Acts 7:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the high priest said, "Are these things so?"

NIV: Then the high priest asked Stephen, "Are these charges true?"

NASB: Now the high priest said, 'Are these things so?'

CSB: "Are these things true?" the high priest asked.

NLT: Then the high priest asked Stephen, 'Are these accusations true?'

KJV: Then said the high priest, Are these things so?

NKJV: Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?”

Stephen is a Hellenist Jew: he is not from Judea and probably speaks more Greek than Aramaic. He is also a strong Jesus-follower and one of the first deacons of the early church (Acts 6:1–7). He has been arguing with other Hellenist Jews. We don't know what, exactly, the argument is about, but his opponents cannot overcome his logic or the power of the Holy Spirit in him, so they falsely accuse him of disrespecting the Mosaic law and the temple (Acts 6:8–15).

The Hellenist Jews bring Stephen to the Sanhedrin where the high priest asks him to make his defense. In Acts 4:6, when Peter and John were arrested, Annas is named as the high priest. It's unclear how much later this event in Acts 7 takes place. According to Jewish records, Caiaphas was the high priest until AD 36, Jonathan until AD 37, and Theophilus until AD 41. Important to understand is that Caiaphas was Annas' son-in-law, and Jonathan and Theophilus were Annas' sons. So it seems Annas held significant control over the priesthood from his own period, starting in AD 6, until AD 44, Jonathan's second term.

The last recorded time the Sanhedrin tried Jesus-followers, they told the apostles to stop preaching about Jesus and then beat them (Acts 5:40). This didn't deter the apostles. Not only did they continue preaching in the temple (Acts 5:42), several priests came to faith in Christ (Acts 6:7). But even though more and more Jews were following Jesus, the Jesus-followers were losing favor with the people.

Acts 7:1–8 is the beginning of Stephen's defense before the Sanhedrin. Jews from outside Judea have accused Stephen, a follower of Jesus, of speaking against Moses, the Law, and the temple (Acts 6:8–15). Stephen uses the history of Israel to show how hypocritical the charges are. In Abraham's story, alone, Stephen shows how God is sovereign over His people outside Israel and outside the Mosaic law. God called Abraham hundreds of miles from Jerusalem in Mesopotamia and made a covenant with him hundreds of years before the Israelites received the Law. This story is told in full in Genesis 11:27—30:24.

Stephen is a Greek-speaking Jewish Christian and one of the first deacons in the church in Jerusalem (Acts 6:1–7). He's also a skilled apologist and has been debating Jews from outside Judea about the proper place of the Mosaic law and the temple (Acts 6:8–15). His opponents cannot counter his arguments so they resort to lies. They tell the Sanhedrin that Stephen wants to destroy the temple and repeal the Mosaic law. Stephen counters that his accusers don't respect Moses or the Law, and the temple isn't necessary to worship God. This enrages the mob, and Stephen is stoned, becoming the first Christian martyr.

Chapter 7 is one of the pivot points of the book of Acts. Until recently, the early church has seen favor from the people and indifference from the Sanhedrin. Now, the Sanhedrin has beaten the apostles and ordered them not to preach about Jesus (Acts 5:40), and the people are starting to realize how different Christianity is. In Jerusalem, a Hellenist Jewish Jesus-follower named Stephen has been in a debate with other foreign Jews who finally accuse him of wishing to destroy the temple, like Jesus (Acts 6:8–15). This is Stephen's defense, which leads to his death and the introduction of Paul.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.