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READING CYCLE THREE (from "hyperlink")
FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT THE PARAGRAPH LEVEL
This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects. Compare your subject divisions with the five modern translations. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one main subject.
1. First paragraph
2. Second paragraph
3. Third paragraph
4. Etc.
CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS
A. Stephen's speech in Acts 7 is the longest recorded in Acts. It breaks the theological ground for Paul's (and the church's) understanding of the gospel's relationship to the Old Testament. Stephen's sermon answers the charges made against him, showing that
1. God has acted outside the Temple
2. God works with Gentiles
3. Jews have always rejected God's message, men, and now they have rejected the Messiah!
B. Stephen's defense affected Saul of Tarsus' heart and Paul's theology.
C. Stephen reveals the continuing covenant infidelity of the Jewish people and God's revelations outside the Promised Land and apart from the Temple in Jerusalem, which had become the focus of first century Jewish worship.
D. The Jewish people had regularly rejected God's spokesman and now they did it again. They had violently rejected Jesus of Nazareth and they were about to violently reject Stephen, His witness.
E. Stephen is charged by the same group with similar blasphemes as Jesus was. As he was being stoned Stephen said several things which mimic Jesus' words and actions on the cross. Was this an intentional literary device used by Luke? It seems so!
F. Stephen's perspective on the relationship between Jews and Christians will set the stage for the persecution (cf. Act_8:1-3) and ultimate splitting (i.e., a.d. 70 curse formulas) of these two groups. It is surely possible that God used Stephen, as He did Samson in the OT, to start a fight thereby forcing the spread of the gospel beyond Palestine.
G. Stephen's speech/defense/sermon has several details which differ from the Hebrew OT (he quotes from the Septuagint). Should scholars try to defend Stephen's sayings or allow them to be Jewish traditions or even historical errors? This question reveals the emotional and intellectual biases of interpreters. I believe that the Bible is true history, that Christianity stands or falls on the events of the Bible. However, the very beginning of the Bible (i.e., Genesis 1-11) and the end of the Bible (i.e., book of Revelation) are not "typical history"! As for the intervening accounts I think they are accurate and true. This takes into account that sometimes there are:
1. differences in numbers
2. differences in genre
3. differences in detail
4. rabbinical techniques of interpretation (ex. combining two or more texts)
These do not affect my affirmation of the historical accuracy or trustworthiness of biblical narratives. Stephen may have been recounting what he learned in Synagogue school or he may have modified texts to fit his purpose! To miss his message by focusing on one or two details shows our modern sense of historiography and not the first century's sense of history.
H. Basic Outline of Stephen's historical overview of God's dealing with Israel in Acts 7
1. the Patriarchs, Act_7:2-16
2. the Exodus and Wilderness Wanderings, Act_7:17-43
3. the Tabernacle and Temple, Act_7:44-50
4. the application to them of his summary of the OT history, Act_7:51-53
I. Stephen uses several OT references (quotes and allusions).
1. Act_7:3 – Gen_12:1
2. Act_7:5 – Gen_12:7 or Act_17:8
3. Act_7:6-7 a – Gen_15:13-14
4. Act_7:7 b – Exo_3:12
5. Act_7:8 a – Gen_17:9-14
6. Act_7:8 b – Gen_21:2-4
7. Act_7:8 c – Gen_25:26
8. Act_7:8 d – Gen_35:22-26
9. Act_7:9 – Gen_37:10; Gen_37:28; Gen_45:4
10. Act_7:10 – Gen_39:21; Gen_41:40-46
11. Act_7:11 – Gen_41:54-55; Gen_42:5
12. Act_7:12 – Gen_42:2
13. Act_7:13 – Gen_45:1-4
14. Act_7:14 – Gen_45:9-10
15. Act_7:15 – Gen_46:5; Gen_49:33; Exo_1:6
16. Act_7:16 – Gen_23:16; Gen_50:13
17. Act_7:17 –Exo_1:7-8
18. Act_7:18 – Exo_1:8
19.Act_7:19 – Exo_1:10-11
20. Act_7:20 – Exo_2:2
21. Act_7:21 – Exo_2:5-6; Exo_2:10
22. Act_7:22 – Exo_2:10
23. Act_7:23 – Exo_2:11-12
24. Act_7:26 – Exo_2:13
25. Act_7:27-28 –Exo_2:14
26. Act_7:30 – Exo_3:1-2
27. Act_7:29 a –Exo_2:15
28. Act_7:29 b – Exo_2:22; Exo_4:20; Exo_18:3-4
29. Act_7:32 – Exo_3:6
30. Act_7:33-34 – Exo_3:5; Exo_3:7-10
31. Act_7:36 – Exo_12:41; Exo_33:1
32. Act_7:37 – Deu_18:15
33. Act_7:38 – Exo_19:17
34. Act_7:39 – Num_14:3-4
35. Act_7:40 – Exo_32:1; Exo_32:23
36. Act_7:41 – Exo_32:4; Exo_32:6
37. Act_7:42-43 – Amo_5:25-27
38. Act_7:44 – Exo_25:31; Exo_25:36-40
39. Act_7:45 –Jos_3:14 ff; Jos_18:1; Jos_23:9
40. Act_7:46 – 2Sa_7:8 ff
41. Act_7:47 – 1 Kings 6-8; 2 Chronicles 1-6
42. Act_7:49-50 –Isa_66:1-2
Another good Scriptural summary of Israel's history is Nehemiah 9.
1. Neh_9:6 – Genesis 1-11
2. Neh_9:7-8 – Genesis 12-50
3. Neh_9:9-14 – Exodus (the exodus)
4. Neh_9:15-21 – Numbers (the wilderness wandering period)
5. Neh_9:22-25 – Joshua (the conquest)
6. Neh_9:26-31 – Judges
7. Neh_9:32-38 – Samuel, Kings, Chronicles (the Monarchy)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.
1. What is the purpose of Stephen's statement?
What did it show about the Jews?
Why were they so enraged?
2. How was Jesus like Moses, Act_7:37?
3. Why is the quote from Isa_66:1-2 in Act_7:49-50 so important?
4. What was so significant about Stephen's vision of Jesus?