Acts Chapter 7

Act 7

Deacon Stephen's defence

1 Moreover, the high priest asks, if he hold on to this thing, in that way?

2 So, he make known his thoughts: listen up, fathers, fellow men and brethren! Our father Abraham, was dwelling before in Mesopotamia or in (C)Haran and he discerned the GLORY of God;

3 WHO said toward him, proceed out of your land, and from your relatives, and come here to the land unto which I will possibly show you. (Gen 12:1,5). 

4 then, out of the land of Haran (in Mesopotamia), - and from there, his father died,- he proceeded to permanently reside in land of Chaldeans (kasdi/lower Euphrate), amid which he emigrated into this land, in which you now permanently reside.

5 And he was not given inheritance in it, not even a foot length. So, his occupancy/possession promised to him was to be given unto his children, the same person who has not been with his own offspring.

6 God also preached likewise: that his offsprings will be a sojourner in a strange land, and be enslaved by them and be maltreated four hundreds years;

7 And God said, I will judge the nation which in case, enslaved them; (Gen 15:14) and amid these, they will proceed out and serve ME in this place. (Ex 3:12)

8 and he was likewise given a covenant of circumcision; he begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob, the twelve patriarchs.

Israel in Egypt 

9 And the patriarchs envied Joseph, and sold him unto Egypt. And God was with him,

10 and rescued him from all his afflictions; and gave him Grace before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt; and he was designated to lead/govern by wisdom upon Egypt, and upon all his households.

11 Moreover, great afflictions and famine came upon Egypt and Cannan, and our fathers did not find food-sustenance.

12 So, Jacob heard that, there was grains in Egypt, and sent forth our fathers, the first time, 

13 and the second time, Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph families became manifest to Pharaoh,

14 and, Joseph sent to summoned his father, Jacob, and his relatives who in all, were seventy-five souls (Ex1:5), 

15 And, Jacob went down to Egypt and our fathers finish up their life (there).

16 and he was translated/transported to Shechem, and laid in the grave, which Abraham bought at certain value of silver, from the children of Hemmor in Shechem. (Gen 33:19)

God saves Israel through Moses 

17 but, the space of time for the promise draw near, just as God professed it to Abraham, and the people grow and multiply in Egypt,

18 until another king rose up in Egypt, who did not know Joseph,

19 the same was crafty against our race/kindred, and maltreated our fathers, made their infants exposed/abandoned, and not to be born unto living. 

20 in God's time, Moses was born, who was funny/humorous/comical; and whom his father brought up three months in his house.

21 moreover, he was exposed outside and could be annihilated, so Pharaoh's daughter brought him up unto a son, for herself.

22 And Moses was educated in all wisdom of Egyptians; and he was powerful in words and their deeds.

23 also as forty years were fulfilled, a space of time it was in his heart, to ascend and to inspect his brethren, the children of Israel;

24 And he saw someone being hurt. So, to defend him, he struck the Egyptian, to perform vengeance for the one being oppressed.

25 And supposing his brethren would understand, that God will give them salvation through his hand. But they did not understand.

26 so, the following day, he saw them quarreling, and to bring them together unto peace, he says, fellow men your are brethren at least, why doing wrong to one another?

27 the one maltreating the neighbor push him away, saying, who appoints you, a Ruler and a Judge over us?

28 do you want to kill me, the mode by which you annihilated the Egyptian yesterday? (Ex 2:14)

29 So, Moses ran away on this account, and became a sojourner in the land of Midian (in Arabia) where he begots two sons.

30 and having fulfilled forty years (making him eighty years old), in the desert of Mount Sinai, he discerned an angel by a flame of FIRE in briar/brambles.

31 And having seen it, Moses wondered at the vision; also he approaches to fully observe, and there happened to be the Voice of God:

32 I am God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob (Ex 3:6,15), and Moses becomes trembling, and dared not fully observe.

Removal of shoe: a symbol of honor to a superior person. 

33 So, God says to him, loosen the sandals of your feet, for the place on which you stand, is a Holy ground.

34 behold, I have seen the oppression of MY people in Egypt, and heard their groaning, and have come down to rescue them; and now, come here, I will send you unto Egypt (Ex 3:5-10)

35 this Moses, whom they rejected, saying, who appointed you a ruler and a judge? Ex 2;14). By the hand of this man, God has sent a Ruler and a Redeemer, together with the Angel, he discerned in the brambles/briars.

36 this man, led them out, having done, signs and wonders in the Red land of Egypt (Heb 11:29), and in the Sea, and in the desert for forty-years. (Moses turned 120 years) 

Israel's Rebellion in the desert 

37 This is Moses, who said to the children of Israel, God will raise up a Prophet for you, out of your brethren, like me. (Deut 18:15)

38 this is the one who happened to be with the Angel, who on mount Sinai, preached to our fathers among the church in the desert, and they accepted the oracle/utterances given to us to live by.

39 which our fathers happened not to be submissive to, but push it away, and desire to turn back unto Egypt, in their heart.

40 telling Aaron, make a god for us, who will go before us, for, this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt, we did not know, what has happened to him, (Ex 32:1, 23)

41 And image of bullock was fabricated, in those days, and they offered sacrifice to the idol, and make merry in the works of their hands. 

42 So, they turned away from God, and surrendered to minister to (angelic) army of heaven, just as, it is written in the books of prophets: did house of Israel, ever offer sacrifices of slain-beast to Me, for forty years in that desert?

43 And, they were exiled across to Babylon (Capitol of Chaldea), kings took over the tabernacle of your God, and they made a pattern/type of stars for remphan (kijun-an Egypt idol) which they worshipped. (Amos 5:25-27)

The earthly tabernacle by Moses and the replacement by Jesus. 

44 there was a tabernacle of testimony with our father in the desert, just as it was prescribed by preaching to Moses to make it, according to the pattern/type which he had seen;

45 And God has introduced Jesus to succeed/take over from our father, with the occupancy/possession of the heathen-nations, which were expelled in the presence of our fathers, until the days of David;-

46 - who find grace before God, and craved to find a temple for God of Jacob.

47 and Solomon also built HIM the house, 

48 but the ONE in THE HIGHEST does not dwell in a hand-made thing; just as the prophets had said,

49 MY THRONE is in heaven, also the earth is a something under MY FEET, what sort of house will you build for ME? Says God, or, where is the place of MY rest?

50 has not MY HAND made all these thing?

Untrained Evangelist spitting out harsh words: learn from his mistakes (Is 66:1-2)

51 and you are stiffnecked (obstinate) like your fathers, uncircumcised of ears and hearts, always opposing the Holy-Spirit.

52 which of the prophets, your fathers did not persecute? They had killed those who predicted, concerning the advent/coming of the RIGHTEOUS One, now to Whom, what a betrayer and murderer, you have become! 

53 having received of the messenger, the institution/arrangement of the law unto which some never keep.

Deacon Stephen extra-judicial stoning without trial

54 however, having heard these things, their hearts were pierced through, and they grated teeth upon him.

55 but, being an upcoming-minister, full of Holy Spirit, he gazed intently unto heaven, and discerns the "Glory of God" and Jesus, STANDING from the Right Hand of God,

56 and he said to the men who are looking (as spectators): behold heaven has opened up, and the Son is standing from the Right Hand of God.

57 the mega part is their voice, screaming, holding their ears together and violently rush unanimously upon him,

58 and cast him outside the city to stone him. And the invited witnesses lay aside their garments beside the feet of a young man, Saul (Jewish form of the name Paul).

59 and as Stephen was being stoned, he said, I invoke/call on the SPIRIT of the Supreme Lord: Jesus shall be accepted/received.

60 as he was on his knees, the big part also is his voice, screaming: Supreme-Lord, this sin will not be laid/placed on those standing by. And having said this, he fell asleep (died).