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Through My Bible Year 03 – 01 June
Acts 7:44 – 8:4
Act 7
Stefan defends himself
44 “Our ancestors had the Tabernacle of the Testimony in the wilderness. It was exactly the pattern that Moses had seen, just as the One who spoke to Moses had instructed him to make it. 45 When our ancestors got it from him, they brought it with Joshua when they took possession of the land from the nations that God had driven out before our ancestors. It was here until the days of David. 46 He found favor with God and prayed that he might obtain a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. (1) 47 But it was Solomon who built the house for him.
48 “However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands, as the prophet says:
49 Heaven is my throne,
And the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me? The Lord says,
Or what is my resting place?
50 Are all these things not made by my hands? (2)
Stephen condemned the Jewish rulers
51 “O stubborn people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit! You are doing what your fathers did. 52 Which prophet did your ancestors not oppress? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers— 53 You accepted the law given by the angels, but did not follow it.
stoning stephen
54 When they heard these things they became angry and started gnashing their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 He said, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 But they shouted loudly, covered their ears and pounced upon him with one objective in mind. 58 They drove him out of the city and pelted stones at him. The witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 As they were stoning Stephen, he cried out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not put this sin on them.” After saying this he fell asleep.
Act 8
1 Saul agreed to kill Stephen.
That day great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered into the countryside of Judea and Samaria. 2 The godly people buried Stephen, and they mourned deeply for him.
3 But Saul was trying to destroy the church by going from house to house, pulling out both men and women and throwing them into prison.
God’s word spreads in Samaria
4 Therefore the believers who were scattered went around preaching the gospel.
footnote
- Acts 7:46 Some witnesses of the lesson read Jacob’s house.
- Acts 7:50 Isaiah 66:1-2
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The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 The Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
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