2:38 Repent, and be baptized: The call for conversion is a call for Baptism, the sacrament that takes away sin and confers the Spirit (22:16; Jn 3:5; Tit 3:5). Here and elsewhere Peter insists that Baptism is the sacrament that brings us salvation (2:40; 1 Pet 3:21). • The Council of Trent (1547) describes Baptism as the instrumental cause of our justification, i.e., the means used by Christ to cleanse us of guilt, fill us with the grace of divine life, and adopt us as children of God (Sess. 6, chap. 7; CCC 1226, 1262, 1427). in the name of Jesus: Not a complete baptismal formula like the trinitarian formula in Mt 28:19, but a thematic expression used in several ways in Acts. (1) Calling upon the name of Christ in Baptism (22:16) is linked with calling upon the name of the Lord for salvation in the earlier quotation from Joel (2:28-32). (2) The name distinguishes the Baptism of Jesus from the baptism of John (1:5; 19:2-5). (3) The name of Jesus is also invoked to work miracles and exorcisms (3:6; 4:30; 9:34; 16:18). See note on Acts 4:12. Back to text.
2:39 and to your children: The benefits of Baptism are available to adults and children alike. This explains why the apostles baptized entire households (16:15, 33; 1 Cor 1:16; CCC 1252). See note on Lk 18:16. all that are far off: Applicable to the dispersed nation of Israel (Is 57:19) and to the worldwide family of Gentiles (Eph 2:17). Back to text.
2:40 this crooked generation: Peter indicts his contemporaries as Jesus had done before him (Lk 9:41) and Paul would do after him (Phil 2:15). • The expression comes from the Song of Moses and was first applied to the faithless generation of Israel that came out of Egypt (Deut 32:5). Back to text.
2:42 teaching . . . fellowship . . . bread . . . prayers: Essential actions of the Church's life shown forth in the believing community of Jerusalem. They held to the doctrinal catechesis of the apostles (teaching), interpersonal communion and support (fellowship), the celebration of the Eucharist (breaking of bread), and community praise and petitions (prayers). Thus, in every aspect of life, the earliest believers were united as a family: they learned together, lived together, ate together, worshiped together, and prayed together (CCC 950, 1329, 2624). Back to text.
2:46 the temple: Continued to be a venue for prayer and preaching in the earliest days of Christianity (3:1; Lk 24:53; CCC 584). Separate gatherings for the eucharistic liturgy were initially held in private homes (20:7-8; 1 Cor 11:17-22). Back to text.
2:47 the Lord added: Because Christ is the true builder of the Church (Mt 16:18), he is credited with her astonishingly rapid growth (2:41; 4:4; 5:14, etc.). Back to text.
3:1 Peter and John: Closely associated in the writings of Luke (8:14; Lk 22:8) and John (Jn 18:15; 20:2-3; 21:20-23). the hour of prayer: Twice a day liturgical services were held in the Temple, at the time of the morning and evening sacrifices (Ex 29:38-39). The ninth hour corresponds to the evening prayers recited around 3 P.M., just a few hours before sunset and the end of the Jewish day. See note on Lk 1:10. Back to text.
3:2 called Beautiful: Probably the gate that led from the outermost court of the Gentiles into a series of inner courts where only Israelites were permitted to worship. Back to text.
3:8 leaping and praising God: The healing ministry of Jesus (Mt 11:5) continues through the apostles he has authorized to speak in his name (3:6; Mk 16:17-18). • The leaping of the man once lame is a sign that the messianic age has arrived (Is 35:6; Mal 4:2). Back to text.
3:11 portico called Solomon's: A colonnade walkway along the eastern edge of the Temple platform. It was a favorite meeting place of the early Christians (5:12), as it had been for Jesus (Jn 10:23). Back to text.
3:13 God of Abraham . . . Isaac . . . Jacob: The formula spoken to Moses at the burning bush (Ex 3:6). glorified his servant: The Father glorified Jesus in his suffering, dying, and rising. See word study: Glorify at Jn 17:1. • Peter identifies Jesus as the messianic Servant of the Lord, who is exalted and lifted up (in Gk., "glorified") in Is 52:13. The context of this excerpt includes the entire song of the "Suffering Servant", which runs from Is 52:13 to 53:12. It is clear by the end of the song that Yahweh glorified his Servant because he endured the rejection of his people and offered his life as a sacrifice for sin. This prophecy is examined again in 8:32-33. Back to text.
3:14 a murderer: Barabbas (Lk 23:18-19). Back to text.
3:15 the Author of life: All creation and life comes from Jesus Christ, who created the world with the Father (Jn 1:1-4; Heb 1:2) and renews the world through the Spirit (Jn 20:2223; 2 Cor 3:18). Back to text.
3:17 acted in ignorance: The perpetrators of Christ's death were unaware of the full gravity of their actions or the divine plan that lay behind them (Lk 23:34). See note on Acts 2:23. Back to text.
3:19 sins may be blotted out: That is, through Baptism (2:38; 22:16). Back to text.
3:22 The Lord God will raise: Peter identifies Jesus as the messianic prophet envisioned in the Torah. • Moses forewarned in Deut 18:15-19 that a prophet after his own likeness would arise in Israel bearing the word of the Lord. Failure to heed this prophet would bring a curse of destruction and disinheritance upon the impenitent. This prophecy is quoted again in 7:37. Back to text.
3:25 And in your posterity: A reference to the Abrahamic covenant ratified by divine oath in Gen 22:18. • Yahweh swore an oath to make the descendants of Abraham his chosen instrument for blessing the world. As the messianic son of Abraham, Jesus makes this promise a reality, first by restoring life to Israel (5:31; Mt 10:5-6) and then by using believers from Israel to bless the nations with the gospel (15:16-18; Mt 28:18-20). Back to text.
4:1 the captain: The head of the police force that patrolled the Temple precincts. Sadducees: Members of the priestly aristocracy of Jerusalem. They were fierce opponents of the apostles and their doctrine of the resurrection (23:8). See essay: Who Are the Sadducees? at Mk 12. Back to text.
4:3 already evening: The gates of the Temple were locked shut after the evening liturgy, around 4 P.M. Criminal cases, usually tried within a judicial chamber inside (or adjacent to) the Temple, could not be dealt with until the following day. Back to text.
4:4 five thousand: A growth of nearly 2,000 since Pentecost (2:41). See note on Acts 2:47. Back to text.
4:5 rulers and elders and scribes: A formal assembly of the Sanhedrin, the supreme court of ancient Judaism. See note on Mk 14:55. Back to text.
4:6 Annas the high priest: He served in this capacity from A.D. 6 to 15, at which time Roman authorities replaced him with another (Eleazar). The Jewish leadership, however, still considered him the rightful occupant of the position and so addressed him accordingly (Lk 3:2). Caiaphas: The son-in-law of Annas and the officiating high priest appointed by the Romans in A.D. 18 (Jn 18:13). John: Probably the son of Annas and the direct successor of Caiaphas. He was appointed high priest in A.D. 36. Back to text.
4:11 This is the stone: A paraphrase of Ps 118:22. • The apostles learned from Jesus that Ps 118 envisions the rejection of the Messiah (Mk 12:10-12). This tragedy is described as the builders of Jerusalem discarding a stone that God would make the honored cornerstone of a new and living Temple (Eph 2:20-22). Peter turns to this text again in 1 Pet 2:4-7 (CCC 756). you builders: The Psalmist's depiction of the leaders of Israel as "builders" is here reinforced by the setting: the priestly leaders of the Sanhedrin supervised the building of the Herodian Temple in Jerusalem, which was under continual construction from 19 B.C. until A.D. 63. Back to text.
4:12 no other name: The powerful name of Jesus is the focus of the entire episode (3:6, 16; 4:7, 10, 17-18). Its Hebrew form can also be rendered "Joshua", meaning "Yahweh saves" (Sir 46:1; Mt 1:21). The name is invoked in Acts to heal the sick (9:34), perform signs and wonders (4:30), drive out demons (16:18; 19:13), and administer Baptism (2:38; 10:48; 22:16; CCC 430-35, 1507). Back to text.
4:13 uneducated: Peter and John were former fishermen, i.e., men of labor, not learning (Mk 1:16-20). Even so, their bold defense of the gospel caused many to wonder and made their limited knowledge of traditional Jewish theology irrelevant (1 Cor 1:26-27). Back to text.
4:16 we cannot deny it: The standing result of the healing miracle is irrefutable. Back to text.
4:20 we cannot but speak: The apostles are compelled to witness by the power of the Spirit (1:8) and the solid evidence that Jesus has indeed risen (1:3). Even the threats and intimidation of the Sanhedrin (4:21) cannot silence them, especially since Jesus promised to help them in times of persecution (Lk 21:12-15; CCC 425). Back to text.
4:25-26 At the center of the community's prayer (4:2430) stands a citation from Ps 2:1-2. • The Psalmist wonders at the conspiracy of rebel nations plotting against Yahweh and the anointed king of Israel, knowing that God's plans cannot be frustrated by earthly princes (Ps 2:4-9). Read as a prophecy, the psalm envisions the collaboration of Jewish and Roman authorities in executing Jesus, the anointed Messiah. Mention of rulers being gathered together also echoes the statement in 4:5, where the leadership of Jerusalem is conspiring against the apostles. Back to text.
4:27 whom you anointed: The Spirit anointed Jesus at his Baptism (10:38; Lk 3:22). Back to text.
4:29 with all boldness: The believers pray, not for an end to persecution, but for evangelical courage in the face of opposition (Eph 6:18-20; 1 Thess 2:2). Back to text.
4:31 filled with the Holy Spirit: The apostolic community relives the experience of Pentecost and is renewed in the grace and encouragement of the Spirit (2:1-4). See note on Acts 2:4. Back to text.
4:32-37 A snapshot of community life in the early Jerusalem Church. It is characterized by a selfless concern for all, an even distribution of goods, and a complete trust in the oversight of the apostles. See note on Acts 2:42. Back to text.
4:36 Barnabas: Introduced early in Acts because of his prominent role later in the book as a missionary and companion of Paul (9:27; 11:22-24). He was among the first to evangelize his native island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea (13:4-12) and would return there after parting company with Paul (15:39). Son of encouragement: A parenthetical aside that suggests Barnabas must have lived up to the true meaning of his name. a Levite: An Israelite descended from the priestly tribe of Levi. Back to text.
5:1-11 The deceptive ploy of Ananias and Sapphira stands in stark contrast to the heroic generosity of the Jerusalem community (2:45; 4:32-37). While most believers were filled with the Spirit (4:31), this couple allowed their hearts to be filled with Satan instead (5:3). Back to text.
5:4 at your disposal: Donations to the apostolic fund were voluntary, not mandatory. So the couple was entitled to retain some or all of their monetary resources, but apparently they misled the apostles to think they had donated everything and gave the false impression of being honest and generous (5:8). not lied to men but to God: The parallel statement in 5:3 hints at the personhood and divinity of the Holy Spirit. • The First Council of Constantinople in 381 declared that the Spirit is the third Divine Person of the Trinity, coequal with the Father and the Son. Its credal formula states that the Holy Spirit is to be "worshiped and glorified" as God (CCC 255, 266). Back to text.
5:12 signs and wonders: An expression drawn from 2:19 that appears frequently in Acts (2:43; 4:30; 6:8; 14:3; 15:12). • The same expression is a recurrent theme in the Exodus traditions, describing how Yahweh performed mighty deeds through Moses in bringing Israel out of Egypt (Ex 7:3; 11:10; Deut 6:22; 26:8). This association stands out in Stephen's speech in 7:36. Solomon's Portico: A covered walkway in the Temple (3:11). Back to text.
5:14 men and women: Luke often highlights the fact that the gospel claimed disciples from the ranks of both genders (8:12; 9:2; 16:1; 17:4, 12). Back to text.
5:15 at least his shadow: In the name of Jesus, the apostles displayed extraordinary power over demons, death, and disease. This was particularly true in the ministry of Peter, the recognized leader of the apostolic band (3:6; 9:34, 40-41). Back to text.
5:17 the high priest: Presumably Annas, although Caiaphas was officiating in this capacity at the time. See note on Acts 4:6. Back to text.
5:19 angel of the Lord: Angelic intervention, instruction, and assistance feature regularly in the narrative of Acts (8:26; 10:3-6; 12:7-10, 23; 27:23-24). Back to text.
Word Study
Church (Acts 5:11)
Ekklēsia (Gk.): refers to an "assembly" or "congregation" of people. The word is used 23 times in Acts and 91 times in the rest of the NT. The term was broadly applied in Greek literature to several types of social or political gatherings, but more narrowly applied in the Greek OT to the worshiping assembly of Israel (Deut 9:10; Josh 8:35; 1 Kings 8:65). With the exception of Acts 19:32, this latter usage is closest to the NT meaning of the word. Jesus was the first to use a Semitic equivalent of this term for the covenant community he founded and entrusted to the apostles (Mt 16:18; 18:17). Thereafter it became the normal designation for local Churches (Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 1:2) and for the collective body of local communities that make up the universal Church (Acts 9:31; Eph 3:10; 5:23). This worldwide congregation is governed by an apostolic hierarchy (1 Cor 12:28) and is one with the assembly of angels and saints in the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb 12:22-23).
5:21 the council: The Sanhedrin, the high court of Judaism, was composed of the high priest and 70 leaders of Israel. Many of its members followed the Pharisee or Sadducee movement (5:17, 34; 23:6). Roman law permitted the court to administer corporal discipline (5:40) but prohibited it from executing a capital sentence (Jn 18:31). See note on Mk 14:55. Back to text.
5:28 blood upon us: Bloodguilt for the condemnation and death of Jesus rested on the head of Jewish and Roman authorities (4:27). Though degrees of personal and individual guilt are known to God alone, collective responsibility for this outrage was accepted by the frenzied mob in Jerusalem that coerced Pilate to have him crucified (Mt 27:24-26; CCC 597). Back to text.
5:29 obey God rather than men: The foundational premise of civil disobedience. It insists that believers cannot submit to human authorities, institutions, and laws that contradict the laws of God (Wis 6:1-3; Mk 7:8-13). Part of the Christian mission is to bring civil legislation in line with divine law and, when this proves unsuccessful, to make a courageous stand in favor of the gospel. In this episode, the mandate of Jesus to preach the gospel (1:8) overrides the charge of the Sanhedrin to keep silent (4:18; CCC 450, 2242). Back to text.
5:30 on a tree: A reference to crucifixion, described in terms of Deut 21:22. See note on Gal 3:13. Back to text.
5:34 Gamali-el: Gamali-el I, the Elder, a distinguished Pharisee influential in Jerusalem around A.D. 20 to 50. Jewish tradition revered his memory with the honorary title "rabban" (our teacher) over the more usual "rabbi" (teacher). Gamali-el is also remembered in Christian antiquity for his moderate stance toward the apostolic movement (5:38-39) and his role as the teacher of the Apostle Paul (22:3). Back to text.
5:36 Theudas: History knows of a later Theudas whose following was crushed by the prefect Fadus between A.D. 44 and 46, but nothing is known of this earlier figure beyond this verse. Back to text.
5:37 Judas the Galilean: According to the historian Josephus, he led a violent revolt against Rome for imposing taxes on Judea in A.D. 6. His philosophy of armed resistance later crystallized into the Zealot movement, which failed to liberate Israel from Roman control in the Jewish War of A.D. 66 to 70. the census: Not the census ordered by Caesar Augustus in Lk 2:1 but a later registration for taxation in A.D. 6, when Judea came under direct Roman rule. Back to text.
5:41 rejoicing . . . to suffer: The apostles remembered the blessings in store for those who suffer like Jesus (Mt 5:10-12). This joyous response to persecution and affliction resonates throughout the NT writings (Jn 16:33; Rom 5:3; Jas 1:2; 1 Pet 2:19-21). Back to text.
6:1-6 The earliest Jerusalem Church was composed entirely of believers from Israel; some were Hellenists, and some were Hebrews. The Hellenists were Greek-speaking immigrants who had come to Jerusalem from various Jewish settlements throughout the Roman world. The Hebrews were Aramaic-speaking natives who lived in Palestine. Tensions eventually rose between the groups and led to discrimination and injustice against widows, who were especially vulnerable in ancient society and depended on the assistance of others for their livelihood (Deut 26:12; Jas 1:27). Back to text.
6:3 seven men: All of the names listed in 6:5 are Greek names, suggesting that the seven men were Hellenists chosen to represent the interests of their own community. This promoted fairness, inasmuch as the Greek-speaking community raised the complaint in the first place (6:1). Back to text.
6:4 devote ourselves: The Twelve continued to address the spiritual needs of the community by praying and preaching, while the Seven focused on meeting its material needs by acts of service. Back to text.
6:6 laid their hands: A symbolic gesture of consecration and commission (13:3; Num 27:18-23). • Several considerations suggest the Seven are the first ordained deacons of the Church. (1) The laying on of hands is elsewhere linked with the sacramental sign of ordination (1 Tim 4:14); (2) the men are commissioned "to serve" (6:2), which translates a Greek verb related to the noun "deacon" (Phil 1:1); and (3) their ministry also includes preaching (8:5) and baptizing (8:12). In Catholic tradition, the diaconate is the first level of Holy Orders and conforms the recipient to Christ the Servant (Lk 22:27; CCC 1569-70). Back to text.
6:7 many of the priests: Converts came from the priestly ranks of the Sadducees, who formed the Temple establishment, and possibly, too, from an Essene group of priests who lived in the southwestern quarter of Jerusalem. Back to text.
6:8-7:60 The ministry and martyrdom of Stephen, one of the Seven (6:5). His death was the end result of tensions that escalated from debate (6:8-10) to false accusations (6:11-14) to an eruption of mob violence (7:57-58). Luke deliberately portrays these events in terms that recall the trial and death of Jesus. Parallels include testimony from false witnesses (6:13; Mt 26:60), reports that Jesus would destroy the Temple (6:14; Mt 26:61), visions of the Son of man in heaven (7:56; Lk 22:69), prayers of surrender to God (7:59; Lk 23:46), and petitions of forgiveness for the executioners (7:60; Lk 23:34). Back to text.
6:9 the Freedmen: A synagogue assembly of Hellenistic Jews. Its founding members were probably emancipated slaves who had returned to Jerusalem from Italy. By this time it also included Jewish settlers from significant cities in North Africa (Cyrene, Alexandria) and from two Roman provinces in Asia Minor (Cilicia, Asia). Back to text.
6:11 blasphemous words: An accusation that looms large in the following episode. • It is calculated to evoke Lev 24:16, which prescribes death by stoning for the blasphemer (7:58). Back to text.
6:12 before the council: Stephen is arraigned before the Jewish high court. See note on Acts 5:21. Back to text.
6:13 this holy place: The Jerusalem Temple (21:28). Although Luke assigns the accusations in 6:13-14 to false witnesses, it is clear from the speech in 7:1-53 that Stephen was in fact openly critical of the most cherished symbols of Jewish identity: the Torah and the Temple. Back to text.
7:1-53 Stephen's defense speech rehearses covenant history from Genesis to his own generation. He stresses that much of the story of Israel is a story of stubborn rebellion, highlighting the rejection of Joseph (7:9), Moses (7:27-29), the Law (7:53), the prophets (7:52), and finally Jesus the Messiah (7:52). He also undermines Jewish reverence for the land of Israel and the Temple of Jerusalem by stressing that God has shown himself present and active in other places, such as Mesopotamia (7:2), Haran (7:4), Egypt (7:9), Midian (7:29), Mt. Sinai (7:30), and the Red Sea (7:36). The speech ends with a searing indictment of the Jerusalem court (7:5152). Back to text.
7:2-8 A summary of the patriarchal age of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. • The biblical backdrop is Gen 12-36. References and allusions to key events in the speech include Gen 12:1 (7:3), Gen 11:31 and 12:5 (7:4), Gen 15:13 (7:6), and Gen 17:9-14 (7:8). Back to text.
7:2 Abraham: The great-grandfather of the tribal family of Israel. Mesopotamia: Abraham hails from the ancient city of Ur (Gen 11:31), along the Euphrates River (in modern Iraq). Back to text.
7:4 this land: Palestine, earlier called Canaan (Gen 12:5). Back to text.
7:7 worship me in this place: A promise of the Exodus (Ex 3:12). Back to text.
7:9-16 A summary of the Joseph story. It receives attention because of its anticipation of the Gospel story: both Joseph and Jesus were rejected by their kinsmen, rescued by God, and made redeemers of the family of Israel. • The biblical backdrop is Gen 37-47. Allusions to key events are drawn from Gen 37:11, 25-28 (7:9); Gen 41:39-44 (7:10); and Gen 41:53-47:28 (7:11-15). Back to text.
7:14 seventy-five souls: This figure follows the Greek versions of Gen 46:27 and Ex 1:5. The Hebrew OT counts only 70 persons in Egypt, possibly omitting the descendants of Ephraim (two sons, one grandson) and Manasseh (two sons). Back to text.
7:16 Shechem: According to the Hebrew OT, the patriarchs were buried at Mach-pelah (Gen 49:29-32) near Hebron (Gen 23:19), and Joseph alone was buried at Shechem (Josh 24:32). Here Stephen follows a Samaritan tradition that locates the tombs of all the patriarchs in Shechem. Back to text.
7:17-41 The central part of the speech abbreviates the story of Moses. His life prefigures the life of Jesus according to the same pattern of rejection, rescue, and redemption that also stands out in the preceding Joseph story. See note on Acts 7:9-16. • The biblical backdrop is Ex 1-32. Allusions to key events are drawn from Ex 1-2 (7:17-29); Ex 3 (7:30-34); Ex 12-14 (7:36); Ex 19-24 (7:38); and Ex 32 (7:39-41). Back to text.
7:22 wisdom of the Egyptians: The Egyptian education of Moses is unmentioned in the OT but part of Jewish tradition, possibly as an inference from his upbringing in the royal house of Pharaoh (Ex 2:10). Contemporary Jewish writers, such as Josephus and Philo, praise him as a man of great learning. mighty . . . words and deeds: One of the many ways that Moses prefigures Jesus (Lk 24:19). Back to text.
7:23 forty years old: Moses ultimately lived to be 120 years old (Deut 34:7), which Stephen breaks down into three equal periods of 40 years (7:23, 30, 36). Back to text.
7:37 God will raise up: A direct quote from Deut 18:15. See note on Acts 3:22. Back to text.
7:39 they turned to Egypt: The generation of Israel liberated from Egypt remained slaves of the idols they had worshiped during their stay (Josh 24:14; Ezek 20:7-8). Back to text.
7:41 they made a calf: Worship of the golden calf was the original sin of the nation of Israel, a sin that led to repeated idolatry. • Literary analysis of the Pentateuch suggests the calf episode in Ex 32 was a pivotal event that made necessary what Yahweh never desired for his people in the first place—a sanctuary cult of continuous animal sacrifice. It was this act of apostasy that called forth an entire body of sacrificial laws and liturgies (Exodus, Leviticus) as a means of ordering the worship of Israel toward Yahweh and eradicating idolatry from the heart of the nation. Several OT texts stress that the ritual laws of the Temple are laws of secondary importance in the eyes of God (1 Sam 15:22; Ps 40:6-8; Jer 7:22-23; Hos 6:6). See note on Mk 12:33. Back to text.
7:42 gave them over: A dreaded form of divine punishment. When God surrenders sinners over to their wickedness, as he did with the Exodus generation of Israel, he allows them to follow a path that leads to destruction without deterrence or merciful restraint. The same mystery of divine discipline is described by Paul in Rom 1:24, 26, 28. Back to text.
7:42-43 Stephen quotes a Greek rendition of Amos 5:25-27. • The oracle looks back on the idolatry of Israel during the Exodus and looks forward to the exile of northern Israel for the same sin. This tragic history repeats itself in the present context: Stephen is about to warn Jerusalem that its excessive reverence for the Temple also crosses the line of idolatry. Back to text.
7:46 habitation . . . God of Jacob: Allusions to the Greek version of Ps 132:5. Back to text.
7:48 made with hands: A subversive description of the Temple (Mk 14:58) that compares it with a handmade idol (7:41). Every occurrence of this expression in the Greek OT is associated with idols and idolatry (Lev 26:1; Wis 14:8; Dan 5:23, etc.). • Israel is charged with failing to grasp what Solomon himself understood when he built the first Temple— that no earthly sanctuary could contain the Most High God (1 Kings 8:27). Centuries of devotion to the Temple led to a false perception of God and an exaggerated emphasis on the sacredness of the building itself. Back to text.
7:49-50 A citation of Is 66:1-2. • Yahweh rebukes the Israelites for their overattachment to the Temple and their presumptuous attitude toward its services. The Israelites had forgotten that the architectural Temple in Jerusalem was only a man-made structure, far outmatched by the macrotemple of heaven and earth that God had erected with his own hand (Ps 102:25). Stephen uses the text to draw a sharp contrast between the creative hand of God (7:50) and the corrupting hands of men (7:41, 48). Back to text.
7:51 stiff-necked . . . resist the Holy Spirit: Stephen links his accusers with the long line of sinners from covenant history. • The same charges were leveled against the generation of Israel that came out of Egypt (Ex 33:5; Is 63:10). Back to text.
7:52 the Righteous One: Jesus, described as the Suffering Servant from Is 53:11. See note on Acts 3:13. Back to text.
7:53 delivered by angels: Jewish tradition based on the Greek version of Deut 33:2 held that angels delivered the Torah to Moses on Mt. Sinai (Gal 3:19; CCC 332). Back to text.
7:56 the Son of man: Jesus, depicted as the messianic king from Dan 7:13. Though normally seated upon his throne, he stands up to give Stephen a royal welcome into his kingdom. See essay: Jesus, the Son of Man at Lk 17. Back to text.
7:58 stoned him: A crude means of execution always staged outside Israelite camps and cities (Num 15:35). Although the Sanhedrin was formally prohibited from administering this and other forms of capital punishment under Roman rule (Jn 18:31), the enraged mob took matters into their own hands. See note on Acts 6:8-7:60. Saul: The initial appearance of Saul prepares for his prominent role later in the book as Paul the Apostle. By ancient standards, he was a young man between 24 and 40 years old. Back to text.
8:1 scattered: Persecution pushes Christianity out of Jerusalem and into the surrounding regions of Judea and Samaria (8:25, 40), and even beyond the northern border of Palestine as far as Phoenicia, Syria, and the Mediterranean island of Cyprus (11:19). Far from driving believers into hiding, the dispersion launches a new phase of missionary activity (8:4). See note on Acts 1:8. except the apostles: Jerusalem remained the center of apostolic presence and authority in the earliest years. The exemption of the apostles from this first persecution is explained by Gamali-el's advice to the Sanhedrin in 5:38 to leave the leaders of the movement alone. Back to text.
8:5 Philip: One of the seven deacons appointed in 6:5, later called "the evangelist" (21:8). Philip's successful ministry in Samaria displays the power of the gospel to make friends of enemies: many accepted his message and came to him for Baptism, even though racial and religious tensions between Jews and Samaritans could be traced back several centuries. Jesus himself set the precedent for an outreach to the Samaritans in Lk 17:11-19 and Jn 4:7-42. See note on Lk 9:52. Back to text.
8:9 Simon: Revered by the Samaritan masses as the embodiment of divine power (8:10). Beyond the narrative of Acts, Christian tradition calls him the father of heretics and the founder of Gnosticism. It is said that when Simon and his teaching eventually reached Rome, a statue was erected in his honor along the Tiber River with the inscription: "To Simon, the holy god". Luke probably included this episode to alert readers that Simon and his devotees were not approved by the apostles. practiced magic: This is the first of several episodes in Acts where Christianity triumphs over the magical and superstitious arts so prevalent in the ancient world (13:6-11; 16:16-18; 19:18-19). Back to text.
8:14 received the word: Samaria's enthusiasm in this episode is the mirror opposite of Lk 9:51-53. Peter and John: The apostles are called to examine and endorse this new development of bringing the first non-Jews into the family of faith. Back to text.
8:16 not yet fallen: A distinction is made in Acts between Baptism, which confers the Spirit in an invisible way (2:38), and the laying on of hands, which calls down the Spirit to manifest his presence in a visible and charismatic way (19:6). • In the interpretive tradition of the Church, this deeper conferral of the Spirit through the imposition of hands is linked with Confirmation, a sacrament that follows Baptism and is integral to the process of Christian initiation. As in this episode, deacons (Philip) can baptize, but it belongs to the bishops (Peter and John) to bestow a fuller measure of the Spirit on the baptized by the laying on of hands (CCC 1288, 1313). Back to text.
Word Study
Laid Waste (Acts 8:3)
Lymaino (Gk.): means to "ravage" or "bring to ruin" and is found only here in the NT. It was used in Greek literature of wild animals ravaging field crops (Ps 80:13), kings authorizing human cruelties (2 Chron 16:10), and armies devastating cities and countrysides (Josephus). Here it underscores the intensity and brutality of Saul's attack on the budding Christian movement. Saul himself, following his dramatic conversion, informs us that imprisonments, beatings, and even votes for execution were among his tactics (Acts 9:1; 22:4; 26:9-11). The point is that Saul was not merely harassing the young Church; he wanted to stamp both her faith and her followers out of existence. Years later he was haunted by these violent memories and declared himself "unfit to be called an apostle" (1 Cor 15:9) and even "the foremost of sinners" (1 Tim 1:15).
8:18 offered them money: Simon wanted to purchase the sacramental power of the apostles to confer the Spirit. He was interested, not in ministry, but in the miraculous. Simony is the sin of buying and selling ecclesiastical authority and takes its name from Simon and his self-centered motives (CCC 2121). Back to text.
8:26 the road: It ran southwest from Jerusalem to the coastal city of Gaza, one of the last inhabited settlements before the desert stretch from Palestine to Egypt. Back to text.
8:27 a eunuch: An emasculated court official, here specified as the treasurer of the Ethiopian kingdom in Africa. Candace: Either the name or the title of the queen mother and royal matriarch of Ethiopia. Jerusalem to worship: Judaism drew admirers from many places and nationalities in the ancient world. The eunuch falls into this category, but because of his physical condition he could not be circumcised, enter the Temple, or unite himself fully with the community of the Old Covenant. • Although castration was an impediment to fellowship and membership in Israel (Deut 23:1), Isaiah envisioned a lifting of this restriction in the messianic age (Is 56:3-5). The dawning of this new age in Christ convinces Philip there is no longer anything to "prevent" the eunuch's Baptism into the covenant family of God (8:36-38). Back to text.
8:30 heard him: Reading aloud was customary in antiquity. Back to text.
8:32-33 The eunuch is puzzled by the prophecy of Is 53:78 and the person to whom it refers (8:34). • The passage comes from the song of the "Suffering Servant" in Is 52:13—53:12, which describes the rejection, humiliation, and murder of the Messiah by his own generation. In the midst of this tragedy, the Servant pours out his life willingly in sacrifice for human sin. Philip interprets the poem christologically, i.e., as a preview of the suffering and sacrifice of Christ (CCC 601). Back to text.
8:39 caught up Philip: Sudden relocations by the Spirit were also experienced by the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 18:12; 2 Kings 2:16). went on his way: According to the report of Irenaeus (A.D. 180), the eunuch returned home to become the first Christian to evangelize Ethiopia. Back to text.
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