Kisah Para Rasul 6:8-15
Konteks6:8 Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and miraculous signs 1 among the people. 6:9 But some men from the Synagogue 2 of the Freedmen (as it was called), 3 both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, as well as some from Cilicia and the province of Asia, 4 stood up and argued with Stephen. 6:10 Yet 5 they were not able to resist 6 the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. 6:11 Then they secretly instigated 7 some men to say, “We have heard this man 8 speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 6:12 They incited the people, the 9 elders, and the experts in the law; 10 then they approached Stephen, 11 seized him, and brought him before the council. 12 6:13 They brought forward false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop saying things against this holy place 13 and the law. 14 6:14 For we have heard him saying that Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place and change the customs 15 that Moses handed down to us.” 6:15 All 16 who were sitting in the council 17 looked intently at Stephen 18 and saw his face was like the face of an angel. 19
Kisah Para Rasul 7:51-60
Konteks7:51 “You stubborn 20 people, with uncircumcised 21 hearts and ears! 22 You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors 23 did! 7:52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors 24 not persecute? 25 They 26 killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One, 27 whose betrayers and murderers you have now become! 28 7:53 You 29 received the law by decrees given by angels, 30 but you did not obey 31 it.” 32
7:54 When they heard these things, they became furious 33 and ground their teeth 34 at him. 7:55 But Stephen, 35 full 36 of the Holy Spirit, looked intently 37 toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing 38 at the right hand of God. 7:56 “Look!” he said. 39 “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 7:57 But they covered their ears, 40 shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent. 7:58 When 41 they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him, 42 and the witnesses laid their cloaks 43 at the feet of a young man named Saul. 7:59 They 44 continued to stone Stephen while he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 7:60 Then he fell 45 to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” 46 When 47 he had said this, he died. 48
[6:8] 1 tn The miraculous nature of these signs is implied in the context. Here the work of miracles extends beyond the Twelve for the first time.
[6:9] 2 sn A synagogue was a place for Jewish prayer and worship, with recognized leadership (cf. Luke 8:41). Though the origin of the synagogue is not entirely clear, it seems to have arisen in the postexilic community during the intertestamental period. A town could establish a synagogue if there were at least ten men. In normative Judaism of the NT period, the OT scripture was read and discussed in the synagogue by the men who were present (see the Mishnah, m. Megillah 3-4; m. Berakhot 2).
[6:9] 3 tn Grk “the so-called Synagogue of the Freedmen.” The translation of the participle λεγομένης (legomenh") by the phrase “as it was called” is given by L&N 87.86. “Freedmen” would be slaves who had gained their freedom, or the descendants of such people (BDAG 594-95 s.v. Λιβερτῖνος).
[6:9] 4 tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.
[6:10] 5 tn Grk “and.” The context, however, indicates that the conjunction carries an adversative force.
[6:10] 6 sn They were not able to resist. This represents another fulfillment of Luke 12:11-12; 21:15.
[6:11] 7 tn Another translation would be “they suborned” (but this term is not in common usage). “Instigate (secretly), suborn” is given by BDAG 1036 s.v. ὑποβάλλω.
[6:11] 8 tn Grk “heard him”; but since this is direct discourse, it is more natural (and clearer) to specify the referent (Stephen) as “this man.”
[6:12] 9 tn Grk “and the,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
[6:12] 10 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 4:5.
[6:12] 11 tn Grk “approaching, they seized him”; the referent (Stephen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:12] 12 tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews). Stephen suffers just as Peter and John did.
[6:13] 13 sn This holy place is a reference to the temple.
[6:13] 14 sn The law refers to the law of Moses. It elaborates the nature of the blasphemy in v. 11. To speak against God’s law in Torah was to blaspheme God (Deut 28:15-19). On the Jewish view of false witnesses, see Exod 19:16-18; 20:16; m. Sanhedrin 3.6; 5.1-5. Stephen’s speech in Acts 7 may indicate why the temple was mentioned.
[6:14] sn Will destroy this place and change the customs. Stephen appears to view the temple as a less central place in light of Christ’s work, an important challenge to Jewish religion, since it was at this time a temple-centered state and religion. Unlike Acts 3-4, the issue here is more than Jesus and his resurrection. Now the impact of his resurrection and the temple’s centrality has also become an issue. The “falseness” of the charge may not be that the witnesses were lying, but that they falsely read the truth of Stephen’s remarks.
[6:15] 16 tn Grk “And all.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[6:15] 17 tn Or “Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
[6:15] 18 tn Grk “at him”; the referent (Stephen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:15] 19 sn His face was like the face of an angel. This narrative description of Stephen’s face adds to the mood of the passage. He had the appearance of a supernatural, heavenly messenger.
[7:51] 20 sn Traditionally, “stiff-necked people.” Now the critique begins in earnest.
[7:51] 21 tn The term ἀπερίτμητοι (aperitmhtoi, “uncircumcised”) is a NT hapax legomenon (occurs only once). See BDAG 101-2 s.v. ἀπερίτμητος and Isa 52:1.
[7:51] 22 tn Or “You stubborn and obstinate people!” (The phrase “uncircumcised hearts and ears” is another figure for stubbornness.)
[7:51] 23 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:52] 24 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:52] 25 sn Which…persecute. The rhetorical question suggests they persecuted them all.
[7:52] 26 tn Grk “And they.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[7:52] 27 sn The Righteous One is a reference to Jesus Christ.
[7:52] 28 sn Whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. The harsh critique has OT precedent (1 Kgs 19:10-14; Neh 9:26; 2 Chr 36:16).
[7:53] 29 tn Grk “whose betrayers and murderers you have now become, who received the law” The two consecutive relative clauses make for awkward English style, so the second was begun as a new sentence with the pronoun “You” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun to make a complete sentence in English.
[7:53] 30 tn Traditionally, “as ordained by angels,” but εἰς (eis) with the accusative here should be understood as instrumental (a substitute for ἐν [en]); so BDAG 291 s.v. εἰς 9, BDF §206. Thus the phrase literally means “received the law by the decrees [orders] of angels” with the genitive understood as a subjective genitive, that is, the angels gave the decrees.
[7:53] sn Decrees given by angels. According to Jewish traditions in the first century, the law of Moses was mediated through angels. See also the note on “angel” in 7:35.
[7:53] 31 tn The Greek word φυλάσσω (fulassw, traditionally translated “keep”) in this context connotes preservation of and devotion to an object as well as obedience.
[7:53] 32 tn Or “did not obey it.”
[7:54] 33 tn This verb, which also occurs in Acts 5:33, means “cut to the quick” or “deeply infuriated” (BDAG 235 s.v. διαπρίω).
[7:54] 34 tn Or “they gnashed their teeth.” This idiom is a picture of violent rage (BDAG 184 s.v. βρύχω). See also Ps 35:16.
[7:55] 35 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Stephen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:55] 36 tn Grk “being full,” but the participle ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) has not been translated since it would be redundant in English.
[7:55] 37 tn Grk “looking intently toward heaven, saw.” The participle ἀτενίσας (atenisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[7:55] 38 sn The picture of Jesus standing (rather than seated) probably indicates his rising to receive his child. By announcing his vision, Stephen thoroughly offended his audience, who believed no one could share God’s place in heaven. The phrase is a variation on Ps 110:1.
[7:56] 39 tn Grk “And he said, ‘Look!’” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here; a new sentence is begun instead.
[7:57] 40 sn They covered their ears to avoid hearing what they considered to be blasphemy.
[7:58] 41 tn Grk “And when.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here; a new sentence is begun instead.
[7:58] 42 sn They began to stone him. The irony of the scene is that the people do exactly what the speech complains about in v. 52.
[7:58] 43 tn Or “outer garments.”
[7:58] sn Laid their cloaks. The outer garment, or cloak, was taken off and laid aside to leave the arms free (in this case for throwing stones).
[7:59] 44 tn Grk “And they.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here; a new sentence is begun instead.
[7:60] 45 tn Grk “Then falling to his knees he cried out.” The participle θείς (qeis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[7:60] 46 sn The remarks Lord Jesus, receive my spirit and Lord, do not hold this sin against them recall statements Jesus made on the cross (Luke 23:34, 46).
[7:60] 47 tn Grk “And when.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here; a new sentence is begun instead.
[7:60] 48 tn The verb κοιμάω (koimaw) literally means “sleep,” but it is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for the death of a believer.
