Stephen is a Hellenistic Jew filled with the Holy Spirit. Other Jews from the Greek-speaking world accused him of blaspheming God and insulting Moses (Acts 6:11). The accusation is that he should be said that Jesus would tear down the temple and change the law of Moses (Acts 6:14).

Stephen uses a history lesson to show that it is not he who is acting against the temple and the law, but the accusers, by not recognising the promised prophet and acting in the same way as their ancestors.

The Jewish people repeatedly disregarded the Mosaic commandments. This is why the temple was destroyed and the people deported to Babylon (Acts 7:43).

In Egypt, God sent the saviour Moses, who spoke of a coming prophet in his type (Acts 7:37). Unspoken, Stephen thus builds a bridge to Jesus, who works the same miracles.

Stephen also points out in Isaiah 66:1-2 that God does not dwell in a temple.

Rather, he sees the problem in the fact that people close their ears, their hearts do not belong to God and they resist the work of the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51).

Are we ready to learn from the stories of the Bible and to engage with the God who cannot be put in a box, but who wants to dwell in us through his Holy Spirit?

more from Acts: https://jesus-news-israel.net/tag/acts/