Acts 7 summary meaning ai explained commentary

Acts 7 meaning explained in AI Summary

Stephen's Speech: Stephen, one of the deacons, delivers a powerful speech tracing the history of Israel and accusing the Jewish leaders of rejecting the prophets and now Jesus.
First Christian Martyr: Stephen is stoned to death for his faith, becoming the first Christian martyr.

Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, delivers a powerful and lengthy speech to the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, defending himself against accusations of blasphemy. His speech can be divided into three main parts:

1. God's Faithfulness to the Patriarchs (verses 2-43): Stephen recounts the history of Israel, highlighting God's faithfulness to their ancestors:

Abraham: God called Abraham and promised him a great nation, even though he was childless and living in a foreign land.
Joseph: God protected Joseph despite his brothers' betrayal, ultimately using him to save Egypt and his own family from famine.
Moses: God chose Moses to deliver Israel from slavery in Egypt, performing miracles and giving them the Law at Mount Sinai.

2. Israel's Rebellion Against God (verses 44-50): Stephen contrasts God's faithfulness with Israel's repeated disobedience:

The Tabernacle: Despite God's presence dwelling among them, the Israelites built the golden calf and worshipped idols.
The Prophets: God sent prophets to warn them, but they were persecuted and rejected.
Solomon's Temple: Even the magnificent temple built by Solomon couldn't contain God, who desires true worship in the heart.

3. Rejection of the Messiah (verses 51-60): Stephen directly accuses the Sanhedrin of following in the footsteps of their ancestors by rejecting Jesus, the true Messiah:

Stiff-necked People: Stephen condemns their stubborn refusal to listen to God and their resistance to the Holy Spirit.
Betrayal and Murder: He reminds them that they handed Jesus over to be crucified, just as their ancestors persecuted the prophets.

Stephen's Vision and Martyrdom:

Heavenly Vision: As Stephen speaks, he has a vision of God's glory and Jesus standing at God's right hand.
Stoning: Enraged by his words, the Sanhedrin drags Stephen out of the city and stones him to death.
Stephen's Forgiveness: Even as he is being killed, Stephen prays for God to forgive his murderers, echoing Jesus' own words on the cross.

Significance of Chapter 7:

Defense of the Christian Faith: Stephen's speech provides a powerful defense of Christianity, rooting it firmly in the history of Israel and the fulfillment of God's promises.
Example of Faithfulness: Stephen's courage and unwavering faith in the face of persecution serve as an inspiration for believers.
Transition in the Early Church: Stephen's martyrdom marks a turning point, leading to increased persecution of Christians in Jerusalem and the scattering of the gospel message beyond Judea.

Acts 7 bible study ai commentary

Stephen's defense in Acts 7 is a masterful and provocative retelling of Israel's history. It is not an apology but an indictment. He argues that Israel has a consistent, historical pattern of rejecting God’s chosen deliverers (Joseph, Moses) and resisting the Holy Spirit. Stephen demonstrates that God’s presence has never been confined to a specific land or building, a direct challenge to the Temple-centric worship of the Sanhedrin. The speech climaxes by accusing his accusers of being the true inheritors of this rebellious legacy, culminating in their murder of the Messiah, the "Just One."

Acts 7 context

This chapter unfolds immediately after Stephen, one of the first deacons, is accused of blasphemy against Moses, God, the Temple, and the Law (Acts 6:11-14). He stands before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court in Jerusalem. In Second Temple Judaism, the Land of Israel, the Law of Moses, and especially the Jerusalem Temple were central to national and religious identity. Stephen’s speech systematically deconstructs the idea that God's favor and presence are exclusively tied to these physical elements, arguing instead for a God who is sovereign, mobile, and acts through His chosen (and often rejected) messengers. This was a radical and direct theological challenge to the council's authority and worldview.

Acts 7:1

Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?”

In-depth-analysis

This is the formal, legal question initiating Stephen's defense. The high priest, likely Caiaphas, demands Stephen answer the charges of blasphemy from Acts 6.
The question, "Are these things so?" (Greek: Ei ara tauta houtos echei?), invites a simple "yes" or "no," but Stephen uses it as a launching point for an epic, unsolicited sermon.
This setup mirrors Jesus' own trial before the same body (Matt 26:62-63).

Bible references

Acts 6:13-14: '...This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law...' (The accusation Stephen is answering).
Matt 26:62: 'And the high priest arose and said to Him, “Do You answer nothing?...”' (Parallel question to Jesus).

Cross references

Acts 22:1 (Paul begins his defense), Acts 24:9 (Jews assent to charges), Acts 26:1-2 (Paul's defense before Agrippa).

Acts 7:2-3

And he said, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, ‘Depart from your country and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’

In-depth-analysis

Word: Stephen begins respectfully: "Brothers and fathers," acknowledging the council's authority. "God of glory" (ho Theos tēs doxēs) emphasizes God's majestic presence, which is not confined to a place.
Stephen immediately establishes a key theme: God's initiative begins outside the Promised Land, in Mesopotamia (Ur of the Chaldees).
This counters the assumption that God's presence is restricted to Israel and the Temple. God’s relationship with His people pre-dates the Land, the Law, and the Temple.

Bible references

Gen 12:1: 'Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family...”' (The call of Abram).
Neh 9:7: 'You are the Lord God, Who chose Abram, and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees...' (Recounting the call).

Cross references

Gen 11:31 (Terah taking family to Haran), Gen 15:7 (God brought him from Ur), Heb 11:8 (Abraham's faith in leaving).

Acts 7:4-5

Then he departed from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you now live. Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child.

In-depth-analysis

Stephen highlights that Abraham obeyed but did not see the promise fulfilled in his lifetime. He was a sojourner, owning only a burial plot (Gen 23).
The promise was based on pure faith, not on physical possession. This subverts the council's pride in possessing the land.
Polemics: A potential discrepancy exists. Genesis 11:32 and 12:4 suggest Abraham left Haran before his father Terah died. Stephen's account, stating he left after, may reflect a different Jewish tradition (like that found in Philo) or serve a rhetorical point emphasizing a complete break from his past. It stresses Abraham's total reliance on God's call alone.

Bible references

Heb 11:9, 13: 'By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country... These all died in faith, not having received the promises...' (Faith without sight).
Gen 23:4, 17-20: 'I am a foreigner and a sojourner... a burial place.' (Abraham's only land).
Deut 2:5: '...for I will not give you any of their land, no, not so much as a footstep...' (Language emphasizing God's sovereign gift).

Cross references

Gen 11:31-32 (Settling in Haran), Gen 12:4-5 (Leaving Haran).

Acts 7:6-7

And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a foreign land, and that they would be enslaved and afflicted for four hundred years. ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’

In-depth-analysis

Stephen is quoting and paraphrasing the Abrahamic covenant. He emphasizes the period of slavery and suffering before inheritance.
The "four hundred years" is a round number from Genesis 15:13 (Exodus 12:40 gives 430 years).
"Worship me in this place" (a quote from Exo 3:12 directed to Moses) is cleverly woven into the Abrahamic promise. It connects the patriarchal story directly to the Exodus, framing it all as one continuous plan of deliverance.

Bible references

Gen 15:13-14: '...your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them... for four hundred years...' (The prophecy to Abraham).
Exod 3:12: '...when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.' (The promise to Moses at Sinai).

Cross references

Exod 12:40 (430 years in Egypt), Gal 3:17 (Law 430 years after promise).

Acts 7:8

And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

In-depth-analysis

Stephen introduces the "covenant of circumcision," the physical sign of belonging to God's people.
By listing the lineage, he affirms his connection to the foundational history of Israel, establishing his credentials before he begins his critique.
However, he will later use this concept to accuse the Sanhedrin of being "uncircumcised in heart" (v. 51), implying they have the outward sign but lack the inward reality.

Bible references

Gen 17:10-12: 'This is My covenant... every male child among you shall be circumcised...' (The institution of circumcision).
Rom 4:11: 'And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised...' (Circumcision as an outward sign of an inward faith).

Cross references

Gen 21:2-4 (Birth of Isaac), Gen 25:26 (Birth of Jacob), Gen 35:23-26 (The twelve sons).

Acts 7:9-10

And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.

In-depth-analysis

This marks a major thematic shift: Israel's rejection of God's chosen deliverer.
The patriarchs, the revered founders, are shown to be sinful and jealous. They actively tried to thwart God's plan.
Despite their rejection, "God was with him." God’s presence and blessing were fully active in Egypt—a pagan land—and not limited to Canaan. Joseph, the rejected one, becomes the savior of his family and the world.
This is a clear, implicit parallel to Jesus, who was rejected by his own brothers (the Jewish leaders) but exalted by God to be the Savior.

Bible references

Gen 37:11, 28: 'And his brothers envied him... sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites...' (The rejection).
Gen 39:2, 21: 'The Lord was with Joseph... and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.' (God's presence).
Psa 105:17-21: 'He sent a man before them—Joseph—who was sold as a slave... he made him lord of his house...' (Poetic summary of the story).

Cross references

Gen 41:37-41 (Pharaoh promotes Joseph), Matt 27:18 (Pilate knew they handed Jesus over out of envy).

Acts 7:11-16

Now there came a famine over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food... So Jacob went down to Egypt. And he died, he and our fathers, and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

In-depth-analysis

The famine brings the rejectors to the rejected for salvation, completing the Joseph parallel.
The burial of the patriarchs in the promised land showed their faith in the future promise, even though they died in a foreign land.
Polemics: Stephen mentions the tomb at Shechem, bought by Abraham. This creates two historical difficulties.
1. Genesis 50:13 states Jacob was buried in the cave of Machpelah in Hebron, which Abraham bought.
2. Genesis 33:19 states Jacob (not Abraham) bought a plot of land near Shechem.
This is not a mistake. Shechem was a religiously significant and controversial site (first place Abraham built an altar, a city of refuge, site of Samaritan worship). By linking Abraham, Jacob, and the Patriarchs to Shechem, Stephen may be deliberately elevating its importance over Jerusalem/Hebron, subtly attacking the Temple's exclusive claims. It may also reflect a Samaritan-leaning or alternative Jewish tradition.

Bible references

Gen 42:1-2, 5: '...Jacob said to his sons... “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt...”' (Seeking salvation in Egypt).
Gen 33:19: 'And he bought the parcel of land... from the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father...' (Jacob buys land at Shechem).
Josh 24:32: 'The bones of Joseph... they buried at Shechem...' (Joseph's burial at Shechem).

Cross references

Gen 50:13 (Jacob's burial in Hebron), Gen 23:16 (Abraham buys cave at Hebron).

Acts 7:17-29

But as the time of the promise drew near... another king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. ...Moses was born and was beautiful in God’s sight. ...When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers... he supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand. ...they thrust him aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?’... At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian...

In-depth-analysis

Stephen now presents Moses, the central figure in Judaism, as the second great example of a rejected deliverer.
"Beautiful in God's sight" (Greek: asteios tō Theō) suggests divine favor from birth.
At age forty, Moses acts to save his people. "He supposed they would understand," but they rejected him outright with the crucial question: "Who made you a ruler and a judge?"
This question is intensely ironic, as God would later do precisely that. The council's ancestors failed to recognize their God-sent deliverer.
The implication for the Sanhedrin is clear: just as their fathers rejected Moses' first appearance, they have rejected Jesus.

Bible references

Exod 1:8, 22: 'Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph...' (Setting for oppression).
Exod 2:11-14: '...he went out to his brethren... ‘Who made you a prince and a judge over us?’” (Moses' rejection by his own people).
Heb 11:24-25: 'By faith Moses... choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin...' (Moses' heart for his people).

Cross references

Exod 2:2 (Moses as a fine child), Acts 3:13-15 (Peter accuses them of rejecting Jesus, whom God glorified).

Acts 7:30-34

Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. ...the voice of the Lord came: ‘I am the God of your fathers... And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’

In-depth-analysis

Forty years later, God commissions Moses—not in Egypt or Canaan, but in the wilderness of Midian.
God reveals His presence in a humble bush on "holy ground" (Exod 3:5), reinforcing the theme that God's holiness is not confined to the Temple.
Stephen emphasizes that God saw the affliction, heard the groaning, and came down—God is the primary actor in salvation.
Word: "An angel" appeared, but the "voice of the Lord" spoke. This was a common Jewish understanding that God often mediated His presence through angels, which Stephen uses to make a point in verse 53.

Bible references

Exod 3:2-6: 'And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire... and God called to him from the midst of the bush...' (The Burning Bush theophany).
Exod 3:7-8: 'And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people... so I have come down to deliver them...”' (God's compassionate initiative).

Cross references

Isa 63:9 (The angel of His presence saved them), Deut 33:16 (Him who dwelt in the bush).

Acts 7:35-37

“This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’”

In-depth-analysis

This is the rhetorical heart of the argument. Stephen uses the emphatic "This Moses..." (Touton ton Mōusēn) to repeatedly contrast their rejection with God's divine appointment.
The one they refused is the one God sent. This is a direct, undeniable parallel to Jesus.
Stephen then provides the prophetic justification: Moses himself predicted another would come. He quotes Deuteronomy 18:15, identifying Jesus as the "prophet like me." This proves that to truly follow Moses is to accept Jesus. To reject Jesus is to reject Moses' own prophecy.

Bible references

Exod 2:14: ‘Who made you a prince and a judge over us?’ (The rejection).
Deut 18:15: 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst...' (The Messianic prophecy).
Acts 3:22-23: 'For Moses truly said to the fathers, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me...”' (Peter used this same prophecy).

Cross references

Num 14:33 (Forty years in wilderness), Psa 78:42-53 (God's signs and wonders in Egypt).

Acts 7:38-41

This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us. Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods to go before us...'

In-depth-analysis

Word: The Law is described not as a dead letter but as "living oracles" (logia zōnta). These are life-giving words.
The ultimate rejection occurred at the foot of Sinai. While Moses was receiving God's "living words," the people were demanding a lifeless idol—the Golden Calf.
"In their hearts they turned to Egypt" shows that even after physical deliverance, their spiritual allegiance was still with their old bondage. This is a powerful metaphor for spiritual rebellion.
The implication: the Sanhedrin clings to a physical temple (a "golden calf") while rejecting the "living Word," Jesus (John 1:1, 14).

Bible references

Exod 32:1: '...the people gathered to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us...”' (The Golden Calf).
Rom 3:2: '...to them were committed the oracles of God.' (The privilege of receiving God's Law).
Heb 4:12: 'For the word of God is living and powerful...' (The nature of God's Word).

Cross references

Neh 9:16-17 (Recounting Israel's rebellion and desire to return to Egypt).

Acts 7:42-43

But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘“Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.”’

In-depth-analysis

God's judgment for idolatry is abandonment: He "gave them over." This is a terrifying principle of divine justice also articulated by Paul (Rom 1:24, 26, 28).
Stephen quotes Amos 5:25-27 (from the Septuagint, the Greek OT), arguing that Israel's idolatry was not an isolated incident but a chronic condition from the very beginning.
He creatively adapts the text. Amos says exile "beyond Damascus," but Stephen, speaking after the Babylonian exile, says "beyond Babylon" to make the reference more poignant and historically complete for his audience.
The mention of pagan gods (Moloch, Rephan/Saturn) directly refutes the idea of Israel as a perpetually faithful nation.

Bible references

Amos 5:25-27: 'Did you offer Me sacrifices and offerings In the wilderness forty years...? And I will carry you away beyond Damascus...' (The source quotation).
Rom 1:24: 'Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness...' (The principle of divine abandonment).
Jer 7:31: '...they have built the high places of Tophet... to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire...' (The horror of Moloch worship).

Cross references

Deut 4:19 (Warning against worshiping the host of heaven), 2 Ki 17:16 (Israel worshiped host of heaven and served Baal).

Acts 7:44-50

Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen... but it was Solomon who built a house for him. Yet the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: ‘“Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Has not my hand made all these things?”’

In-depth-analysis

This is the climax of Stephen’s polemic against the Temple. He contrasts the God-designed, mobile Tabernacle with the man-initiated, static Temple.
The Tabernacle ("tent of witness") was God's idea; it moved with His people. It testified to His presence among them, not confined by them.
David desired to build a house, but God did not command it (2 Samuel 7). It was Solomon, a king whose later life was marked by idolatry, who built it.
Stephen delivers the crushing blow by quoting Isaiah 66:1-2 from their own Scriptures. God Himself declares He cannot be contained in a building. To believe so is a profound theological error.
Word: "Made with hands" (cheiropoiētos) is a term often used in the OT to describe worthless idols. Stephen applies it to the Temple, an electrifying and "blasphemous" claim in the ears of the Sanhedrin.

Bible references

Exod 25:9, 40: 'According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle...' (The divine origin of the tabernacle).
Isa 66:1-2: '“Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me?...”' (The key quote against a limited view of God).
1 Kgs 8:27: 'But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!' (Solomon himself acknowledged this truth).
Acts 17:24: 'God, who made the world and everything in it... does not dwell in temples made with hands.' (Paul makes the same argument in Athens).

Cross references

2 Sam 7:5-7 (God questions David's plan), Heb 9:11, 24 (Christ entered the true tabernacle, not made with hands), Mark 14:58 (Accusation against Jesus about destroying the temple "made with hands").

Acts 7:51-53

You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Just One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.

In-depth-analysis

The sermon pivots to direct, prophetic condemnation. Stephen drops all pretense of a historical lecture and indicts his accusers.
Stiff-necked: A classic charge from the Exodus narrative (Exod 33:3).
Uncircumcised in heart and ears: A charge from the Prophets (Jer 9:26; Ezek 44:7). They have the outward sign of the covenant (v. 8) but lack the inward spiritual reality. They cannot hear or obey God.
Resist the Holy Spirit: This is the timeless, underlying sin. Their rebellion is not merely against men, but against God Himself.
Betrayed and murdered the Just One: The climax of their rebellion. "The Just One" (tou Dikaiou) is a clear Messianic title (Isa 53:11). They have committed the ultimate act of rejection in Israel's long history.
Law... by angels: He notes they received the law via angelic ministration (a common Jewish belief) yet failed to keep it, making their sin even greater.

Bible references

Exod 33:3: '...for you are a stiff-necked people...' (The classic accusation).
Jer 6:10: 'To whom shall I speak and give warning... Indeed their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot give heed.' (Prophetic indictment).
Matt 23:37: 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!' (Jesus' own condemnation of Jerusalem).

Cross references

Gal 3:19 (Law ordained through angels), Heb 2:2 (Word spoken through angels was binding), 2 Chr 36:16 (They mocked God's messengers), Jas 5:6 (You have condemned, you have murdered the just).

Acts 7:54-56

Now when they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

In-depth-analysis

"Cut to the heart": The same Greek word (diapriō) is used in Acts 5:33 and resulted in a desire to kill. This is the opposite of the conviction seen in Acts 2:37, which led to repentance.
Full of the Holy Spirit: Stephen's state contrasts sharply with their rage. He is filled with divine peace and insight.
He sees the "Son of Man," Jesus's preferred self-designation, evoking the divine authority of Daniel 7.
Jesus standing: This is highly significant. Jesus is typically described as sitting at God's right hand (Psa 110:1; Heb 1:3), a position of completed work and royal authority. His standing is interpreted as a posture of:
1. Welcome: He is rising to receive the first martyr into His presence.
2. Advocacy: He is standing as a witness or defense attorney for Stephen before the Father.
3. Action: He is actively engaged on behalf of His suffering church.

Bible references

Dan 7:13: '...One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven!' (The source of the "Son of Man" title and vision).
Psa 110:1: 'The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand...”' (The typical posture of the exalted Christ).
Mark 14:62: '...And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power...' (Jesus' own claim before this same council).

Cross references

Acts 2:37 (Cut to the heart unto repentance), Rev 1:7 (He is coming with clouds), Matt 26:64 (Jesus' prophecy to Caiaphas).

Acts 7:57-58

But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. And they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

In-depth-analysis

Stopped their ears: A visceral, literal fulfillment of Stephen’s accusation that they were "uncircumcised in... ears." They physically refuse to hear the truth.
Cast him out of the city: Stoning was to take place outside the city camp/walls, according to the Law (Lev 24:14; Num 15:35). This was a formal execution, though likely an extralegal mob action as the Sanhedrin lacked formal capital authority under Roman rule.
Saul: The first introduction of the man who would become the Apostle Paul. He is not a passive bystander; he is actively consenting and supervising ("laid their garments at his feet"), making him complicit in the murder (Acts 22:20). This moment is foundational to his testimony later.

Bible references

Lev 24:16: '...all the congregation shall certainly stone him.' (The Law for blasphemy).
Deut 17:7: 'The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death...' (Witnesses cast the first stones).
Acts 22:20: '...when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death...' (Paul's own confession).

Cross references

Heb 13:12 (Jesus also suffered outside the gate), John 18:31 (Jews claiming they can't execute anyone).

Acts 7:59-60

And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

In-depth-analysis

Stephen’s final moments are a profound imitation of Christ.
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”: This echoes Jesus’s words from the cross, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" (Luke 23:46), but with a critical difference. Stephen prays directly to Jesus, a clear act of worship affirming Jesus's divinity.
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”: This echoes Jesus's prayer, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34). Stephen embodies the radical forgiveness he preaches.
He fell asleep (Greek: ekoimēthē): The standard Christian euphemism for the death of a believer, expressing the hope of the resurrection. It is not an end but a rest.

Bible references

Luke 23:46: 'And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”' (Christ's example).
Luke 23:34: 'Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”' (Christ's example).
1 Thess 4:13-14: '...concerning those who have fallen asleep... For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.' (The Christian view of death).

Cross references

Psa 31:5 (The OT source of "commit my spirit"), John 11:11 ("Our friend Lazarus sleeps..."), 2 Tim 4:6 (Paul's readiness for his own death).

Acts chapter 7 analysis

God on the Move: The central theological argument of the chapter is that God's presence is not static or confined. He appears in Mesopotamia, is with Joseph in Egypt, reveals Himself on holy ground in the Midian wilderness, and journeys with His people in a mobile Tabernacle. The attempt to "house" God in a man-made temple is a fundamental misunderstanding of His transcendent nature.
A History of Rejection: Stephen recasts the "heroes" of the faith. Abraham was a wanderer, the Patriarchs were jealous sinners, and Moses was a rejected deliverer. This is not a story of a faithful people but of a gracious God and a rebellious people who consistently reject His chosen messengers.
Prophetic Fulfillment and Reversal: Stephen expertly uses the Hebrew Scriptures against the council. He shows that Moses himself pointed to a future prophet (Jesus), and Isaiah declared God's contempt for man-made temples. He turns their accusations back on them: they, not he, are the true blasphemers and violators of the Law.
Martyrdom as Imitation of Christ: Stephen's death is not just an execution; it is a witness (martyria). His final words of forgiveness and commitment of his spirit directly parallel those of Jesus, establishing the archetype for Christian martyrdom.
The Introduction of Saul: Luke's strategic mention of Saul is a crucial literary bridge. The fiercest persecutor of the Church is introduced at the martyrdom of its first member, a scene that would haunt and shape his entire future ministry. His journey from approving of this death to preaching the one Stephen died for becomes the central drama of the rest of the book of Acts.

Acts 7 summary

In a powerful defense before the Sanhedrin, Stephen recounts Israel's history to argue that they have always resisted God's chosen saviors (Joseph, Moses) and misunderstood His mobile presence, which cannot be contained in a Temple. He accuses the council of continuing this legacy by murdering the Messiah, "the Just One." Enraged, the council illegally stones him. Stephen's death, marked by a vision of the standing Jesus and prayers of forgiveness, becomes the first Christian martyrdom, significantly witnessed by a young man named Saul.

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Acts chapter 7 kjv

¹ Then said the high priest, Are these things so?
² 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,
³ And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.
⁴ 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.
⁵ 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.
⁶ 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.
⁷ 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.
⁸ 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.
⁹ And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,
¹⁰ 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.
¹¹ Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.
¹² But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.
¹³ And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.
¹⁴ Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.
¹⁵ So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers,
¹⁶ 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.
¹⁷ But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
¹⁸ Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.
¹⁹ 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.
²⁰ In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months:
²¹ And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.
²² And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
²³ And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.
²⁴ And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
²⁵ For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
²⁶ 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?
²⁷ But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
²⁸ Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?
²⁹ Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.
³⁰ 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.
³¹ 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,
³² Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold.
³³ Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.
³⁴ 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.
³⁵ 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.
³⁶ 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.
³⁷ 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.
³⁸ 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:
³⁹ To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
⁴⁰ 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.
⁴¹ And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
⁴² 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?
⁴³ 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.
⁴⁴ 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.
⁴⁵ 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;
⁴⁶ Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
⁴⁷ But Solomon built him an house.
⁴⁸ Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
⁴⁹ 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?
⁵⁰ Hath not my hand made all these things?
⁵¹ Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
⁵² 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:
⁵³ Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
⁵⁴ When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
⁵⁵ 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,
⁵⁶ And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
⁵⁷ Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
⁵⁸ 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.
⁵⁹ And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
⁶⁰ 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.

Acts chapter 7 nkjv

¹ Then the high priest said, "Are these things so?"
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 Haran,
³ and said to him, 'Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.'
⁴ Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell.
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.
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.
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.'
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.
⁹ "And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him
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.
¹¹ Now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance.
¹² But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.
¹³ And the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to the Pharaoh.
¹⁴ Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people.
¹⁵ So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers.
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.
¹⁷ "But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt
¹⁸ till another king arose who did not know Joseph.
¹⁹ This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live.
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.
²¹ But when he was set out, Pharaoh's daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son.
²² And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.
²³ "Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.
²⁴ And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian.
²⁵ For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand.
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?'
²⁷ But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?
²⁸ Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?'
²⁹ Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons.
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 Mount Sinai.
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,
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.
³³ 'Then the LORD said to him, "Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.
³⁴ I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt." '
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.
³⁶ He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
³⁷ "This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.'
³⁸ "This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us,
³⁹ whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt,
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.'
⁴¹ And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
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?
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 Babylon.'
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,
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,
⁴⁶ who found favor before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob.
⁴⁷ But Solomon built Him a house.
⁴⁸ "However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:
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?
⁵⁰ Has My hand not made all these things?'
⁵¹ "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.
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,
⁵³ who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it."
⁵⁴ When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.
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,
⁵⁶ and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"
⁵⁷ Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;
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.
⁵⁹ And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
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.

Acts chapter 7 niv

¹ Then the high priest asked Stephen, "Are these charges true?"
² To this he replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran.
³ 'Leave your country and your people,' God said, 'and go to the land I will show you.'
⁴ "So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living.
⁵ He gave him no inheritance here, not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child.
⁶ God spoke to him in this way: 'For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated.
⁷ But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,' God said, 'and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.'
⁸ Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.
⁹ "Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him
¹⁰ and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.
¹¹ "Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food.
¹² When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit.
¹³ On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph's family.
¹⁴ After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all.
¹⁵ Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died.
¹⁶ Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.
¹⁷ "As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased.
¹⁸ Then 'a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.'
¹⁹ He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.
²⁰ "At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for by his family.
²¹ When he was placed outside, Pharaoh's daughter took him and brought him up as her own son.
²² Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.
²³ "When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites.
²⁴ He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian.
²⁵ Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.
²⁶ The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, 'Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?'
²⁷ "But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, 'Who made you ruler and judge over us?
²⁸ Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'
²⁹ When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.
³⁰ "After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.
³¹ When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say:
³² 'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.' Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.
³³ "Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
³⁴ I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.'
³⁵ "This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, 'Who made you ruler and judge?' He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
³⁶ He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness.
³⁷ "This is the Moses who told the Israelites, 'God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.'
³⁸ He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us.
³⁹ "But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
⁴⁰ They told Aaron, 'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt?we don't know what has happened to him!'
⁴¹ That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made.
⁴² But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets: "?'Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?
⁴³ You have taken up the tabernacle of Molek and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile' beyond Babylon.
⁴⁴ "Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.
⁴⁵ After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David,
⁴⁶ who enjoyed God's favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
⁴⁷ But it was Solomon who built a house for him.
⁴⁸ "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:
⁴⁹ "?'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be?
⁵⁰ Has not my hand made all these things?'
⁵¹ "You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!
⁵² Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him?
⁵³ you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it."
⁵⁴ When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.
⁵⁵ But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
⁵⁶ "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
⁵⁷ At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him,
⁵⁸ dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
⁵⁹ While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
⁶⁰ Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.

Acts chapter 7 esv

¹ And the high priest said, "Are these things so?"
² And Stephen said: "Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
³ and said to him, 'Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.'
⁴ Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living.
⁵ Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child.
⁶ And God spoke to this effect ? that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years.
⁷ 'But I will judge the nation that they serve,' said God, 'and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.'
⁸ And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.
⁹ "And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him
¹⁰ and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.
¹¹ Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food.
¹² But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit.
¹³ And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh.
¹⁴ And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all.
¹⁵ And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers,
¹⁶ and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
¹⁷ "But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt
¹⁸ until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph.
¹⁹ He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive.
²⁰ At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God's sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father's house,
²¹ and when he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.
²² And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.
²³ "When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.
²⁴ And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian.
²⁵ He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.
²⁶ And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, 'Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?'
²⁷ But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?
²⁸ Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'
²⁹ At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
³⁰ "Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.
³¹ When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord:
³² 'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.' And Moses trembled and did not dare to look.
³³ Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
³⁴ I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.'
³⁵ "This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge?' ? this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
³⁶ This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.
³⁷ This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, 'God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.'
³⁸ This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us.
³⁹ Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt,
⁴⁰ saying to Aaron, 'Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'
⁴¹ And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.
⁴² But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: "'Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
⁴³ You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.'
⁴⁴ "Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen.
⁴⁵ Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David,
⁴⁶ who found favor in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
⁴⁷ But it was Solomon who built a house for him.
⁴⁸ Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,
⁴⁹ "'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest?
⁵⁰ Did not my hand make all these things?'
⁵¹ "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.
⁵² Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered,
⁵³ you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it."
⁵⁴ Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.
⁵⁵ But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
⁵⁶ And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
⁵⁷ But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him.
⁵⁸ Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
⁵⁹ And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
⁶⁰ And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Acts chapter 7 nlt

¹ Then the high priest asked Stephen, "Are these accusations true?"
² This was Stephen's reply: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran.
³ God told him, 'Leave your native land and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.'
⁴ So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you now live.
⁵ "But God gave him no inheritance here, not even one square foot of land. God did promise, however, that eventually the whole land would belong to Abraham and his descendants ? even though he had no children yet.
⁶ God also told him that his descendants would live in a foreign land, where they would be oppressed as slaves for 400 years.
⁷ 'But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,' God said, 'and in the end they will come out and worship me here in this place.'
⁸ "God also gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision at that time. So when Abraham became the father of Isaac, he circumcised him on the eighth day. And the practice was continued when Isaac became the father of Jacob, and when Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Israelite nation.
⁹ "These patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him
¹⁰ and rescued him from all his troubles. And God gave him favor before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom, so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all of Egypt and put him in charge of the palace.
¹¹ "But a famine came upon Egypt and Canaan. There was great misery, and our ancestors ran out of food.
¹² Jacob heard that there was still grain in Egypt, so he sent his sons ? our ancestors ? to buy some.
¹³ The second time they went, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and they were introduced to Pharaoh.
¹⁴ Then Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, and all his relatives to come to Egypt, seventy-five persons in all.
¹⁵ So Jacob went to Egypt. He died there, as did our ancestors.
¹⁶ Their bodies were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb Abraham had bought for a certain price from Hamor's sons in Shechem.
¹⁷ "As the time drew near when God would fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased.
¹⁸ But then a new king came to the throne of Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph.
¹⁹ This king exploited our people and oppressed them, forcing parents to abandon their newborn babies so they would die.
²⁰ "At that time Moses was born ? a beautiful child in God's eyes. His parents cared for him at home for three months.
²¹ When they had to abandon him, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son.
²² Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action.
²³ "One day when Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the people of Israel.
²⁴ He saw an Egyptian mistreating an Israelite. So Moses came to the man's defense and avenged him, killing the Egyptian.
²⁵ Moses assumed his fellow Israelites would realize that God had sent him to rescue them, but they didn't.
²⁶ "The next day he visited them again and saw two men of Israel fighting. He tried to be a peacemaker. 'Men,' he said, 'you are brothers. Why are you fighting each other?'
²⁷ "But the man in the wrong pushed Moses aside. 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' he asked.
²⁸ 'Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?'
²⁹ When Moses heard that, he fled the country and lived as a foreigner in the land of Midian. There his two sons were born.
³⁰ "Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush.
³¹ When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he went to take a closer look, the voice of the LORD called out to him,
³² 'I am the God of your ancestors ? the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses shook with terror and did not dare to look.
³³ "Then the LORD said to him, 'Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.
³⁴ I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now go, for I am sending you back to Egypt.'
³⁵ "So God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected when they demanded, 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' Through the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush, God sent Moses to be their ruler and savior.
³⁶ And by means of many wonders and miraculous signs, he led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through the wilderness for forty years.
³⁷ "Moses himself told the people of Israel, 'God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people.'
³⁸ Moses was with our ancestors, the assembly of God's people in the wilderness, when the angel spoke to him at Mount Sinai. And there Moses received life-giving words to pass on to us.
³⁹ "But our ancestors refused to listen to Moses. They rejected him and wanted to return to Egypt.
⁴⁰ They told Aaron, 'Make us some gods who can lead us, for we don't know what has become of this Moses, who brought us out of Egypt.'
⁴¹ So they made an idol shaped like a calf, and they sacrificed to it and celebrated over this thing they had made.
⁴² Then God turned away from them and abandoned them to serve the stars of heaven as their gods! In the book of the prophets it is written, 'Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings
during those forty years in the wilderness, Israel?
⁴³ No, you carried your pagan gods ?
the shrine of Molech,
the star of your god Rephan,
and the images you made to worship them.
So I will send you into exile
as far away as Babylon.'
⁴⁴ "Our ancestors carried the Tabernacle with them through the wilderness. It was constructed according to the plan God had shown to Moses.
⁴⁵ Years later, when Joshua led our ancestors in battle against the nations that God drove out of this land, the Tabernacle was taken with them into their new territory. And it stayed there until the time of King David.
⁴⁶ "David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob.
⁴⁷ But it was Solomon who actually built it.
⁴⁸ However, the Most High doesn't live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says,
⁴⁹ 'Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
Could you build me a temple as good as that?'
asks the LORD.
'Could you build me such a resting place?
⁵⁰ Didn't my hands make both heaven and earth?'
⁵¹ "You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That's what your ancestors did, and so do you!
⁵² Name one prophet your ancestors didn't persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One ? the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered.
⁵³ You deliberately disobeyed God's law, even though you received it from the hands of angels."
⁵⁴ The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen's accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage.
⁵⁵ But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hand.
⁵⁶ And he told them, "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God's right hand!"
⁵⁷ Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him
⁵⁸ and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.
⁵⁹ As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
⁶⁰ He fell to his knees, shouting, "Lord, don't charge them with this sin!" And with that, he died.