3/7/2022 [Book of Acts 26]                       www.lifechurchmissions.com

The Defense of Stephen (1) – From Abraham to Joseph

Introduction:

* Jewish leaders falsely accused Stephen of speaking against the holy temple and the law.

* Two groups of people in the Sanhedrin:

（1）Sadducees.

（2）Pharisees.

* These two groups had their conflicts, but they were united in the persecution of Jesus.

* These two groups of people could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave Stephen as he spoke.

* Stephen cited Old Testament characters to speak about God’s redemption plan from beginning to the end.

Read <Ac 7:1-16>.

1. <v1> Interrogation by the high priest Caiaphas.

2. <v2-3> Example of Abraham.

（1）Abraham was justified by faith, not by keeping the law.

（2）God’s glory appeared to Abraham not in the holy temple, but at where Abraham was.

3. <v4-5> The relationship between Abraham and God was built on “faith”, instead of on the visible holy temple or law.

4. <v6-8> Abraham’s descendants (Israel) were also saved from the gentiles (Egypt).

* After 400 years, when the sins of the gentiles were full, the Lord rescued His people.

* Before this, God gave Abraham’s descendants the covenant of circumcision.

5. <v9-10> God’s faithfulness to Joseph.

* Read <Gen 39:2>.

* God was with Joseph in Egypt, not in Canaan.

* Joseph was tempted, but did he have commandments and the law as warnings?

* Yet God’s presence and holiness were in the heart of Joseph.

* People who were beside Joseph (including Pharaoh) all saw that God was with Joseph.

* What Sadducees and Pharisees depended upon was different from what the forefathers of Israel relied on.

* But this was certainly not to tell us Christians today that we do not need to read the Bible or lead a church living.

* Christ did not abolish the law, but fulfilled it (new way of the Spirit).

* Christ abolished the visible holy temple, but brought about the invisible holy temple (Church).

* Christ ceased the offering of sacrifices, but made us living sacrifices (imitating the life of Christ).

6. <v11-16> Joseph is the prefiguration of Christ.

* Joseph was abandoned and harmed by brothers, just as Christ was abandoned and harmed by His own people.

* Joseph saved the whole house of Israel, just as Christ saved His people.

* The Jews now arrested Stephen, because they rejected the Christ preached by Stephen.

* Read <Zec 12:10>.

* Because the Jews did not repent, the gospel came to the gentiles, but one day the Jews will have a great repentance.

* The Jews could not accept:

（1）Jesus is the Christ.

（2）Justification by faith alone.

* Read <Heb 11:39>.

* Since we are blessed before God by faith, then it does not come from human rituals and merits.