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Act 7:1. Ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς, the high priest) as the president.-εἰ, whether) The interrogation serves the convenience of (gives occasion to) the defence of Stephen against the charges of his adversaries. Ἄρα, then, has an appearance of fairness, and of expressing astonishment. This is the sum of the defence: I acknowledge the glory of GOD, revealed to the fathers, Act 7:2; the call of Moses,[45] Act 7:34-35; the majesty of the law, Act 7:8; Act 7:38; Act 7:44; the sanctity of the temple and of this place, Act 7:7, at the end, 45, 47. And indeed the law is more ancient than the temple: the promise, than the law. For GOD both gave and showed Himself gratuitously (of free grace) to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and their sons, as their GOD, Act 7:2-3; Act 7:9-10; Act 7:17-18; Act 7:32; Act 7:34; Act 7:45; and they also showed (rendered) faith and obedience to GOD, Act 7:4; Act 7:20-21; Act 7:23; especially in upholding the law, Act 7:8; and their claim to the land of promise, Act 7:16. Meanwhile GOD neither at the beginning, nor ever after, tied down His presence to this one spot: for even before the erection of the temple, and outside of the favoured land, He vouchsafed (permitted) Himself to be known and worshipped, Act 7:2; Act 7:9; Act 7:33; Act 7:44; and that the fathers and their posterity were not utterly restricted (fixed down) to this place, their numerous wanderings show, Act 7:4-5; Act 7:14; Act 7:29; Act 7:44; and exile in Babylon, Act 7:43, at the end. But ye always were evil, Act 7:9; ye resisted Moses, Act 7:25-26; Act 7:39-40; ye turned away from the land of promise, Act 7:39; ye abandoned God, Act 7:40-41; ye worshipped the temple superstitiously, Act 7:48; ye resisted GOD and His Spirit, Act 7:51; ye have slain the prophets and Messiah Himself, Act 7:52; ye have not kept the law, Act 7:53. Therefore GOD is not bound to you, much less to you alone. The histories of former events are wont to be commemorated in Scripture, the fact being traced up from its beginnings: but in such a way that, according to the exigency of the purpose in hand, some things are rapidly gone through, others are omitted: see ch. Act 13:17-18; Deu 33:2-3; Psa 106:7-8 : Eze 20:5-6; Hab 3:3-4; Heb 11:3-4, where faith is treated of, as here, unbelief. And most opportunely at this solemn time and place, whereas (whilst) the apostles were rather bearing witness as to Jesus Christ, Stephen makes a recapitulation of ancient events: which also affords a specimen of how one ought wisely to draw out the kernel (to give the salient points) of an Ecclesiastical History. Wherefore by no means ought we to assent to Erasmus and others, who think that “many things in this speech have not very much pertinency to the matter in hand which Stephen undertook.” In truth, this testimony is most worthy of the fulness of the Spirit, as also of the faith and power which were in him; and although he does not put his enunciations in direct contradiction to the enunciations of his adversaries, yet he answers to all the charges with power. Nor can it be doubted but that Stephen, after that he had cleared up the events of the past and present, would have introduced (inferred) something as to the future, viz. the destruction of the temple, the abrogation of the ceremonial law, and the punishment of the people (with which comp. Act 7:43, at the end); and moreover, more at large, as to Jesus being the true Messiah (with which comp. Act 7:37), had not “his speech been interrupted by the cries of the Jews vehemently clamouring against him” (as the same Erasmus appropriately suggests). This is the only lengthened speech in this book, delivered by a witness of Christ who was not an apostle; a precious sample of the power of the Spirit.
[45] Note, the Italics throughout refer to the very words of their charge, ch. Act 7:11; Act 7:13-14.-E. and T.