Boice notes that stephen s speech is a transition speech that paves the way for presenting the gospel to the gentiles, which begins in the very next chapter of acts. We only have a chapter and a half about stephen in the whole bible, yet he emerges as one of the most impressive characters in the entire scripture. Stephens speech in acts 7, philips explanation of isaiah in acts 8 and pauls. Stephens speech is often called a defense, or apology, but it is obviously not a speech for the defense in the forensic sense of the term. Mar 19, 20 someone recently referred me to delbert l. The line between apologetic and polemic is difficult to draw. Stephens speech is different from the other speeches in acts. Studies in the book of acts grace communion seminary.
Apr 01, 2011 story of stephen s speech in acts 7 part 2. In fact, it just may be that saul owes his earliest exposure to the gospel to stephen. Jun 19, 2015 stephens speech is, as a whole, the key luke provides his readers for the interpretation of his entire twovolume narrative. Acts 7 takes 8 to 9 minutes to read out loud and most of it is stephens speech. Stephens speech is, as a whole, the key luke provides his readers for the interpretation of his entire twovolume narrative. It is not calculated to receive exoneration before the sanhedrin. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to egypt. Acts 7 niv stephens speech to the sanhedrin bible gateway.
The epistle for todays mass is taken, in part, from saint stephens speech to the sanhedrin acts 7. Acts 114 in easy english an expanded text for bible. The first martyr, stephen, has a vision of the exalted jesus, and stephens announcing it to the examining council leads them to stone him to death 7. It is noteworthy that there have always been those faithful believers whose love for and commitment to the lord seem to shine through so greatly that others around them notice, and stephen was such a man. Septuagint similar speak speakers speeches in acts statement stephens speech story testament testimony theme. Acts 17 stephens discourse is a critique of religion, using israels history as his example. Stephen s sermon answers the charges made against him, showing that. Stephens sermon answers the charges made against him, showing that. The development of stephen s theology in order to evaluate the function of these discrepancies in the theology of stephen s speech, it is first necessary to place them in the where the speech actually conflicts with the ot h. The sermon on mars hill is also apologetic, using reason rather than experience. Bruce sees it as a defense of pure christianity as gods appointed way of worship. Various critics of the bible have ridiculed stephens. It breaks the theological ground for paul s and the church s understanding of the gospel s relationship to the old testament.
Human religious effort is a fact of life in almost every culture. Chapter 8 v12 then some men who really believed the lord jesus buried stephens body in a grave. Of the numerous speeches in acts of the apostles, stephens speech to the sanhedrin is the longest. Aug 31, 2015 the very length of stephens speech in acts 7, the longest in a book full of speeches, probably indicates something of the importance luke assigned to this episode in the history of early. The b god of glory appeared to our father abraham when he was in mesopotamia, before he dwelt in c haran, 3 and said to him, d get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that i will show you. Oct 07, 2008 the dreams and visions in the acts of the apostles bryce new testament october 7, 2008 july 21, 2012 3 minutes the book of acts tells us that on the day of pentecost, following the death, resurrection and ascension of jesus into heaven, the holy spirit came and filled the apostles and they began to speak in other languages acts 2. In 1777, william dodd, a wellknown london clergyman, was condemned to be hanged for forgery.
Leave your country and your people, god said, and go to the land i will show you. Stephen s opponents see in his preaching a challenge to firstcentury judaism s twin pillars of piety. It breaks the theological ground for pauls and the churchs understanding of the gospels relationship to the old testament. Peter himself, meanwhile, has a dream in which god commands him to eat. Johnson, acts, 119 johnson believes that stephens speech is. The theme of stephens sermon is israels resistance to the holy spirit throughout its history see acts 7. On that same day, people started to do a lot of bad things to the believers in. In the book of acts, luke introduces saul dramatically as the someone who not only participated in the stoning of stephen, but as an authority who gave approval for the execution. The very length of stephens speech in acts 7, the longest in a book full of speeches, probably indicates something of the importance luke assigned to this. Of the numerous speeches in acts of the apostles, stephen s speech to the sanhedrin is the longest. Acts 7 commentary mark dunagan commentary on the bible. After stephen delivers a prophetic speech in acts 7 and describes his fellow jews as a stiffnecked generation, like the tribes of israel in the wilderness.
They were small tracts separately, and were bound up together to preserve them from being lost. Stephen knows all about abraham as we should, abrahams father was born 222 years after the flood, he was age 205 when he died in haran, they had departed babylonchaldeans rev. As a result of stephens confrontation with the temple authorities. Johnson replied, depend upon it, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates the mind wonderfully. The twelve minor prophets were commonly written in one volume, and were called the book of the prophets. God revealed himself to his people and called them to him. In its current form it is clearly the longest speech in the book of acts, yet it diverges from the other speeches in the book in that it is nonapostolic and apparently nonkerygmatic.
Johnson replied, depend upon it, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a. Dec 20, 2016 at this point, stephens defense takes a turn toward offense. The traditional name for this book is acts of the apostles, but a more accurate name. Stephens speech to the sanhedrin then the high priest asked stephen, are these charges true. One of the notable commentaries on the acts of the apostles is that by richard b rackham, first published in 1901. Wienss stephens sermon and the structure of lukeacts. Stephen is using israels history of rejection and idolatry to prepare for the climax of his speech. To the objection that it seems unlikely that such a long speech could be reproduced in the text of acts exactly as it was delivered, some biblical scholars have replied that stephen s speech shows a distinctive personality behind it. Mar 02, 2018 stephens speech in acts 7 did he really make so many mistakes. Strange details in stephens defense xenos christian fellowship.
Boice notes that stephens speech is a transition speech that paves the way for presenting the gospel to the gentiles, which begins in the very next chapter of acts. Stephens opponents see in his preaching a challenge to firstcentury judaisms twin pillars of piety. His story is wholly contained in two chapters in the book of acts, but it provides a glimpse into life in the early church and serves as an example of how our faith in christ can lead to great things. Jul 21, 2012 i wrote out the following observations that i gathered from reading stephens speech in acts 7. Our story starts off where the gospel of luke left offjesus is back now that hes resurrected, jesus decides to hang out and chat with his disciples whom luke calls apostles for forty days. The development of stephens theology in order to evaluate the function of these discrepancies in the theology of stephens speech, it is first necessary to place them in the where the speech actually conflicts with the ot h. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The dreams and visions in the acts of the apostles bryce new testament october 7, 2008 july 21, 2012 3 minutes the book of acts tells us that on the day of pentecost, following the death, resurrection and ascension of jesus into heaven, the holy spirit came and filled the apostles and they began to speak in other languages acts 2. Stephens sermon is twice as long as peters sermon delivered at pentecost acts 2. He finally declares jesus to be the messiah and accuses them of murder and disobeying the torah as the messiah was foretold by the torah, by its reference to another prophet, and by the entire. This essay has limited value, especially the unconvincing comparison of stephen s speech and wisdom.
Acts 7 takes 8 to 9 minutes to read out loud and most of it is stephen s speech. At this point, stephens defense takes a turn toward offense. Stephens speech in acts 7 did he really make so many mistakes. This morning i have a rather difficult duty, and that is that the sermon in chapter 7 is 53 verses long. Observations from reading stephens speech in acts 7. The critical attitude to the jerusalem temple in stephens speech, for example, is not lukes own attitude, which is much more positive. Moses will become the ruler and liberator of israel v. Ad 34 traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first martyr of. Stephens speech, the longest of all the speeches of acts. I wrote out the following observations that i gathered from reading stephens speech in acts 7. In particular, stephens speech is the catalyst that sparks a great persecution. Yet stephen declares it is such effort that has kept israel from knowing the righteous savior and true worship. Baxter we see, then, that the outrage against stephen is, in a fourfold way, a pivotal event in the acts. Typology in stephens speech stephen the table waiter of chapter 6 now becomes an angel of god cf.
In his book the city of god, augustine of hippo describes the many miracles that occurred when part of the relics of saint stephen. Stephen s speech, the longest of all the speeches of acts. What two themes run through stephens speech in acts. The high priest mentioned here was probably still caiaphas, the same one who presided over the trial of jesus. The book of acts of the apostles contains many great speeches or sermons, numbering from seventeen to thirtysomething, depending on your chosen method of reckoning. The speeches in acts are not mere rhetorical exercises, nor are they introduced simply as vehicles for the authors own reflections or interpretations. So he left the land of the chaldeans and settled in haran. It is commonly referred to as the book of acts or simply acts. When his last sermon, delivered in prison, was published, a friend commented to samuel johnson that the effort was far better than he had thought the man capable of. Actus apostolorum, often referred to simply as acts, or formally the book of acts, is the fifth book of the new testament.
When saul of tarsuss life is turned around on the damascus road, it is the. What two themes run through stephen s speech in acts. Acts 7 new international version niv stephens speech to the sanhedrin. To the objection that it seems unlikely that such a long speech could be reproduced in the text of acts exactly as it was delivered, some biblical scholars have replied that stephens speech shows a distinctive personality behind it. The god of glory appeared to our father abraham while he was still in mesopotamia, before he lived in harran. Stephens speech in acts 7 did he really make so many. Turn in your bibles to the 7th chapter of the book of acts. So thats a fairly long answer to the question are these things so. The god of glory appeared to our father abraham while he was still in mesopotamia, before he lived in haran. Based on what we read, this sermon was definitely far too long for the sanhedrin before whom stephen spoke.
Stephen s speech in acts 7 is the longest recorded in acts. Doble, the son of man saying in stephen s witnessing. From that perspective, he wasnt give much time at all. Stephens defense was a counterattack, accusing his judges of persecuting him just as they persecuted all of gods other prophets. Finally, peter comes to himself and realizes the dreamlike scene is real. Ive organized his speech around the important person or thing in each block. If the areopagus speech may be taken as a precursor of a later well developed form of christian apologeticthe defense of the gospel against pagan religion stephens speech in acts 7. Summary of stephens speech in acts, and what he said about. The authors apparent use of speech material in the gospel of luke, itself. Acts 7, new international version niv the bible app. The significance of the speeches for interpreting acts. Now, the testimony given to israel in the initial chapters of the book of acts is.
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