Acts 7-8

At his accusation from the High Priest, Stephen gives a long speech about Israel's relationship with God.   I loved taking my highlighter to the Old Testament and referencing this part..I think this will make it so much more relevant when I re-read the Bible again...Stephen showed that historically, Israel rejected God's message...Stephen didn't defend himself...Isn't it wild that Stephen is accused by the religious leaders, of the very same thing that Jesus Christ was.

Stephen points out that the people were still circumsizing their children as a sign of the covenant with God...God kept his side of the bargain like he promised he would do, but the people continued not to.  They would be obedient if they followed the Law.

Stephen had been accused of speaking against the temple (6:13).  Although he recognize the importance of the temple, he knew that it was not more important than God..l.God is not limited; he doesn't live only in a house of worship, but wherever he is received.  The people stoned Stephen for this...this is Old Testament Laws (Leviticus 24: 14, 16).    Stephen saw into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.....we meet a man named Saul...He is going to be HIGHLY INSTRUMENTAL in the rest of the New Testament.



Stephen is the first martyr who died for the Christian faith.  Persecution begins.

The church begins to spread as a direct result of this persecution....people are scattered throughout Judea and Samaria as written in Acts 1:8.....Saul begins to destroy the church......we meet Simon the Sorcerer.....he was doing amazing acts that weren't as a result of God's power...Philip, one of the 7 picked earlier, baptized Simon because he believed once he was properly taught the Gospel....Peter and John wanted to come and see Samaria (this was a place that the full blooded Jews hated.   During the Assyrian captivity, only the weak and poor Jews were left behind, and the land was settled with foreigners.  The foreigners married the weak and poor Jews, and were considered half- breeds)...Jesus commanded that the Gospel be taught there.  Now normally, the Holy Spirit will come to you when you believe, but this was a special event in which the Holy Spirit was delivered by the laying on of hands.   Simon wanted to buy some of that power and was rebuked....He understood the rebuke and "took it like a man".  Philip then proceeds to Ethiopia as directed by an angel and converts a eunuch who served Candace, queen of the Ethiopians.  He desires to be baptized and is, fulfilling the last part of 1:8 to "witness to the ends of the earth"....then POOF the Spirit of the Lord takes Philip to Azotus where he can begin witnessing to the Gentiles....keep in mind that the Apostles still didn't know if the Holy Spirit could be received by a nasty old Gentile....the old Law wouldn't even let a Jew in the presence of Gentile's home......