Acts 7:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph 's family became known to Pharaoh.

NIV: On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family.

NASB: And on the second visit, Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was revealed to Pharaoh.

CSB: The second time, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh.

NLT: The second time they went, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and they were introduced to Pharaoh.

KJV: And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.

NKJV: And the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh.

Stephen, one of the church's first deacons and a gifted apologist, is defending himself against the charge that he disrespects Moses, the Mosaic law, and the temple (Acts 6:12–14). In his story about Joseph, he shows that the Israelites have a long tradition of rejecting the prophets God sends them.

At this point, Joseph was second in command of Egypt and had spent seven years accumulating grain in preparation for a multi-regional famine (Genesis 41:37–57). To his shock, the brothers who sold him into slavery appeared to buy grain from him (Genesis 42). On their second visit, when he was assured his younger brother Benjamin was safe, he revealed himself.

In Stephen's audience is a young Pharisee named Saul (Acts 7:58). After a rocky start, Saul/Paul will follow Jesus and bring Jesus' story to the Gentiles (Acts 9:3–19). It's possible he has this part of Joseph's story in mind when he writes 1 Corinthians 15:5–7. After Jesus' resurrection, He revealed Himself to Peter, the rest of the twelve disciples, over five hundred "brothers," then to James, then to all the apostles. James was Jesus' half-brother. James had rejected the idea that Jesus was the Messiah, thought He was crazy (Mark 3:21), and openly mocked Him (John 7:2–5). This is the same James who became the pastor of the church in Jerusalem and, according to tradition, died for the name of his Brother.

Like James, Joseph's brothers realized that the one they rejected has the power to save them. Stephen would have been encouraged to know at least one in the audience would come to that same realization.

Acts 7:9–16 describes one of the church's first deacons, Stephen, during his trial before the Sanhedrin. A crowd of Jews has accused him of speaking against Moses, the Mosaic law, and the temple (Acts 6:8–15). Stephen uses his defense to show how Abraham's descendants have been God's people since long before the Law or the temple. In Acts 7:1–8, he gave a summary of how God called Abraham far from the land his people would later inherit. Stephen continues showing how God cared for His people without a place, adding that they didn't respect His prophets, starting with Joseph. Joseph's story is in Genesis 37—Exodus 1.

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.