Acts 7-8
What I Noticed Today (Acts 7-8)
Acts 7
In verses 1-53, Luke records Stephen’s speech in response to the high priest and the Sanhedrin.
Note: This is the longest recorded speech in Acts. Stephen was a Grecian Jew who became a believer. The high priest mentioned in verse 1 is probably Caiaphas (the same high priest who presided over Jesus’ trials).
In verses 2-8, Stephen traces the beginnings of the nation of Israel back to God’s promise to Abraham (See Genesis 12:1), the prophecy of the people’s enslavement in Egypt (See Genesis 15:13-14), and the covenant of circumcision given to Abraham and his 12 sons that became the 12 tribes of Israel (See Genesis 25:26).
In verses 9-16, Stephen recalls how Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt, fulfilling the prophecy (mentioned in verses 6-7) and how God protected him and raised him up to a position of power. Then Joseph was able to bring his entire family to Egypt during a time of great famine.
In verses 17-36, Stephen recounted how, at the end of the time in Egypt, the king dealt deceitfully with the people of Abraham. Moses was born, taken in by Pharaoh’s daughter, and God raised him up to be a great leader.
Note: Moses’ life is divided into three 40-year periods: 40 years in Egypt, 40 years in Midian, and 40 years in the wilderness.
When Moses was about 40 years old, he saw an Egyptian oppressing an Israelite, so Moses killed the Egyptian. He thought the people would understand that God would give them deliverance through him, but they did not. They rejected him, saying who appointed you as ruler over us (See Exodus 2:14).
Moses fled to the land of Midian, where he married and had two sons. When 40 years had passed, an angel of God appeared to Moses in the wilderness of Mt. Sinai in a burning bush (See Exodus 3:5-10).
Stephen reminded the rulers their forefathers had rejected Moses, whom God had sent as a redeemer and who ultimately led the people out of Egypt, performing signs and wonders for 40 years as they journeyed in the wilderness.
Note: Perhaps this reminder was given to suggest a parallel between the rejection of Moses by the religious leaders and these religious leaders who had rejected Jesus and His followers.
In verses 37-43, Stephen continued as he reminded them how the people had rebelled against God in Moses’ day. They made golden calves to worship (See Exodus 31:1) and even worshiped foreign gods (See Exodus 16:3).
In verses 44-50, Stephen recounted how God had given Moses instructions for the tabernacle in which God met with Moses and how God drove away from their enemies until the days of David. And how David made provision for the house of God, and the temple was constructed by his son Solomon. However, God does not live in sanctuaries made by men’s hands (See Isaiah 66:1-2).
In verses 51-53, Stephen issued a harsh rebuke of the religious leaders, calling them a stiff-necked people of uncircumcised hearts and ears.
Note: The phrase “stiff-necked people of uncircumcised hearts and ears” was a common phrase used by the Old Testament prophets condemning the people’s unbelief and disobedience (See Leviticus 26:41, Jeremiah 4:4, Jeremiah 6:10, Jeremiah 9:26, and Ezekiel 44:7-9).
Stephen said they killed the prophets who announced the coming of the Lord, and they are doing the same thing again.
In verses 54-60, when the leaders heard this, they were angry. Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. When he told them what he saw, they rushed him, took him out of the city, and stoned him. As they were stoning him, he called out to God to receive his spirit, not to charge them with this sin, and he died.
Note: Stephen’s strong rebuke was designed to bring the leaders to recognize their sin and repent, but they did just as he said: they rejected his message and killed him. The phrase “he fell asleep” is a common way of referring to death.
Acts 8
In verses 1-3, Saul agreed to Stephen being put to death. Severe oppression broke out against the believers. All but the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Saul actively opposed the church by hauling off believers and throwing them into prison.
Note: The reference to Saul agreeing is in the active voice rather than passive, which indicates he was not merely standing nearby but giving active approval.
In verses 4-8, the scattered believers went on preaching the Good News. Philip went to a city in Samaria and performed many signs and healed many. They had great joy from Philip’s message.
Note: Philip going to Samaria made it clear that the message of Jesus was not just for the Jews, and it was time for the old prejudices between Jews and Samaritans to be done away with.
In verses 9-13, Simon the sorcerer was in the same city as Philip. The people called Simon “The Great Power of God.” But as Philip preached the Gospel, many believed and were baptized. Even Simon believed and was baptized, and he followed Philip.
Note: There is debate among scholars as to whether or not Simon was saved. We cannot be sure because only the Lord knows who are His. Scholars who believe he was not saved offer several reasons: 1) the word believe is not always used to indicate a saving belief, 2) Luke never indicates that Simon received the Holy Spirit, and 3) Simon continued to live in a very self-centered manner.
In verses 14-25, when the apostles in Jerusalem heard about what was happening in Samaria, they sent Peter and John to be with Philip. When Peter and John arrived, they laid hands on those who had been baptized and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.
When Simon saw the Holy Spirit came through the laying on of hands and prayer, he also offered Peter and John money to receive the Holy Spirit. Peter rebuked him for trying to buy the gift of God and said, you will have no share because your heart is not right before God. Peter told him to repent, and the Lord might forgive him because otherwise, he was bound for iniquity. Simon asked Peter to pray for him, so this would not happen.
After this, Peter and John journeyed back to Jerusalem, preaching the message of Jesus in many Samaritan villages.
Note: Peter and John were Jewish Christians so preaching to Samaritans represented a major change in their hearts.
In verses 26-40, Luke records Philip’s interaction with the Ethiopian eunuch.
An angel of the Lord directed Philip to go to Gaza to preach the Gospel (Gaza is southeast of Jerusalem). As Philip was traveling, he met an Ethiopian eunuch who was a servant of Candace, the queen, and was in charge of her treasury. The eunuch had been in Jerusalem to worship and was on his way home.
Note: According to Deuteronomy 23:1, a eunuch was not allowed to enter the assembly of God, yet this man worshiped God anyway.
The eunuch was sitting in his chariot reading from Isaiah. The Holy Spirit urged Philip to join the eunuch, and as he did, he asked if he understood what he was reading.
The eunuch said, how can I understand it unless someone explains it to me, so he invited Philip into his chariot. The eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53:7-8. So beginning with that scripture, Philip explained the Good News to the eunuch. The eunuch saw some water as they were traveling and asked if he could be baptized. Philip said yes if you believe with all your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The eunuch was baptized, and as soon as he came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit carried Philip away. The eunuch went on rejoicing. Philip appeared in Azotus and preached the Good News through towns all the way to Caesarea.
Some thoughts for additional consideration:
- Stephen, empowered by the Holy Spirit, attempted to reach the religious leaders, but they were just as stubborn and hard-hearted as ever. They had rejected God the Father when they allowed John to be slain, they rejected the Son when they crucified Jesus, and they rejected the Holy Spirit when they killed Stephen.
- Despite the death of Stephen and the persecution of the church, the church grew, and the Gospel was taken to Samaria. Persecution did not stop the growth of the church; it accelerated the growth.
- Note that Philip obeyed the leading of the Holy Spirit, and because he obeyed, he was able to witness to the eunuch. Also, note the eunuch had questions about a section of Isaiah, so Philip started there and continued to explain the Good News, and the eunuch accepted Christ as Messiah.
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.