Continuing on from ‘chapter 6’:
Acts 7:1:
7:1But the chief-priest said, "Since these-things have thus (been witnessed, what is your answer)?"
Because these charges were made by more than one witness, even though they were made by false-witnesses and the chief-priest knew this, he took what they charged as being legally-true, so then he gave Stephen his legal-right to deny the charges made against him. This gave Stephen the opportunity to speak God's Word to them all!
Verses 2-5:
.2But he said, "Adult-males, brothers and fathers, you must hear:
the God of glory was seen by our father Abraham being in Mesopotamia before him dwelling-down in Charran, .3and He said towards him, 'You must go-out from your land and your family-kindred and come-this-way into the land which ever I may point-out to you.’ .4Then having come-out from (the) land of (the) Chaldeans he dwelt-down in Charran,
and-from-that-place, after the dying (of) his father, He changed his dwelling into this land into which you now dwell-down, .5and He did not give to him an inheritance in it nor a foot's step, and He promised to give it to him for a held-possession and to his seed after him - a child not being (born) to him.
When Stephen began to bring God's Word to light by speaking it forth, he addressed it to include all the men. None of them was to be missed from hearing what he had to say - they were all to listen to the words he spoke.
Stephen begins with God's original call to Abraham in verses 2 and 3, which reference Genesis 11:31 and 32, Genesis 15:7, and Nehemiah 9:7. They started from Ur of the Chaldees and because Abraham's father Terah who was an idolater (Joshua 24:2 and 3) was still alive, they went into Charran (Harran) until his father's death there.
Then verse 4 references Genesis 12:1-5 when God again spoke to Abraham specifically telling him to get out from his father's house (dwelling) and he arrived in the land of Canaan.
Verse 5 speaks of God's promise to Abraham regarding a future time when the land (earth, ground) would become a permanent possession for him and his offspring to succeed him. It is interesting that the Greek word here translated “step” can also be translated as “judgment-seat” (a step or raised-platform reached by steps, an area where someone, such as a judge would speak-from to the assembly of people present).
[Reference: Genesis 12:7, 13:15, 15:2-5 and 17-21, 17:8; Hebrews 11:8.]
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Difference between spirit and soul
