NLT Illustrated Study Bible - Book of Acts - Flipbook - Page 25
A cts 8 : 3
1981
7:51
Exod 32:9; 33:3, 5
7:52
Matt 23:3034
7:53
Gal 3:19
7:55
Heb 1:3, 13
7:56
Matt 3:16
7:58
Lev 24:1416
Deut 17:7
7:59
Ps 31:5
Luke 23:46
7:60
Luke 23:34
8:1
Acts 7:58
8:3
Acts 9:1; 22:4;
26:911
1 Cor 15:9
Gal 1:13
51 “You stubborn people! You are heathen*
at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you for
ever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your
ancestors did, and so do you! 52 Name one
prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute!
They even killed the ones who predicted the
coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah
whom you betrayed and murdered. 53You de
liberately disobeyed God’s law, even though
you received it from the hands of angels.”
54 The Jewish leaders were infuriated by
Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their
fists at him in rage.* 55 But Stephen, full of
the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven
and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus
standing in the place of honor at God’s right
hand. 56 And he told them, “Look, I see the
heavens opened and the Son of Man stand
ing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”
57 Then they put their hands over their
ears and began shouting. They rushed at him
58 and dragged him out of the city and began
to stone him. His accusers took off their
coats and laid them at the feet of a young
man named Saul.*
59 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 He fell to
his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them
with this sin!” And with that, he died.
Saul was one of the witnesses, and he
8
agreed completely with the killing of
Stephen.
Persecution Scatters the Believers
A great wave of persecution began that day,
sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and
all the believers except the apostles were
scattered through the regions of Judea and
Samaria. 2 (Some devout men came and bur
ied Stephen with great mourning.) 3 But Saul
was going everywhere to destroy the church.
He went from house to house, dragging out
both men and women to throw them into
prison.
7:51 Greek uncircumcised. 7:54 Greek they were grinding their teeth against him. 7:58 Saul is later called Paul; see 13:9.
Miracles
Acts 8:423
Matt 19:2326;
28:120
Mark 10:2327
Luke 1:3038;
18:2427; 24:153
John 1:1214; 3:28,
16; 20:1–21:25
Acts 4:2931;
5:1216; 6:8;
9:3242; 14:34;
26:8
Rom 5:1, 8; 8:32
Eph 2:45, 810
Heb 2:4
1 Pet 1:35
1 Jn 5:1213
In the book of Acts, the activity of the living God is clearly seen in miraculous signs, wonders,
and mighty works (4:2931; 5:1215; 6:8; 8:67; 9:34; 14:3). The Bible does not attempt to
prove miracles, but simply reports them. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the apostles and other
Christian leaders performed them. The miracles offer tangible evidence of the power and
truth of the Christian message (14:3; see John 3:2; Heb 2:4).
The greatest miracles are (1) the coming of Jesus Christ as the Word of God in human flesh
(John 1:14), (2) his glorious resurrection from the dead (Matt 28; Mark 16:18; Luke 24:153;
John 20:131; Acts 1:3; 1 Cor 15:3-8; cp Acts 23:6; 26:8), and (3) the miracle of the new birth
(John 3:38; Gal 2:20; Eph 2:810). The coming of Jesus into the world to be the Savior and
to die for our sins shows us how much God loves us (John 3:16; Rom 5:8; 8:32; Eph 2:45;
1 Jn 3:12). The fact that God raised Jesus from the dead reveals God’s power over death
and gives us a living hope, the promise of eternal life (1 Pet 1:38). The person who puts
faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord receives eternal life (John 1:12; 3:36; Rom 5:12; 1 Jn
5:1213). Miracles remind us of the truth that “nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37;
18:27; cp. Matt 19:26; Mark 10:27).
7:51 Stephen raised the same charge
that God had raised against his people
in the wilderness: that they were heathen at heart and deaf to the truth,
because they were rejecting the gospel
and obstinately resisting the Holy Spirit
(see Exod 32:9; 33:3; 34:9; Deut 9:6, 13;
31:27; see also Ps 78:8; Zech 7:1112).
7:5556 Jesus standing . . . at God’s right
hand: Usually Jesus is described as seated
in heaven at God’s right hand (2:3334;
5:31; Luke 20:42; 22:69; Rom 8:34; Eph
1:20; Col 3:1; Heb 1:3, 13; 10:12). One
possible explanation is that Jesus was
welcoming Stephen, the first martyr,
to heaven with honor. Stephen had
confessed his Lord faithfully on earth,
PROPHETS OF ISRAEL
and now his Lord honored his promise
to confess his faithful servant in heaven,
standing as a witness to defend him (Matt
10:32; Luke 12:8). • the Son of Man standing: Cp. Dan 7:1314. The Jewish leaders
understood that Stephen was speaking of
Jesus as the divine Son of Man (Acts 7:57),
a title that speaks of Jesus’ power and
authority (cp. Rev 1:1215).
7:57 they put their hands over their ears:
They believed that the comparison of
Jesus to the divine Son of Man (7:56) was
horrible blasphemy.
7:58 Saul was the Hebrew form, Paul the
Greek form of his name (see 13:9).
7:5960 Stephen’s prayer, Lord, don’t
GOSPELS & ACTS
charge them with this sin, is strikingly
similar to Jesus’ prayer at his crucifixion
(Luke 23:34). Jesus clearly taught his fol
lowers the importance of both forgiveness
(Matt 6:1415; Mark 11:25; see Luke 11:4;
17:34) and prayer (Luke 11:510; 18:18;
see also Acts 1:1215; 4:2331; 12:5; Jas
5:1618). The Lord answered Stephen’s
prayer affirmatively in the case of Saul
(Acts 9:143).
8:14 Saul: Cp. 9:12; 22:4; 26:911; Gal
1:1314. The result of this great wave of
persecution was that all the believers . . .
were scattered. Rather than having their
enthusiasm dampened, however, they
simply spread the Good News about Jesus
wherever they went.
L E T T E R S O F PAU L
OTHER LET TERS
