Two Are Better Than One

(From: ACTS #11 - 7:30-8:3)

w. 7:30 ANGEL APPEARS TO MOSES AT END OF 40 YEARS

kai ple-roTHENton [4137]eTON tes-seRAkon-ta,

And when forty years were fulfilled,

OPHthe[3700]auTO en teeREmotou Orous SiNA AGge-los, en phloGI [5395]puROS BAtou [942].

an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of :Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.

x. 7:31-32a GOD REVEALS HIMSELF TO MOSES OUT OF A BUSH

ho de Mo-uSES iDON, eTHAUma-sen [2298]to HOra-ma:

And when :Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight:

pro-ser-choMEnou de auTOU ka-ta-noEsai [2657], eGEne-to phoNEKuRIou,

and as he came near to behold, theLord's voice came,

E-GOho TheOS ton paTEron sou, ho TheOS A-braAM, kai I-saAK, kai IaKOB.

32aI am the God of your :fathers, the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob.

y. 7:32b And Moses became frightened, anddared not look.

ENtro-mos [1790]de geNOme-nos Mo-uSES, ouk eTOLma [5111] ka-ta-noEsai [2657].

z. 7:33 GOD'S PRESENCE MAKES GROUND HOLY

EIpen de auTO ho KUri-os, LUson [3089]to huPOde-ma [5266]ton poDON sou:

And the Lord said to him, Loose the shoes from your :feet:

ho gar TOpos eph' ho ESte-kas ge haGIa [40]esTIN.

for the place on which you stand is holy ground.

aa. 7:34 GOD COMMISSIONS MOSES TO DELIVER ISRAEL

iDON EIdon ten KAko-sin [2561]tou laOU mou tou en AiGUPto, kai tou ste-nagMOU auTON Ekou-sa,

Surely I have seen the affliction of my :people that isin Egypt, and have heard its :groaning,

kai kaTEben [2597]e-xeLESthai [1807]auTOUS: kai nun DEUro, a-poSTEIlo[649]se eis AIgup-ton.

and I am come down to deliver them: and now comehere, I will send you into Egypt.

bb. 7:35 GOD CHOOSES - WHOM ISRAEL REJECTED

TOUton ton Mo-uSEN hon erNEsan-to [720], eiPOtes, TIS se kaTEste-sen ARcon-ta kai di-kaSTEN?

This :Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made you ruler and judge?

TOUton ho TheOS kai ARchon-ta kai lu-troTEN [3086]aPEstal-ken

him has :God sent both as ruler and redeemer

sun cheiRI agGElou tou ophTHENtos [3700] auTO en teBAto [942].

with the hand of theangel that appeared to him in the bush.

cc. 7:36 THE DELIVERANCE AND 40 YEARS LEADERSHIP OF MOSES

HOUtos eXEga-gen [1806]auTOUS, poiEsas TEra-ta [5059]kai seMEIa [4592]en te AiGUPto,

This man led them forth, having done wonders and signs in :Egypt,

kai en E-ruTHRA [2063] thaLASse, kai en teeREmo[2048]Ete tes-seRAkon-ta.

and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

dd. 7:37 MOSES FORETELLS A PROPHET LIKE HIMSELF

HOU-TOS es-tin ho Mo-uSES, ho EIpas tois huiOIS Is-raEL,

This is the Moses, who said to the sons of Israel,

ProPHEten [4396]huMIN a-naSTEsei [450]ho TheOS ek ton a-delPHON huMON, hos eME.

A prophet shall :God raise up for you from among your :brethren, as he raised me up.

ee. 7:38-40 REBELLION OF ISRAEL AGAINST MOSES

HOU-TOS es-tin ho geNOme-nos en teek-kleSIa en teeREmo[2048]

This is he who was in the church in the wilderness

meTA tou agGElou tou laLOUNtos auTOen to Orei [3735]SiNA,

with the angel of Him who spoke to him in :Mount Sinai,

kai ton paTEron heMON: hos eDExa-to loGIa [3051]ZONta [2198]DOUnai huMIN:

and with our :fathers: who received living oracles to give to you:

hoeTHEle-san huPEko-oi [5255]geNESthai hoi paTEres heMON, alLA aPOsan-to [683],

39to whom our :fathers would not become obedient, but thrust himaway,

kai eSTRAphe-san [4762]en tais karDIais auTON eis AIgup-ton,

and turned back in their :hearts unto Egypt,

eiPONtes to A-aRON, POIe-son huMIN theOUS hoi pro-poREUson-tai [4313]heMON:

40saying to :Aaron, Make us gods that shall go before us:

ho gar Mo-uSES HOUtos, hos eXEga-gen [1806]heMAS ek ges AiGUPtou,

for this :Moses, who led us forth out of Egypt land,

ouk OIda-men ti eGEne-to auTO.

we do not know what is become of him.

ff. 7:41 ISRAEL'S IDOLATRY

kai e-mos-choPOIe-san[3447] en tais heMErais eKEInais, kai aNEga-gonthuSIan [2378]to eiDOlo,

And they made a calf in those :days, and brought sacrifice to the idol,

kai euPHRAInon-to [2165] en tois ERgois ton cheiRON auTON.

and rejoiced in the works of their :hands.

gg. 7:42-43 GOD GIVES ISRAEL UP TO IDOLATRY AND CAPTIVITY

EStre-psen de ho TheOS, kai paREdo-ken auTOUS laTREUein [3000]te stra-tiA tou ou-raNOU;

But :God turned, and gave them up to serve the host of :heaven;

kaTHOS GEgrap-tai en BIBloton pro-pheTON, Me SPHAgi-a [4968]kai thuSIas pro-seNEGkaTE moi

as it is written in the book of the prophets, Did you offer to me slain beasts and sacrifices

Etetes-seRAkon-ta en teeREmo, OIkos Is-raEL? kai a-neLAbe-te [353]ten skeNEN tou MoLOCH,

Forty years in the wilderness, Ohouse of Israel? 43 And you took up the tabernacle of :Moloch,

kai to Astron [798] tou theOU 'RomPHA, tous TUpous [5179] hous e-poiEsa-te pro-skuNEIN auTOIS:

And the constellation of the god Rompha, The figures which you made to worship them:

kai me-toi-kiO [4351]huMAS ePEkei-na Ba-buLOnos.

And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.

hh. 7:44 ISRAEL'S TABERNACLE MADE BY MOSES ACCORDING TO PLAN

heskeNEtou martuRIou [3142]en tois paTRAsin heMON en te Ere-mo,

Our :fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness,

kaTHOS di-eTAxa-to [1299]ho laLON toMo-uSE, poiEsai auTEN

even as he appointed who spoke to :Moses, that he should make it

kaTA ton TOpon hon he-oRAkei [3708].

according to the figure that he had seen.

ii. 7:45-46 THE TABERNACLE UP TO DAVID

hen kai eiSEga-gon, di-a-deXAme-noi [1237], hoi paTEres heMON meTA IeSOU

Which also our :fathers, in their turn, brought in with Joshua when they entered

en te ka-taSCHEsei [2697]ton ethNON hon eXOsen [1856]ho TheOS

on the possession of the nations that God thrust out

aPO proSOpou ton paTEron heMON, HEos ton heMEron DauID;

before the face of our :fathers, unto the days of David;

hos HEUren CHArin eNOpi-on tou TheOU, kai eTEsa-to [154]heuREIN SKEno-ma to TheOIaKOB.

46 who found grace in God's sight, and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob.

jj. 7:47 But Solomon built him a house.

So-loMON de oi-koDOme-sen [3618]auTO OIkon [3624].

kk. 7:48-50 YET GOD DOES NOT DWELL IN MAN-MADE BUILDINGS

all' ouch ho HUpsi-stos [5310] en chei-ro-poiEtois [5499]ka-toiKEI; kaTHOS ho proPHEtes LEgei,

But the Most High dwells not in houses made with hands; as says the prophet,

Ho ou-raNOS moi THROnos [2362], kai he gehu-poPOdi-on [5286]ton poDON mou:

49The heaven is my throne, And the earth thefootstool of my :feet:

POIon OIkon oi-ko-doMEseTE [3618]moi? LEgei KUri-os:

What manner of house will you build me? says theLord:

etis TOpos tes ka-taPAUseOS [2863]mou? ouCHI he CHEIR mou ePOIe-sen TAUta PANta?

Or what isthe place of my :rest?50 Did not my :hand make all these things?

ll. 7:51 STEPHEN CHARGES SANHEDREN WITH RESISITNG THE HOLY SPIRIT ALSO

Skle-roTRAche-loi [4644]kai a-peRITme-toi [564]karDIais kai tois oSIN,

YOU, stiffnecked and uncircumcised in hearts and :ears,

huMEIS, aEI to PNEUma-ti toHaGIo an-tiPIPte-te [496]: hos hoi paTEres huMON, kai huMEIS.

always resist the Holy :Spirit: as your :fathers did, so do you.

mm. 7:52-53 STEPHEN CHARGES ISRAEL WITH MURDER AND LAW-BREAKING

TIna ton pro-pheTON ouk eDIo-xan [1377]hoi paTEres huMON?

Which of the prophets did not your :fathers :persecute?

kai aPEKtei-nan [615] tous pro-ka-tagGEIlan-tas [4393] peRI tes eLEUse-os [1660]tou diKAIou [1342];

and they killed them that showed before of the coming of the Righteous One;

hou nun huMEIS proDOtai [4273] kai phoNEIS [5406] eGEnes-the;

of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers;

HOti-nes eLAbe-te ton NOmon eis di-a-taGAS [1296] agGElon, kai ouk e-phuLAxa-te [5442].

53 youwho received the law unto ordinances of angels, and did not keep it.

3. 7:54-60 STEPHEN'S MARTYRDOM

a. 7:54 CONVICTION DOES NOT NECESSARILY LEAD TO REPENTANCE

A-KOUon-tes de TAUta, di-ePRIon-to [1282] tais karDIais auTON,

Now when they heard these things, they were cut in their :hearts,

kai Ebru-chon [1031] tous oDONtas [3598] ep' auTON.

and gnashed their teeth at him.

b. 7:55 STEPHEN REPORTS A HEAVENLY VISION OF JESUS

huPARchon de PLEres PNEUma-tos HaGIou, a-teNIsas eis ton ou-raNON, EIden DOxan TheOU,

But being full of the Holy Spirit, he fixed his eyes on the heaven, and saw God's glory,

kai IeSOUN heSTOta ek de-xiON tou TheOU,

and Jesus standing at :God's right hand,

kai EIpen, I-DOU, the-oROtous ou-raNOUS di-e-noigMEnous [455],

56 and he said, Lo, I behold theheavens opened,

kai ton huiON tou anTHROpou ek de-xiON heSTOta tou TheOU.

and the Son of :man standing at :God's right hand.

c. 7:57-58 STEPHEN MARTYRED

KRAxan-tes [2896] de phoNEmeGAle, suNESchon [4912]ta Ota [3775]auTON,

But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their :ears,

kai HORme-san [3729ho-mo-thu-maDON [3861]ep' auTON;

and rushed upon him with one accord;

kai ek-baLONtes [1544] Exotes POle-os, e-li-thoBOloun [3036];

58and cast himout of the city, andstoned him;

kai hoi MARtu-res aPEthen-to ta hiMAti-a auTON paRA tous POdas ne-aNIou ka-louMEnou SAUlou.

and the witnesses laid down their :garments at the feet of a youth :called Saul.

d. 7:59 STEPHEN CALLED ON THE LORD AT THE END

kai e-li-thoBOloun [3036] ton STEpha-non, e-pi-kaLOUme-non [1941],

And they stoned :Stephen, calling upon the Lord,

kai LEgon-ta, KUri-e IeSOU, DExai to PNEU-MA mou.

and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my :spirit.

e. 7:60a And he kneeled, andcried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this :sin to their charge.

theis de ta GOna-ta, Ekra-xen phoNEmeGAle, KUri-e, meSTEses auTOIS TAUten ten ha-marTIan.

f. 7:60b And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

kai TOUto eiPON, e-koiMEthe[2837].

4. 8:1a And Saul was consenting to his :death.

SAUlos de en su-neu-doKON [4909]te a-naiREsei [336]auTOU.

B. 8:1b-3 TERRIBLE PERSECUTION LED BY SAUL

a. 8:1b PERSECUTION IMMEDIATELY SCATTERS CHURCH OF JERUSALEM

E-GEne-to de en eKEIne teheMEra di-ogMOS [1375]MEgas

And a great persecution arose on that :day

ePI ten ek-kleSIan ten en Ie-ro-soLUmois; PANtes de di-eSPAre-san [1289]

against the church :in Jerusalem; and all were scattered abroad

kaTA tas CHOras [5561]tes IouDAIas kai Sa-marRIas, plen ton a-poSTOlon.

throughout the regions of :Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

b. 8:2 And devout men buried :Stephen, and made great lamentation over him.

su-neKOmi-san de ton STEpha-non ANdres eu-laBEIS, kai ePOIe-san ko-peTON meGAN ep' auTO.

c. 8:3 SAUL INCREASES PERSECUTION OF CHURCH

SAUlos de e-luMAIne-to [3075] ten ek-kleSIan, kaTA tous OIkous eis-po-reuOme-nos [1531],

But Saul laid waste the church, entering into every :house,

SUron [4951]te ANdras kai guNAIkas pa-reDIdou [3860]eis phu-laKEN [5438].

and dragging men and women committed them to prison.

NOTE: 7:54-60 - This martyrdom was almost a foregone conclusion in the light of Stephen's blistering exposure of the spirit of the rulers in the Sanhedrin. As Stephen pointed out, they had the samespirit as Israel's people and most leaders in all their past generations! And - the vision of Jesus at the end, but exacerbated the rage of Stephen's hearers. And - it was the Spirit of the Father who led Stephen to give this devastating diatribe! Thisis what Godthought of Israel's rulers. Stephen was Hismouthpiece!

8:1a - What a revealing word concerning Saul of Tarsus in his pre-salvation state! He was one spirit with the other Sanhedrin leaders. And to think that God had planned for him to hear the defense of Stephen, and his accusation concerning such leaders as Saul. Then - he saw the manifestation of the glory of God on Stephen's face prior to his stoning, as he recounted his open heavenly vision of Jesus! Did this have a part to play in the conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus?

8:1b-3 - But prior to the explosion of numbers to the Kingdom of God, the tremendous persecution that followed Stephen's martyrdom, led especially by Saul of Tarsus, scattered believers because of this very persecution. This no doubt had much to do in God's wisdom concerning this increased ingathering of souls. Romans 8:28 is alwaysat work, when God is in charge. J.A.W.