And the high priest said, “Are these things so?”
Then Stephen, basically offering a review of the Old Testament books of Genesis and the Exodus, said:
“Brethren and fathers hear. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, and said to him, ‘Go forth from thy country and from thy kindred, and come into the land that I will show thee.’ And he went forth from the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after the death of his father, God removed him into this land where you now dwell.” (Genesis Chapter 12)
And he gave him the covenant of circumcision, and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eight day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs…
“Out of jealousy the patriarchs sold Joseph into Egypt, but God was with him (Genesis Chapter 37)
“When forty years had passed, there appeared to Moses in the desert of Mount Sinai an angel in a flame of fire in a bush… Then the Lord said to him… “I have seen the oppression of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver the, And now comes, I will send thee to Egypt” (Exodus Chapter 3)
“Our fathers had in the desert the tent of the testimony, as God arranged when he told Moses to make it according to the model that he had seen…” (Exodus Chapter 25)
Where is Stephen going with this?
But Solomon built God a house. Yet not in houses made by hands does the Most High dwell, even as the prophet says, ‘The heaven is my throne, and the earth a footstool for my feet. What house will you build me, says the Lord, or what shall be the place of my resting? Did not my hand make all this?’
Ah, for me, this is a strange coincidence in that I have been reading the Bible alternating days of Old Testament and New Testament. These chapters 7 & 8 of the Acts of the Apostles—But Solomon built God a house—is the current reading in the New Testament and lo and behold in the Old Testament I am reading the Third Book of Kings chapter 3 where Solomon first references—until he made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
Is this a strange coincidence or is the Old and New Testaments interweaving before me in a novel way to give glory to God?
Stephen, wrongly accused, went on to finish his discourse in front of the elders, the Scribes, and the Sanhedrin:
“Stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ear, you always oppose the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so you do also. Which of the prophets have not our fathers persecuted? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you have now been the betrayers and murderers, you who received the Law as an ordinance of angels and did not keep it.”
So Stephen went to the heart of God in the form of the temporary, movable ‘tent of testimony,’ and Solomon’s more permanent Temple. Then onward, from the Old to the New Testament and His Son, mine and yours, our Savior Jesus Christ. And who was responsible for his death…
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit… Lord, do not lay this sin against them.”
And with these words he fell asleep. And Saul (of Tarsus not King Saul) approved of his death.
Now there broke out on that day a great persecution against the Church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered abroad throughout the land of Judea and Samaria… Saul was harassing the Church; entering house after house, and dragging out men and women, he committed them to prison.
Now those who were scattered abroad went about preaching the word. And Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached the Christ to them. And the crowds with one accord gave heed to what was said by Philip, listening to him and seeing the miracles that he worked. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, went out of many possessed persons, and many paralytics and cripples were cured. So there was great joy in that city.
Now a man named Simon had previously been practicing sorcery… and astounding the people of Samaria… saying. “This man is the power of God, which is called great,”… and they gave heed to him because for a long time he had bewitched them with his sorceries…but when they believed Philip as he preached the kingdom of God… Simon himself believed, and after his baptism attached himself to Philip.
Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John… they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. But when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me also this power, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
But Peter said to Simon:
“Thy money go to destruction with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money. Thou hast no part or lot in this matter; for thy heart is not right before God. Repent therefore of this wickedness of thine and pray to God, that perhaps this thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee: for I see thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
Simon answered, “do you pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may happen to me.”
Neither sorcery nor money will endear you to the Lord. Only what is simple and free—one’s heart—can save us and our souls!
But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “arise and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” And Philip arose and went. And behold, and Ethiopian, a eunuch, a minister of Candace, queen of Ethiopia, who was in charge of all her treasures, had come to Jerusalem to worship… and reading the prophet Isaias.
And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and keep close to this carriage.”
Philip to the Ethiopian: “Dost thou then understand what thou art reading?”
Ethiopian to Philip: “Why, how can I, unless someone shows me?”
And he asked Philip to get up and sit with him.
Then Philip opened his mouth and beginning from this scripture, preached Jesus to him.
Ethiopian to Philip: “See, here is water: what is there to prevent my being baptized?”
Philip to the Ethiopian: “If thou dost believe with all thy heart, thou mayest.”
Ethiopian to Philip: “I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God.”
But when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but he went on his way rejoicing.
These things are so; Martyr Stephen; the Old & New Testaments intertwine, the disciples are scattered and converting Christians just like Christ had showed them how in His days on this earth…
Day 114: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; These Things Are So; Martyr Stephen; Old & New Intertwine…
Read and inspired by the New Testament, The Acts of The Apostles Chapters 7-8.
Bible Notes:
Saint Luke, the author of the third Gospel, wrote also this history of the primitive Church. Opening with the story of the Ascension and Pentecost, this book records the important events of the early Church: the mass conversions after Pentecost; the persecution by Herod; the conversion of Saint Paul; his three missionary journeys; his arrest and final trip to Rome
Acts Chapter 7: Stephen’s discourse, the patriarchs; Joseph; Moses’ early life; Moses and the burning bush; Moses and the exodus; The Temple; Conclusion of Stephen’s discourse; Stephen’s martyrdom.
And the high priest said, “Are these things so?”
Then Stephen said, “Brethren and fathers hear. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, and said to him, ‘Go forth from thy country and from thy kindred, and come into the land that I will show thee.’ And he went forth from the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after the death of his father, God removed him into this land where you now dwell (Genesis Chapter 12)…
And he gave him the covenant of circumcision, and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eight day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs…
“Out of jealousy the patriarchs sold Joseph into Egypt, but God was with him (Genesis Chapter 37)
“Now when the time of the promise drew near that God had made to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt till “another king arose in Egypt who knew nothing of Joseph.’ At this time Moses was born, and he was acceptable to God (Exodus Chapter 2)
“When forty years had passed, there appeared to Moses in the desert of Mount Sinai an angel in a flame of fire in a bush… Then the Lord said to him… “I have seen the oppression of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver the, And now comes, I will send thee to Egypt” (Exodus Chapter 3)
“Our fathers had in the desert the tent of the testimony, as God arranged when he told Moses to make it according to the model that he had seen…” (Exodus Chapter 25)
But Solomon built God a house. Yet not in houses made by hands does the Most High dwell, even as the prophet says, ‘The heaven is my throne, and the earth a footstool for my feet. What house will you build me, says the Lord, or what shall be the place of my resting? Did not my hand make all this?’
Strange coincidence in that I have been reading the Bible alternating days of Old Testament and New Testament. These chapters 7 & 8 of the Acts of the Apostles—But Solomon built God a house—is the current reading in the New Testament and lo and behold in the Old Testament I am reading the Third Book of Kings chapter 3 where Solomon first references—until he made an end of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
Strange coincidence or is the Old and New Testaments interweaving before me in a novel way to give glory to God?
Stephen, wrongly accused, went on to finish his discourse in front of the elders, the Scribes, and the Sanhedrin:
“Stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ear, you always oppose the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so you do also. Which of the prophets have not our fathers persecuted? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you have now been the betrayers and murderers, you who received the Law as an ordinance of angels and did not keep it.”
Now as they heard these things, they were cut to the heart and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to 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.” But the cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed upon him all together. And they cast him out of the city and stoned him… And while they were stoning Stephen he prayed and said:
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit… Lord, do not lay this sin against them.”
And with these words he fell asleep. And Saul (of Tarsus not King Saul) approved of his death.
Acts Chapter 8: Persecution; Philip preaches in Samaria; Conversion of Simon, the sorcerer; Peter and John sent to Samaria; Simon condemned by Peter; Philip meets the Ethiopian eunuch; He asks Philip to explain the Scriptures; Philip converts the Ethiopian.
Now there broke out on that day a great persecution against the Church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered abroad throughout the land of Judea and Samaria… Saul was harassing the Church; entering house after house, and dragging out men and women, he committed them to prison.
Now those who were scattered abroad went about preaching the word. And Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached the Christ to them. And the crowds with one accord gave heed to what was said by Philip, listening to him and seeing the miracles that he worked. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, went out of many possessed persons, and many paralytics and cripples were cured. So there was great joy in that city.
Now a man named Simon had previously been practicing sorcery… and astounding the people of Samaria… saying. “This man is the power of God, which is called great,”… and they gave heed to him because for a long time he had bewitched them with his sorceries…but when they believed Philip as he preached the kingdom of God… Simon himself believed, and after his baptism attached himself to Philip.
Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John… they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. But when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me also this power, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
But Peter said to Simon:
“Thy money go to destruction with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money. Thou hast no part or lot in this matter; for thy heart is not right before God. Repent therefore of this wickedness of thine and pray to God, that perhaps this thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee: for I see thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
Simon answered, “do you pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may happen to me.”
But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “arise and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” And Philip arose and went. And behold, and Ethiopian, a eunuch, a minister of Candace, queen of Ethiopia, who was in charge of all her treasures, had come to Jerusalem to worship… and reading the prophet Isaias.
And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and keep close to this carriage.”
Philip to the Ethiopian: “Dost thou then understand what thou art reading?”
Ethiopian to Philip: “Why, how can I, unless someone shows me?”
And he asked Philip to get up and sit with him.
Then Philip opened his mouth and beginning from this scripture, preached Jesus to him.
Ethiopian to Philip: “See, here is water: what is there to prevent my being baptized?”
Philip to the Ethiopian: “If thou dost believe with all thy heart, thou mayest.”
Ethiopian to Philip: “I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God.”
But when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but he went on his way rejoicing.
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