Atos 7
Marvin Vincent · Citado em PreceptAustin
Atos 7
Vincent on thlipsis - Tribulation is perhaps as accurate a rendering as is possible, being derived from tribulum, the threshing-roller of the Romans. In both the idea of pressure is dominant, though θλῖψιμ, does not convey the idea of separation (as of corn from husk) which is implied in tribulatio. Trench cites, in illustration of θλῖψις, pressure, the provision of the old English law, by which those who wilfully refused to plead had heavy weights placed on their breasts, and so were pressed and crushed to death ("Synonyms of the New Testament"). (Word Studies in the New Testament.) And granted him favor - Even as He had granted Stephen (Acts 6:3) who like Joseph was about to be rejected! God gave (giving is a manifestation of His grace) favor (grace) to Joseph. Grace (favor) (5485)(charis) for Joseph was God's unmerited favor along with enablement and empowerment. As someone said grace is needed for every service, mercy for every failure and peace for every circumstance. And wisdom (sophia) in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt - Along with favor, God gave Joseph wisdom and he was able to make predictions to which preserved crops and saved Egypt from the regional famine.
Atos 7
Vincent has a lengthy on rare verb (moschopoieo) they made a calf - Only here in New Testament, and not in Septuagint. Bengel says, "A very notorious crime is denoted by an extraordinary and newly-coined word." This was in imitation of the Egyptian bull-worship. Several of these animals were worshipped at different places in Egypt. Apis was worshipped at Memphis. Herodotus says: "Now this Apis, or Epaphus, is the calf of a cow which is never afterward able to bear young. The Egyptians say that fire comes down from heaven upon the cow, which thereupon conceives Apis. The calf which is so called has the following marks: He is black, with a square spot of white upon his forehead, and on his back the figure of an eagle. The hairs in his tail are double, and there is a beetle upon his tongue" (iii., 28). He was regarded by the Egyptians, not merely as an emblem, but as a god. He was lodged in a magnificent court, ornamented with figures twelve cubits high, which he never quitted except on fixed days, when he was led in procession through the streets. His festival lasted seven days, and all came forward from their houses to welcome him as he passed. He was not allowed to reach the natural term of his life. If a natural death did not remove him earlier, he was drowned when he reached the age of twenty-five, and was then embalmed and entombed in one of the sepulchral chambers of the Serapeum, a temple devoted expressly to the burial of these animals. Another sacred bull was maintained at Heliopolis, in the great Temple of the Sun, under the name of Mnevis, and was honored with a reverence next to Apis. Wilkinson thinks that it was from this, and not from Apis, that the Israelites borrowed their notions of the golden calf. "The offerings, dancing, and rejoicings practised on the occasion, were doubtless in imitation of a ceremony they had witnessed in honor of Mnevis during their sojourn in Egypt" ("Ancient Egyptians," 2 sen, vol. ii., p. 197). A third sacred bull, called Bacis, was maintained at Hermonthis, near Thebes. It was a huge, black animal, and its hairs were said to grow the wrong way. Other bulls and cows did not hold the rank of gods, but were only sacred. (Word Studies in the New Testament) And were rejoicing in the works of their hands - Rejoicing in the imperfect tense describes them as celebrating over and over. Think of this for a moment - They were "happy" in their sin. When you begin to rejoice in your sin, you are very deceived (cf Heb 3:13+). Believers sin and while sin does have passing pleasure (Heb 11:25+), a genuine believer will be miserable (Ps 32:3-4) If you continue to find joy in your sin, then you might want to read Paul's words in 2 Cor 13:5+. See John Piper's interesting comment on rejoicing in the works of their hands. Barton astutely observes that "The Israelites' worship of the golden calf was the beginning of a downward spiral. At times they returned to God, but far more often they were running after the gods of the evil nations surrounding them. (Life Application Bible Commentary) Rejoicing (2165)(euphraino from eu = well, good + phren = mind, intellect, disposition) speaks in the passive voice (as in this verse) of social and festive enjoyment.
Atos 7
Vincent on antipipto - It is a very strong expression, implying active resistance. Lit., to fall against or upon. Used of falling upon an enemy. Only here in New Testament. Griffis writes that "The Greek word here is antipipto, which means "to pull against," like a heifer that pulls backward." (Characters with Character) Wenham on resisting the Holy Spirit - It expresses determined and active resistance to the Holy Spirit’s work in common grace. Antipipto 3v in Lxx: The first two uses below are literal Exodus 26:5 "You shall make fifty loops in the one curtain, and you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is in the second set; the loops shall be opposite each other (Brenton's English of the LXX = "corresponding to each other at each point.").... Ex 26:17 "There shall be two tenons for each board, fitted (Antipipto - conveys idea opposite one to the other) to one another; thus you shall do for all the boards of the tabernacle. Numbers 27:14 for (What is "for" explaining? See context - Nu 27:12-13 - explains why Moses can only see the Promised Land but cannot enter) in the wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you (Moses) rebelled (Lxx = Marah = was contentious, disobedient; Lxx = antipipto) against My command to treat Me as holy before their eyes at the water." (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.) The English translation of the Septuagint of Nu 27:14 = because you transgressed my word in the wilderness of Sin, when the congregation resisted to sanctify me. You did not sanctify me at the water before them.” (This is water of dispute of Kades in the wilderness of Sin.) Net Note explains it this way - Using the basic meaning of the word qadash, "to be separate, distinct, set apart", we can understand better what Moses failed to do. He was supposed to have acted in a way that would have shown God to be distinct, different, holy. Instead, he gave the impression that God was capricious and hostile – very human. The leader has to be aware of what image he is conveying to the people. Resisting has the same effect as grieving the Spirit and shutting down His enabling power in one's life... Isa 63:10 But they rebelled And grieved His Holy Spirit; Therefore, He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them (WOE!). Eph 4:30-note And (How? See Eph 4:29-note) do not grieve ( present imperative with a negative) the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. John
Atos 7
Vincent notes that "A different word is used to express remorse, Acts 2:37+ (pierced [katanusso] to the heart)." Cut (1282) (diaprio from dia = though + prio = to saw, cut with a saw) means to saw through, to divide with a saw (used literally in Lxx of 1 Chr 20:3), hence cut to the quick meaning infuriated or enraged, cut or torn emotionally. Earlier Luke had used this same verb to describe the Sanhedrin's reaction to the pithy accusation of Peter and the apostles "But when they heard this (WHAT? Read Acts 5:30-32+), they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them." (Acts 5:33+)
Atos 7
Vincent - "Originally to eat greedily, with a noise, as wild beasts." Here with the noun teeth (odous). The related noun brugmos is used 7x in the Gospels - Mt 8:12, 13:42, 50, Mt 22:13, Mt 24:51, 25:30, Lk 13:28. The Sanhedrin are furious and grinding their teeth together like a pack of snarling, ravenous wolves! Stephen understood what this meant but he calmly (Spirit empowered) stood his ground, while his opponents were out of control (flesh empowered)! Here is the tragedy of tragedies -- these religious men (if they never repented and believed) are in Hades today (and will thrown into Gehenna in Rev 20:11-15+) and are not repentant! They are not sorry they killed Stephen or His Savior! They are furious and still gnashing their teeth in rage and anger and this is what they will be doing throughout eternity! Woe! Jesus was clear when He warned that "the sons of the kingdom (THE HEBREW NATION) will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing (brugmos) of teeth.” (Mt 8:12) John
Atos 7
Vincent on standing - Rising from the throne to protect and receive his servant. Usually Jesus is represented in the New Testament as seated at the Father's right hand. See Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3. And Jesus standing at the right hand of God - While we cannot state with absolute certainly it is very reasonable to conclude that Jesus is standing to receive Stephen, to welcome him home, to honor him for work well-done. It may even relate to his name -- recall that Stephen name crown, "the victor's crown," a symbol of triumph in the Grecian athletic games. Of course Jesus at the right hand of God signified to the Sanhedrin (and rightly so) that Jesus had the place of honor but this would have been especially abhorrent to them as they did not believe anyone could share God's place in heaven. Stephen may have been alluding to Psalm 110:1 "A Psalm of David. The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” Psalm 109:31 is very appropriate for Stephen "For He stands at the right hand of the needy, To save him from those who judge his soul." Indeed, Stephen's soul would be saved. While the Sanhedrin would see his dead body and think he was finally dead, unbeknownst to them, he was more alive than he had ever been on earth. And that is our glorious future also, so let us take courage as the adversary shoots his fiery missiles of discouragement, doubt, despair, etc. We must remember that we like Stephen are "more than conquerors through Him Who loved us...for...neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Ro 8:37-39+) Did the Sanhedrin see the same vision Stephen saw? Luke doesn't say, but it is doubtful for they lacked the eyes to recognize Jesus as God on earth, much less in Heaven! But that will all change one day, and it will be a monumental shock to them and to all Christ rejecters, for John writes "BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen." (Rev 1:7+) F B
Atos 7
Vincent observes that Son of Man is "a title never applied to Christ by any of the apostles or evangelists, except here by Stephen." In Luke Jesus spoke several beatitudes which would apply to Stephen - “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man."(Luke 6:22+) Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice (chairo - present imperative) and be glad (agalliao - present imperative), for your reward in heaven is great (THINK OF STEPHEN'S REWARD OF JESUS STANDING TO RECEIVE HIM); for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Mt 5:10-12+) Daniel described the Son of Man declaring.... “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. (Da 7:13,14+) Gotquestions.org - Jesus is referred to as the “Son of Man” 88 times in the New Testament. A first meaning of the phrase “Son of Man” is as a reference to the prophecy of Daniel 7:13-14, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” The description “Son of Man” was a Messianic title. Jesus is the One who was given dominion and glory and a kingdom. When Jesus used this phrase, He was assigning the Son of Man prophecy to Himself. The Jews of that era would have been intimately familiar with the phrase and to whom it referred. Jesus was proclaiming Himself as the Messiah. A second meaning of the phrase “Son of Man” is that Jesus was truly a human being (ED: AND THIS MEANING MUST HAVE REALLY INCENSED THE SANHEDRIN!). God called the prophet Ezekiel “son of man” 93 times. God was simply calling Ezekiel a human being. A son of a man is a man. Jesus was fully God (John 1:1), but He was also a human being (John 1:14). First John 4:2 tells us, “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.” Yes, Jesus was the Son of God—He was in His essence God. Yes, Jesus was also the Son of Man—He was in His essence a human being. In summary, the phrase “Son of Man” indicates that Jesus is the Messiah and that He is truly a human being. John MacDuff - ACTS 7:56. I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. There is a volume of tender meaning here. Thirteen times is Christ spoken of in Scripture as “seated at the right hand of God”; only once is He spoken of as “standing” and that once is here. Why, then, this strange exception? Why has the seated Saviour changed His posture so that He is seen “standing” by His dying saint? Oh, blessed testimony to the deathless sympathy and tenderness of that loving Saviour’s heart!—Seated though He be—it is as if He had heard the stir in that court on earth;—as if He heard (as indeed He did) every malicious taunt that was hurled at His holy servant. He cannot remain still. He rises;—(or, if we dare use a human expression to give force to the heavenly vision)—He starts from His seat at the call of His injured disciple—He feels the cruelties inflicted on him as if they were inflicted on Himself. He, the same gentle, tender Shepherd that He ever was, sees one of the choicest sheep of the fold in the fangs of ravening wolves! Roused by these wild beasts who were scattering His flock;—touched with the tender bleat of that holy and innocent victim of their rage,—the good Shepherd stoops down from the hills of glory; and, as Stephen enters the valley of the shadow of death, He comforts and supports him with His rod and staff! The Loins Girded - The Heavens Opened Acts 7:56 When the first deacon, Stephen, was dragged outside of the city to be stoned to death, the Jews stood around him with bursting hearts and gnashing teeth, the hands filled with the murdering pieces of stone. This was what Stephen saw in his immediate surroundings. However, then he lifted his eyes towards heaven and what he saw there made him witness: “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” Let it have been for him a vision of a special nature, in essence we also see with the eye of faith the heavens opened since Jesus Christ entered there as herald and as a preparer of the way. Sin closed the heavens for us. However, Jesus reopened them for us again. Where the un-anointed eye sees nothing but a firmament with clouds, the eye of faith beholds the full glory of God and it sees Jesus crowned with honour. This vision of Stephen is of incalculable value for us,—it teaches us like Stephen to suffer bravely, to pray heartily and to die blessedly. First of all to suffer bravely for the Name of the Lord for righteousness’ sake. It is true, we are no longer stoned to death, but we may profess freely our faith in Jesus Christ. However, although we are spared from brutish violence, painful words and spiteful expressions that are intended to wound us, are not lacking,—we also bear the scars of the thrown stones upon our forehead. How rich it is to know that heaven above us will open and that the Son of man reveals His presence to our heart, oh, not to take away the suffering, but to strengthen us in it. A single glance upward teaches us to even pray heartily for the forgiveness of our opponents. No, we shall not avenge evil with evil. We shall not return the throw of a stone with a curse, nor with a complaint, nor with a sigh. From the opened heavens and from that Son of man an unspeakable peace descends into our soul, and we receive grace to answer every humiliation with a spontaneous prayer: “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” This living under an opened heaven eventually flows into a dying under an opened heaven, into a dying with the eye upon the Son of man, who awaits us in glory and who has prepared there a place for us. It says that Stephen “fell asleep.” His death was soft, his passing light, his dying in peace like one who falls asleep even though the stones hurled past his head and rained down upon him. If someone would ask how this was possible, the answer is given in the shout of praise for life and death: “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God!” Acts 7:57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, they cried Acts 7:54; 21:27-31; 23:27 Covered their ears Ps 58:4; Pr 21:13; Zech 7:11 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE SANHEDRIN'S CRY AND "COVER UP"! But they cried out with a loud voice (megas phone ~ megaphone) - This is the same verb krazo used below for Stephen.
Atos 7
Vincent says the word young man "gives no indication of his age, since it is applied up to the age of forty-five. Thirty years after Stephen's martyrdom, Paul speaks of himself as the aged (Philemon 1:9)." Acts 7:59 They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" (NASB: Lockman) KJV Acts 7:59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. called Acts 2:21; 9:14,21; 22:16; Joel 2:32; Ro 10:12-14; 1 Cor 1:2 Lord Ps 31:5; Luke 23:46 Acts 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE FIRST OF TWO PRAYERS They went on stoning Stephen - Stoning is lithoboleo still in the the imperfect tense, one stone after another! Stephen (4736)(stephanos from stepho = to encircle, twine or wreathe) means crown. It was "the victor's crown," a symbol of triumph in the Grecian athletic games. How fitting that it is the name of this godly saint who paid the highest price when he was stoned for speaking the truth of the Gospel! The related word is stephanos (4735) was a wreath made of foliage or designed to resemble foliage and worn by one of high status or held in high regard. The stephanos was literally an adornment worn around the head as a crown of victory in the Greek athletic games, this reward being given to the runner who crossed the goal first, to the disc thrower with the longest toss, etc. Apart from recognition of athletes and winners of various kinds of competitions, in the Greco-Roman world, the awarding of a crown or wreath signified appreciation for exceptional contributions to the state or groups within it. The recipients were usually public officials or civic-minded persons serving at their own expense. As he called on the Lord and said - This is first of two prayers, the last words on the lips of Stephen. What a way to die! Praying! And to think how easily we get distracted in our praying! Try a few stones hitting you in the head! We certainly would not fall asleep, as I have been known to do early in the morning! He called (present tense)(1941)(epikaleomai) is in the middle voice which means Stephen was calling upon Jesus in the sense of praying. G Campbell