Acts 7:38

This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: THIS IS HE THAT WAS IN THE CHURCH, [ en (G1722) tee (G3588) ekkleesia (G1577)] - the collective body of God's chosen people viewed as 'assembled' from time to time for public religions purposes: hence, it has come to denote the whole body of the faithful under the Gospel, or particular sections of them. IN THE WILDERNESS WITH THE ANGEL WHICH SPAKE TO HIM IN THE MOUNT SINA, AND WITH OUR FATHERS. As to this "Angel," see the note at Acts 7:3...

38.Stephen proceedeth to set forth the frowardness (440) of the people, who though they were provoked [stirred up] with so many benefits of God, yet did they never cease maliciously to reject him. If they had been disobedient and unthankful to God before, yet this so wonderful a deliverance ought to have brought them into a better mind; but he declareth that they were always like themselves. It was meet that so many miracles should not only have stuck fast in their minds, but also have continued still before their eyes. But having forgotten all, they fly back suddenly unto the superstitions of Egypt. The memorial of their cruel servitude was yet fresh, which they had escaped by passing over the Red Sea; and yet they prefer those tyrants by whom they were more than cruelly handled, before their deliverer, This was, therefore, a heap of ungodliness most desperate, that their stubbornness c...

30-41 Men deceive themselves, if they think God cannot do what he sees to be good any where; he can bring his people into a wilderness, and there speak comfortably to them. He appeared to Moses in a flame of fire, yet the bush was not consumed; which represented the state of Israel in Egypt, where, though they were in the fire of affliction, yet they were not consumed. It may also be looked upon as a type of Christ's taking upon him the nature of man, and the union between the Divine and human nature. The death of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, cannot break the covenant relation between God and them. Our Saviour by this proves the future state, Matthew 22:31. Abraham is dead, yet God is still his God, therefore Abraham is still alive. Now, this is that life and immortality which are brought to light by the gospel. Stephen here shows that Moses was an eminent type of Christ, as he was Israel...

Verse 38. _WITH THE ANGEL WHICH SPAKE TO HIM_] Stephen shows that Moses received the law by the ministry of angels; and that he was only a mediator between the angel of God and them. _THE LIVELY ORACLES_] λογια ζωντα, The _living oracles_. The _doctrines_ of _life_, those _doctrines_-obedience to which entitled them, by the promise of God, to a _long life upon earth_, which spoke to them of that _spiritual life_ which every true believer has in union with his God, and promised that _eternal life_ which those who are faithful unto death shall enjoy with him in the realms of glory. The Greek word λογιον, which we translate _oracle_, signifies a _Divine revelation_, a _communication from God himself_, and is here applied to the _Mosaic law_; to the _Old Testament_ in general, Romans 3:2;...

IN THE CHURCH - The word “church” means literally “the people called out,” and is applied with great propriety to the assembly or multitude called out of Egypt, and separated from the world. It has not, however, of necessity our idea of a church, but means the “assembly,” or people called out of Egypt and placed under the conduct of Moses. WITH THE ANGEL - In this place there is undoubted reference to the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai. Yet that was done by God himself, Exodus 20: It is clear, therefore, that by “the angel” here, Stephen intends to designate him who was God. It may be observed, however, that “the Law” is represented as having been given by the ministry of an angel (in this place) and by the ministry of “angels,” Acts 7:53;...

EXPOSITION ACTS 7:1 _And the high priest said _for then _said the high priest, _A.V. The high priest spoke as president of the Sanhedrim (see Acts 9:1. Acts 9:1 and Matthew 26:62). Theophilus the son of Annas or his brother Jonathan is probably meant. ACTS 7:2 _Brethren and fathers _for _men, brethren, and fathers, _A.V. _Haran _for _Charran, _A.V. BRETHREN AND FATHERS. The Greek is ἄνδρες ἀδελφοὶ (_i.e. _"men who are also my brethren") καὶ πατέρες. H

THIS IS HE THAT WAS IN THE CHURCH IN THE WILDERNESS,.... Which must be understood of the children of Israel, who were the then church of God, whom he had chosen and separated from the rest of the world, to be a peculiar people to himself, to whom were given the word and ordinances, the service of God, and the promises; and God always had, and will have a church, though that is sometimes in the wilderness; which has been the case under the Gospel dispensation, as well as before; Revelation 12:6 and it was a peculiar honour to Moses, that he was in this church, though it was in the wilderness; even a greater honour than to be in Pharaoh's court. This has a particular respect to the time when all Israel were encamped at the foot of Mount Sinai, when Moses was not only in the midst of them, and at the head of them; but was with the angel which spake to him in the Mount Sina

Acts 7:14. _Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, and were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulcher that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem. But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,_ Note those words, «the time of the promise,» and remember that every promise has its due time of fulfillment, and that there is a time of promise, to all the Lord's chosen people, when he will surely bring them out of bondage into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Acts 7:18. Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph. The same dealt subtly w

CHURCH Israel in the land is never called a church. In the wilderness Israel was a true church (Greek, "ecclesia" means "called-out assembly"), but in striking contrast with the New Testament ecclesia (_ See Scofield) - (Matthew 16:18). _ ANGEL (_ See Scofield) - (Hebrews 1:4). _...

ACTS 7:3-51 In addition to several direct quotations from the Septuagint, Stephen’s speech consists of a series of allusions to and summaries of Israelitish history. In these phrases drawn from the Old Testament about thirty variants between B and D occur in which one agrees with the Septuagint against the other. In most of the cases it is codex Bezae that has been conformed to the text of the Septuagint; according to Ropes’s judgment, 156 in only one instance (h;|dei in ver. Acts 7:18) is there reason to suspect that the B-text has been conformed to the Septuagint. ------------------------- 156 The Text of Acts,...