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司提反的申辩

大祭司说:“真有这些事吗?” 司提反说:“各位父老兄弟请听!我们的祖宗亚伯拉罕,在美索不达米亚,还没有住在哈兰的时候,荣耀的 神向他显现, 对他说:‘你要离开本地本族,到我指示你的地方去。’ 他就离开迦勒底人的地方,住在哈兰。他父亲死后, 神又叫他从那里迁到你们现在所住的地方。 在这里 神并没有赐他产业,连立足之地也没有。但 神应许把这地赐给他和他的后裔为业,虽然那时他还没有儿子。  神就这样说:‘你的后裔必在外地寄居,人要奴役、虐待他们四百年。’  神又说:‘奴役他们的那个国家,我要亲自惩罚。以后,他们要出来,在这地方事奉我。’  神也赐他割礼为约。这样,亚伯拉罕生了以撒,第八天就给他行了割礼。后来,以撒生雅各,雅各生了十二位祖先。

“祖先妒忌约瑟,把他卖到埃及去,然而 神与他同在, 10 救他脱离一切苦难,使他在埃及王法老面前,有智慧、得恩宠。法老立他为首相,管理埃及和法老的全家。 11 后来埃及和迦南全地遭遇饥荒、大灾难,我们的祖先找不到粮食。 12 雅各听见埃及有谷粮,就派我们的祖先去,这是第一次。 13 第二次的时候,约瑟就向哥哥们表露自己的身世,法老才知道约瑟的家世。 14 约瑟就派人去把他父亲雅各和全家七十五人都接来。 15 于是雅各下了埃及。后来他和我们祖先都死了, 16 运到示剑,埋葬在亚伯拉罕用银子向哈抹子孙买来的坟地里。

17 “ 神给亚伯拉罕的应许快要实现的时候,以色列人在埃及人口繁盛增多; 18 但是,到了另一位不认识约瑟的君王兴起统治埃及的时候, 19 他就谋害我们的同胞,虐待我们的祖先,逼他们拋弃自己的婴孩,不容婴孩存活。 20 就在那时候,摩西出生了,他非常俊美,在父亲的家中抚养了三个月。 21 他被拋弃的时候,法老的女儿把他拾起来,当作儿子抚养。 22 摩西学尽了埃及人的一切学问,说话行事都有能力。

23 “到了四十岁,他心中起了一个念头,要去看望自己的同胞以色列人。 24 当他看见有一个人受欺负,就去护卫,为那受屈的抱不平,打死了那个埃及人。 25 他以为同胞们都必知道 神要借着他的手拯救他们,事实上他们却不知道。 26 第二天,有人在打架,摩西就出面调解,说:‘你们是弟兄,为甚么彼此欺负呢?’ 27 那欺负邻舍的把他推开,说:‘谁立了你作我们的领袖和审判官呢? 28 难道你想杀我,像昨天杀那个埃及人一样吗?’ 29 摩西因为这句话,就逃到米甸地寄居,在那里生了两个儿子。

30 “过了四十年,在西奈山的旷野,有一位使者,在荆棘中的火焰里,向摩西显现。 31 他见了这个异象,十分惊奇;他正上前察看的时候,就有主的声音说: 32 ‘我是你祖宗的 神,就是亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的 神。’摩西战战兢兢,不敢观看。 33 主对他说:‘把你脚上的鞋脱掉,因为你所站的地方是圣地。 34 我的子民在埃及所受的痛苦,我实在看见了;他们的叹息我也听见了,我下来是要救他们。你来,我要派你到埃及去。’ 35 他们拒绝了这位摩西,说:‘谁立了你作领袖和审判官呢?’但 神借着在荆棘中向他显现的使者的手,派他作领袖和救赎者。 36 这人领他们出来,并且在埃及地、红海和旷野,行奇事神迹四十年。 37 以前那位对以色列人说‘ 神要从你们弟兄中间,给你们兴起一位先知像我’的,就是这摩西。 38 那曾经在旷野的大会中,和那在西奈山上对他说话的使者同在,也与我们的祖先同在的,就是他。他领受了活的圣言,传给我们。 39 我们的祖先不肯听从他,反而把他推开,他们的心已经转向了埃及, 40 就对亚伦说:‘给我们做一些神像,可以走在我们前头。因为把我们从埃及地领出来的那个摩西,我们不知道他遭遇了甚么事。’ 41 在那些日子里,他们做了一个牛犊,把祭物献给那偶像,并且因自己手所做的而欢乐。 42 于是 神转身离开,任凭他们事奉天象,正如先知书所说:

‘以色列家啊,

你们在旷野四十年,

岂是将祭牲和祭物献给我呢?

43 你们抬着摩洛的帐幕,

和理番神的星,

就是你们做来敬拜的像。

所以我要把你们放逐到巴比伦那一边去。’

44 “我们的祖先在旷野有作证的帐幕,就是跟摩西谈话的那位指示他,依照他看见的样式做的。 45 我们的祖先相继承受了这帐幕, 神把外族人从他们面前赶走以后,他们就同约书亚把帐幕带进所得为业的地方,直到大卫的日子。 46 大卫在 神面前蒙了恩,就求为雅各的 神找个居所, 47 而由所罗门为他建造殿宇。 48 其实至高者并不住人手所造的,正如先知说:

49 ‘主说:天是我的宝座,

地是我的脚凳,

你们要为我建造怎样的殿呢?

哪里是我安息的地方呢?

50 这一切不都是我手所造的吗?’

51 “你们颈项刚硬、心和耳都未受割礼的人哪!你们时常抗拒圣灵,你们的祖先怎样,你们也怎样。 52 有哪一个先知,你们的祖先不迫害呢?你们杀了那些预先宣告那义者要来的人,现在又把那义者出卖了,杀害了。 53 你们领受了由天使传达的律法,却不遵守。”

司提反被石头打死

54 众人听了这些话,心中非常恼怒,就向着司提反咬牙切齿。 55 但司提反被圣灵充满,定睛望着天,看见 神的荣耀,并且看见耶稣站在 神的右边, 56 就说:“看哪!我看见天开了,人子站在 神的右边。” 57 众人大声喊叫,掩着耳朵,一齐向他冲过去, 58 把他推出城外,用石头打他。那些证人把自己的衣服,放在一个名叫扫罗的青年人脚前。 59 他们用石头打司提反的时候,他呼求说:“主耶稣啊,求你接收我的灵魂!” 60 然后跪下来大声喊着说:“主啊,不要把这罪归给他们!”说了这话,就睡了。

Stephen Speaks about the God of Abraham

The head religious leader asked Stephen, “Are these things true?” Stephen said, “My brothers and fathers, listen to me. The great God showed Himself to our early father Abraham while he lived in the country of Mesopotamia. This was before he moved to the country of Haran. God said to him, ‘Leave your family and this land where you were born. Go to a land that I will show you.’ He went from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. After his father died, he came to this country where you now live. God did not give him any land to own, not even enough to put his feet on. But He promised that the land would be his and his children’s after him. At that time he had no children. This is what God said, ‘Your children’s children will be living in a strange land. They will live there 400 years. They will be made to work without pay and will suffer many hard things. I will say to that nation that it is guilty for holding them and making them work without pay. After that they will go free. They will leave that country and worship Me in this place.’

“He made a promise with Abraham. It was kept by a religious act of becoming a Jew. Abraham had a son, Isaac. On the eighth day Abraham took Isaac and had this religious act done to him. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of our twelve early fathers.

“The sons of Jacob sold Joseph to people from the country of Egypt because they were jealous of him. But God was with Joseph. 10 He helped him in all his troubles. He gave him wisdom and favor with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. This king made Joseph leader over Egypt and over all the king’s house.

11 “The time came when there was no food to eat in all the land of Egypt and Canaan. The people suffered much. Our early fathers were not able to get food. 12 Then Jacob heard there was food in Egypt. He sent our early fathers there the first time.

13 “The second time they went to the country of Egypt, Joseph made himself known to his brothers. The family of Joseph became known to Pharaoh. 14 Joseph asked his father Jacob and all his family to come. There were seventy-five people in the family. 15 Jacob moved down to Egypt and died there. Our early fathers died there also. 16 They were brought back to the city of Shechem where they were buried. Abraham paid money for the grave from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

Stephen Speaks about the God of Moses

17 “The promise God had given Abraham was about to happen. At this time many more of our people were in the country of Egypt. 18 Then another man became king in Egypt. He was a king who did not know Joseph. 19 He was hard on our people and nation. He worked against our early fathers. He made them put their babies outside so they would die.

20 “At that time Moses was born. He was beautiful in God’s sight. He was fed in his father’s house for three months. 21 Then he was put outside. Pharaoh’s daughter took him and cared for him as her own son. 22 Moses was taught in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He became a powerful man in words and in the things he did. 23 When he was forty years old, he thought he should visit his brothers, the Jews. 24 He saw one of the Jews being hurt. Moses helped the Jew and killed the man from Egypt. 25 He thought his people would understand. He thought they knew God would let them go free by his help. But the people did not understand.

26 “The next day Moses came to some Jews who were fighting. He tried to get them to stop. Moses said to the Jews, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you hurt each other?’ 27 One was beating his neighbor. He pushed Moses away and said, ‘Who made you a leader over us? Who said you could say who is guilty? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the man from Egypt yesterday?’ 29 When Moses heard that, he went as fast as he could to the country of Midian where he was a stranger. While he was there, he became the father of two sons. 30 Forty years passed and Moses was near Mount Sinai where no people live. There he saw an angel in the fire of a burning bush. 31 He was surprised and wondered when he saw it. He went up close to see it better. Then he heard the voice of the Lord speak to him. 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ Moses shook! He was so afraid he did not look at the bush.

33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take your shoes off your feet! The place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have seen My people suffer in the country of Egypt and I have heard their cries. I have come down to let them go free. So come now, I will send you back to Egypt.’

35 “The people had put Moses aside. They said, ‘Who made you a leader over us? Who said you are the one to say what is right or wrong?’ But God made this man a leader. Moses was the one who brought them out of the country of Egypt. This was done by the help of the angel who was in the burning bush. 36 This man led them. He did powerful works in Egypt and at the Red Sea. For forty years he led them in the desert.

37 “Moses said to the Jews, ‘God will give you one who speaks for Him like me from among your brothers.’ 38 This is the man who was with the Jewish nation in the desert. The angel talked to him on Mount Sinai. Moses told it to our early fathers. He also received the living Words of God to give to us.

39 “Our early fathers would not listen to him. They did not obey him. In their hearts they wanted to go back to the country of Egypt. 40 They said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us. We do not know what has happened to this Moses who led us out of Egypt.’

41 “In those days they made a calf of gold. They put gifts down in front of their god in worship. They were happy with what they had made with their hands. 42 But God turned from them and let them worship the stars of heaven. This is written in the book of the early preachers, ‘Nation of Jews, was it to Me you gave gifts of sheep and cattle on the altar for forty years in the desert? 43 No, you set up the tent to worship the god of Molock and the star of your god Rompha. You made gods to worship them. I will carry you away to the other side of the country of Babylon.’ (A)

The Place of Worship and the House of God

44 “Our early fathers had the tent to worship in. They used it in the desert. God told Moses to make it like the plan which he had seen. 45 This was received by our early fathers. They brought it here when they won the wars with the people who were not Jews. It was when Joshua was our leader. God made those people leave as our early fathers took the land. The tent was here until the time of David. 46 David pleased God and wanted to build a house for worship for the God of Jacob. 47 But Solomon was the one who built the house of God for Him. 48 But the Most High does not live in buildings made by hands. The early preacher said, 49 ’Heaven is the place where I sit and the earth is the place where I rest My feet. What house will you build Me?’ says the Lord. ‘Or what is My place of rest? 50 Did not My hands make all these things?’ (B)

The Jews Are Hurt

51 “You have hard hearts and ears that will not listen to me! You are always working against the Holy Spirit. Your early fathers did. You do too. 52 Which of the early preachers was not beaten and hurt by your early fathers? They killed those who told of the coming of the One Right with God. Now you have handed Him over and killed Him. 53 You had the Law given to you by angels. Yet you have not kept it.”

Stephen Is Killed

54 The Jews and religious leaders listened to Stephen. Then they became angry and began to grind their teeth at him. 55 He was filled with the Holy Spirit. As he looked up to heaven, he saw the shining-greatness of God and Jesus standing at the right side of God. 56 He said, “See! I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!” 57 They cried out with loud voices. They put their hands over their ears and they all pushed on him. 58 Then they took him out of the city and threw stones at him. The men who were throwing the stones laid their coats down in front of a young man named Saul. 59 While they threw stones at Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 After that he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.