [Gen 45:1-4]
14 Then Joseph sent and invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five persons in all. [Gen 45:9, 10]
15 And Jacob (Israel) went down into Egypt, and there he died, as did our fathers; [Gen 49:33]
16 and [from Egypt] their bodies were taken back to Shechem and placed in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem. [Gen 50:13; Josh 24:32]
17 “But as the time [for the fulfillment] of the promise which God had made to Abraham was approaching, the [Hebrew] people increased and multiplied in Egypt, [Deut 10:22]
18 until [the time when] ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀosᴇ ᴀɴoᴛʜᴇʀ ᴋɪɴɢ ovᴇʀ ᴇɢʏᴘᴛ wʜo ᴅɪᴅ ɴoᴛ ᴋɴow ᴊosᴇᴘʜ [nor his history and the merit of his service to Egypt]. [Ex 1:7, 8]
19 He shrewdly exploited our race and mistreated our fathers, forcing them to expose their [male] babies so that they would die. [Ex 1:7-11, 15-22]
20 It was at this [critical] time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and for three months he was nourished in his father’s house. [Ex 2:2]
21 Then when he was set outside [to die], Pharaoh’s daughter rescued him and claimed him for herself, and cared for him as her own son. [Ex 2:5, 6, 10]
22 So Moses was educated in all the wisdom and culture of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds.
23 But when he reached the age of forty, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel.
24 And when he saw one [of them] being treated unfairly, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking and killing the Egyptian.
25 He expected his countrymen to understand that God was granting them freedom through him [assuming that they would accept him], but they did not understand.
26 Then on the next day he suddenly appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you wrong one another?’
27 But the man who was injuring his neighbor pushed Moses away, saying, ‘Wʜo ᴀᴘᴘoɪɴᴛᴇᴅ ʏoᴜ ʀᴜʟᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴊᴜᴅɢᴇ ovᴇʀ ᴜs?
28 Do ʏoᴜ ɪɴᴛᴇɴᴅ ᴛo ᴋɪʟʟ ᴍᴇ ᴀs ʏoᴜ ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ Eɢʏᴘᴛɪᴀɴ ʏᴇsᴛᴇʀᴅᴀʏ?’
29 At this remark Mosᴇs ꜰʟᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇcᴀᴍᴇ ᴀɴ ᴇxɪʟᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀɴᴅ oꜰ Mɪᴅɪᴀɴ, where he fathered two sons. [Ex 2:11-15, 22; 18:3, 4]
30 “After forty years had passed, ᴀɴ ᴀɴɢᴇʟ ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴇᴅ ᴛo ʜɪᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ wɪʟᴅᴇʀɴᴇss oꜰ Moᴜɴᴛ Sinai, ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰʟᴀᴍᴇ oꜰ ᴀ ʙᴜʀɴɪɴɢ ᴛʜoʀɴ ʙᴜsʜ.
31 When Moses saw it, he was astonished at the sight; but as he went near to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came [to him, saying]:
32 ‘I ᴀᴍ ᴛʜᴇ Goᴅ oꜰ ʏoᴜʀ ꜰᴀᴛʜᴇʀs, ᴛʜᴇ Goᴅ oꜰ Aʙʀᴀʜᴀᴍ ᴀɴᴅ oꜰ Isᴀᴀc ᴀɴᴅ oꜰ Jᴀcoʙ.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.
33 Tʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ Loʀᴅ sᴀɪᴅ ᴛo ʜɪᴍ, ‘Rᴇᴍovᴇ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀɴᴅᴀʟs ꜰʀoᴍ ʏoᴜʀ ꜰᴇᴇᴛ, ꜰoʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀcᴇ wʜᴇʀᴇ ʏoᴜ ᴀʀᴇ sᴛᴀɴᴅɪɴɢ ɪs ʜoʟʏ ɢʀoᴜɴᴅ [worthy of reverence and respect].
34 I ʜᴀvᴇ ᴍosᴛ cᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴʟʏ sᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ oᴘᴘʀᴇssɪoɴ oꜰ Mʏ ᴘᴇoᴘʟᴇ ɪɴ Eɢʏᴘᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀvᴇ ʜᴇᴀʀᴅ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ɢʀoᴀɴɪɴɢ, ᴀɴᴅ I ʜᴀvᴇ coᴍᴇ ᴅowɴ ᴛo ʀᴇscᴜᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ. Now coᴍᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ I wɪʟʟ sᴇɴᴅ ʏoᴜ ᴛo Eɢʏᴘᴛ [as My messenger].’ [Ex 3:1-10]
35 “This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Wʜo ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʏoᴜ ᴀ ʀᴜʟᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ᴊᴜᴅɢᴇ?’ is the very one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer, with the [protecting and helping] hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush. [Ex 2:14]
36 This man led them out [of Egypt] after performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. [Ex 7:3; 14:21; Num 14:33]
37 This is the Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘Goᴅ wɪʟʟ ʀᴀɪsᴇ ᴜᴘ ꜰoʀ ʏoᴜ ᴀ Pʀoᴘʜᴇᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ꜰʀoᴍ ʏoᴜʀ coᴜɴᴛʀʏᴍᴇɴ.’ [Deut 18:15, 18]
38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and who was with our fathers; and he received living oracles [divine words that still live] to be handed down to you. [Ex 19]
39 Our fathers were unwilling to be subject to him [and refused to listen to him]. They rejected him, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. [Num 14:3, 4]
40 Tʜᴇʏ sᴀɪᴅ ᴛo Aᴀʀoɴ, ‘Mᴀᴋᴇ ꜰoʀ ᴜs ɢoᴅs wʜo wɪʟʟ ɢo ʙᴇꜰoʀᴇ ᴜs; ꜰoʀ ᴛʜɪs Mosᴇs wʜo ʟᴇᴅ ᴜs oᴜᴛ oꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀɴᴅ oꜰ Eɢʏᴘᴛ, wᴇ ᴅo ɴoᴛ ᴋɴow wʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀs ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛo ʜɪᴍ.’ [Ex 32:1, 23]
41 In those days they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced and celebrated over the works of their hands. [Ex 32:4, 6]
42 But God turned away [from them] and handed them over to serve the host of heaven. As it is written and forever remains written in the book of the prophets, ‘Iᴛ wᴀs ɴoᴛ [really] ᴛo Mᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏoᴜ oꜰꜰᴇʀᴇᴅ vɪcᴛɪᴍs ᴀɴᴅ sᴀcʀɪꜰɪcᴇs ꜰoʀ ꜰoʀᴛʏ ʏᴇᴀʀs ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ wɪʟᴅᴇʀɴᴇss, wᴀs ɪᴛ, O ʜoᴜsᴇ oꜰ Isʀᴀᴇʟ? [Jer 19:13]
43 Yoᴜ ᴀʟso ᴛooᴋ ᴀʟoɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴀʙᴇʀɴᴀcʟᴇ (portable temple) oꜰ Moʟocʜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴀʀ oꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ɢoᴅ Roᴍᴘʜᴀ, ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴍᴀɢᴇs wʜɪcʜ ʏoᴜ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴛo woʀsʜɪᴘ; ᴀɴᴅ I wɪʟʟ ʀᴇᴍovᴇ ʏoᴜ ʙᴇʏoɴᴅ Bᴀʙʏʟoɴ [carrying you away into exile].’ [Amos 5:25-27]
44 “Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as God directed Moses to make it according to the pattern which he had seen. [Ex 25:9-40]
45 Our fathers also brought it in [with them into the land] with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations whom God drove out before our fathers, [and so it remained here] until the time of David, [Deut 32:49; Josh 3:14-17]
46 who found favor (grace, spiritual blessing) in the sight of God and asked that he might [be allowed to] find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. [2 Sam 7:8-16; Ps 132:1-5]
47 But it was Solomon who built a house for Him. [1 Kin 6]
48 However, the Most High [the One infinitely exalted above humanity] does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet [Isaiah] says, [1 Kin 8:27]
49 ‘Hᴇᴀvᴇɴ ɪs Mʏ ᴛʜʀoɴᴇ,
Aɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ ɪs ᴛʜᴇ ꜰooᴛsᴛooʟ ꜰoʀ Mʏ ꜰᴇᴇᴛ;
Wʜᴀᴛ ᴋɪɴᴅ oꜰ ʜoᴜsᴇ wɪʟʟ ʏoᴜ ʙᴜɪʟᴅ ꜰoʀ Mᴇ?’ says the Lord,
‘Oʀ wʜᴀᴛ ᴘʟᴀcᴇ ɪs ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ꜰoʀ Mʏ ʀᴇsᴛ?
50 ‘Wᴀs ɪᴛ ɴoᴛ Mʏ ʜᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢs?’ [Is 66:1, 2]
51 “You stiff-necked and stubborn people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are always actively resisting the Holy Spirit. You are doing just as your fathers did. [Ex 33:3, 5; Num 27:14; Is 63:10; Jer 6:10; 9:26]
52 Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who proclaimed beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;
53 you who received the law as ordained and delivered to you by angels, and yet you did not obey it!”
Stephen Put to Death
54 Now when they heard this [accusation and understood its implication], they were cut to the heart, and they began grinding their teeth [in rage] at him.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit and led by Him, gazed into heaven and saw the glory [the great splendor and majesty] of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;
56 and he said, “Look! I see the heavens opened up [in welcome] and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
57 But they shouted with loud voices, and covered their ears and together rushed at him [considering him guilty of blasphemy].
58 Then they drove him out of the city and began stoning him; and the witnesses placed their outer robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. [Acts 22:20]
59 They continued stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive and accept and welcome my spirit!”
60 Then falling on his knees [in worship], he cried out loudly, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them [do not charge them]!” When he had said this, he fell asleep [in death].