A Bible Study on the Book of Acts Session 18
The Church of the Holy Apostles;
Based upon the Homilies of St John Chrysostom (SJC)
Study Guide – Acts 7.35-53, Homily 17
Entire section reveals how what was done in the past is now being done. SJC “Marvel not, he says, if they on whom Christ confers His benefits refuse His kingdom, seeing in the case of Moses it as just the same.”
Chapter 7 v. 35-36 – “This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. “He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
Stephen is comparing himself to Moses (imagery – remember Acts 6.15)
Chapter 7 v. 37 – This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.’
Moses was not opposed to what was now taking place
Chapter 7 v. 38-43 – “This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us, “whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, “saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ “And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. “Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets: ‘Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of your god Remphan, Images which you made to worship; And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’
No mention of the Temple
Just as Christ first worked miracles, and then legislates: so did Moses.
SJC “He shows, that he not only wrought miracles, but also gave a law, as Christ did.” [And so did the Apostles, and so did Stephen…]
Living Oracles = Prophecies about the end
God allowed the Jews to “return to Egypt” (in their hearts, not literal) because of their disobedience
Neither Tabernacle, nor miracles profited them – SJC “Even when there was a Tabernacle, yet there were no sacrifices.”
Jews were deeply connected in their hearts to Egypt – “See how hard it was for them to turn away.”
Jews pretended not to know Moses just like they pretended not to know Christ.
SJC “What wonder that you know not Christ, seeing you knew not Moses, and God Who was manifested by such wonder?” (Remember the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus “’If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ” Luke 16.31)
Chapter 7 v. 44-47 – ” Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as He appointed, instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen, “which our fathers, having received it in turn, also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David, “who found favor before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob. “But Solomon built Him a house.
The benefit came AFTER (Remember our discussion of delayed promise last week)
SJC “David desired to find favor: and he builded not, he the wonderful, the great; but the castaway, Solomon”
Tabernacle of Witness = witness of miracles and law – fashioned after Christ
Chapter 7 v. 48-50 – “However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: ‘Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the LORD, Or what is the place of My rest? Has My hand not made all these things?’
There is nothing worthy of God
Chapter 7 v. 30-34 – ” You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, “who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”
Charges laid against the Jews
SJC “When it was not His will that sacrifices should be, you sacrifice: when it is His will, then again you do not sacrifice: when He would not give you commandments, you drew them to you; when you got them, you neglected them. Again, when the Temple stood, you worshipped idols, when it was His will to be worshipped without a Temple, you do the opposite.” (Homily p 109)
Betrayers, Murders, Disobedient, Blasphemers!
Teaching on Avoiding Wrath – (see Homily 17, pp 110-111)
- Wrath does not equal boldness
- Lessons are best learned in peace
- Wrath is defeated by the Cross
- Wrath should be used to defeat OUR Passions
Life Application – “Let us use anger in its proper time” (Homily 17, pp 111-112)
- Anger is useful when it barks against strangers
- We tend to use anger in all the wrong places