Lesson Twelve: Stephen's Defense (Part 1)

Acts 7:1-19

Key Verse

"The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran."

— Acts 7:2 Textual Questions Read Acts 7:1-29

Lesson Questions

Read Acts 7:1-19 carefully before answering these questions.

1. What was said to Stephen? How did Stephen address the council? 7:1-2

2. Who appeared to Abraham? Where? What did he tell him? 7:2-3

3. What had God promised Abraham? Did he receive the promise himself? 7:4-5

4. What would happen before Abraham's seed would inherit the land? 7:6-7

5. What covenant did God give Abraham? Who are also mentioned? 7:8

6. Tell about Joseph. 7:9-10

7. Why did Jacob go into Egypt? 7:11-14

8. What happened to Jacob and their fathers? 7:15-16

9. The fulfillment of what promise drew near? What else was happening? 7:17-18

10. How did the new king deal with the people? 7:19

Thought Questions

A. What points is Stephen making in this speech?

B. Why does Stephen go back to Abraham to make his defense?

C. How many years would the children of Abraham sojourn in a strange land?

D. How does Acts 7:16 relate to what is said in Genesis 23:16-17 and Genesis 33:19?

E. Who is "another king"? 7:18. What is the significance of this phrase?

F. Why would Stephen spend so much of his speech talking about Moses?

G. What may we learn from the mistake Moses made?

Supplementary Materials

The Purpose of Stephen's Speech Stephen was charged with speaking against Moses, the Law, the temple, and Jewish customs (6:11-14). Rather than directly refuting each charge, he took a different approach: he recounted Israel's history to show that:

God worked with the patriarchs before there was a temple or even the Promised Land
Israel had a pattern of rejecting the very deliverers God sent them
Moses himself was rejected by the Israelites — yet Stephen honors Moses
God's purposes have always transcended any single place or set of customs
The Jewish leaders were now doing what their fathers had always done — rejecting God's messenger

Stephen's speech is the longest recorded in Acts. It is not merely a history lesson but a pointed argument that the Sanhedrin was repeating the sins of their ancestors.

Overview of Stephen's Speech Stephen's speech covers the major periods of Israel's history:

Verses	Period	Key Points
7:2-8	Abraham	God appeared in Mesopotamia — before the land, temple, or Law (Lesson 12)
7:9-16	Joseph	Rejected by his brothers; God was with him in Egypt (Lesson 12)
7:17-43	Moses	Rejected twice by Israel; yet God's chosen deliverer (Lessons 12-13)
7:44-50	Tabernacle/Temple	God does not dwell in temples made with hands (Lesson 13)
7:51-53	Application	"Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost" — direct accusation (Lesson 13)

Abraham: God's Work Before the Land (7:2-8) Stephen begins with Abraham to make a crucial point: God was at work long before there was a temple, a land, or even the Law of Moses.

Event	Significance
God appeared in	God worked with Abraham in a pagan land — not only in
Mesopotamia (7:2)	the "holy land"
Abraham left before	Faith preceded possession; God's work isn't limited to
having the land (7:4-5)	geography
Abraham had no	"Not so much as to set his foot on" — yet he had the
inheritance (7:5)	promise
Covenant of circumcision	A covenant existed before the Law of Moses — God's
(7:8)	dealings evolved over time

Joseph: Rejected by His Brothers (7:9-16)

Stephen introduces a theme that will dominate his speech: Israel's pattern of rejecting those God sent to deliver them. What the Brothers Did What God Did "Moved with envy" (7:9) "God was with him" (7:9) "Sold Joseph into Egypt" (7:9) "Delivered him out of all his afflictions" (7:10) Rejected him as a brother Made him "governor over Egypt" (7:10) Later came to him for help (7:11-14) Joseph saved the very ones who rejected him

The parallel to Jesus is unmistakable: rejected by His own brothers (the Jews), sold for silver, yet exalted by God, and ultimately the Savior of those who rejected Him.

Moses: The First Forty Years (7:17-29) Stephen devotes the largest portion of his speech to Moses — the very one he was accused of blaspheming. Moses' life divides into three periods of forty years each: Period Location Description First 40 years Egypt In Pharaoh's court; learned in wisdom; mighty in words and deeds (Lesson 12) Second 40 years Midian As a shepherd; learning humility and dependence on God (Lesson 13) Third 40 years Wilderness Leading Israel; repeatedly rejected by the people (Lesson 13)

Moses' First Rejection (7:23-29) At age forty, Moses attempted to help his people — and was rejected:

His intention: "To visit his brethren the children of Israel" (7:23)
His action: Defended an Israelite by killing an Egyptian oppressor (7:24)
His assumption: "He supposed his brethren would have understood" that God was using him (7:25)
Their response: "Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?" (7:27)
The result: Moses fled to Midian, "a stranger in the land" (7:29)

Stephen's point is devastating: the fathers rejected Moses the first time he came to deliver them. This sets up his argument that their descendants are doing the same thing with Jesus — rejecting the Deliverer God sent.

Key Cross-References

Reference	Acts Verse	Connection
Gen. 12:1-3	Acts 7:2-4	God's call to Abraham
Gen. 15:13-14	Acts 7:6-7	Prophecy of 400 years of affliction
Gen. 37:11, 28	Acts 7:9	Joseph sold by his envious brothers
Reference	Acts Verse	Connection
Exod. 1:8	Acts 7:18	"Another king... which knew not Joseph"
Exod. 2:11-15	Acts 7:23-29	Moses' first attempt and rejection
Heb. 11:24-27	Acts 7:23-25	Moses' faith in choosing to suffer with Israel

Note: Stephen's speech continues in Lesson 13 with Moses' call at the burning bush, Israel's idolatry in the wilderness, and his powerful conclusion accusing the Sanhedrin of following their fathers' pattern of rejection.