What does Stephen do in Acts chapter 7?
In Acts chapter 7, Stephen recounts the whole sphere of Jewish history—from the call of Abram, through the Law, and through Christ's coming to proclaim Himself as Israel's Messiah. When he lifts up the name of Jesus of Nazareth, his hearers are ready to seize him and put him to death.
Les explains that in Acts chapter 7 Stephen has gone through the whole sphere of Jewish history—from the call of Abram, through the Law, and through the coming of Christ to proclaim Himself as their Messiah. At that point, when Stephen lifted up the name of Jesus of Nazareth, they were ready to jump on him and put him to death. Les also notes that he likes to bring his audience all the way over to Acts chapter 7 as an overview leading up to Saul of Tarsus and the outcalling of the Church, which is the next part of resurrection.
More Questions
What does Stephen do in Acts 7 before he applies the rebuke to his Jewish audience?
Stephen's speech in Acts 7 traces Israel's history all the way up from Abraham, builds on the Abrahamic covenant and the promises made to the nation, and then applies it to his Jewish audience.