Shǐtúxíngzhuàn 7

1 Dàjìsī jiù shuō , zhèxie shì guǒrán yǒu má .

2 Sī tí fǎn shuō , zhūwèi fù xiōng qǐng tīng . dàng rì wǒmen de zǔzong Yàbólāhǎn zaì mǐ suǒ bō dà mǐ hái wèi zhù Hālán de shíhou , róngyào de shén xiàng tā xiǎnxiàn ,

3 Duì tā shuō , nǐ yào líkāi bĕn dì hé qīnzú , wǎng wǒ yào zhǐshì nǐde dìfang qù .

4 Tā jiù líkāi Jiālèdǐ rén zhī dì zhù zaì Hālán . tā fùqin sǐ le yǐhòu , shén shǐ tā cóng nàli bān dào nǐmen xiànzaì suǒ zhù zhī dì .

5 Zaì zhè dìfang shén bìng méiyǒu gĕi tā chǎnyè , lián lì zú zhī dì yĕ méiyǒu gĕi tā . dàn yīngxǔ yào jiāng zhè dì cìgĕi tā hé tāde hòuyì wèi yè . nàshí tā hái méiyǒu érzi .

6 Shén shuō , tāde hòuyì , bì jìjū waì bāng , nàli de rén , yào jiào tāmen zuò núpú , kǔdaì tāmen sì bǎi nián .

7 Shén yòu shuō , shǐ tāmen zuò núpú de nà guó , wǒ yào chéngfá , yǐhòu tāmen yào chūlai , zaì zhè dìfang shìfèng wǒ .

8 Shén yòu cì tā gēlǐ de yuē . yúshì Yàbólāhǎn shēng le Yǐsā , dì bā rì gĕi tā xíng le gēlǐ . Yǐsā shēng Yǎgè , Yǎgè shēng shí èr wèi xiān zǔ .

9 Xiān zǔ jídù Yūesè , bǎ tā maì dào Āijí qù . shén què yǔ tā tóng zaì ,

10 Jiù tā tuōlí yīqiè kǔnàn , yòu shǐ tā zaì Āijí wáng fǎlǎo miànqián , dé ēndiǎn yǒu zhìhuì . fǎlǎo jiù paì tā zuò Āijí guó de zǎixiàng jiān guǎn quán jiā .

11 Hòulái Āijí hé Jiānán quán dì zāoyù jīhuāng , dà shòu jiān nán , wǒmen de zǔzong , jiù jué le liáng .

12 Yǎgè tīngjian zaì Āijí yǒu liáng , jiù dǎfa wǒmen de zǔzong , chū cì wǎng nàli qù .

13 Dì èr cì Yūesè yǔ dìxiōng xiàng rèn , tāde qīnzú yĕ beì fǎlǎo zhīdào le .

14 Yūesè jiù dǎfa dìxiōng qǐng fùqin Yǎgè , hé quán jiā qī shí wǔ gèrén dōu lái .

15 Yúshì Yǎgè xià le Āijí , hòulái tā hé wǒmen de zǔzong dōu sǐ zaì nàli .

16 Yòu beì daì dào Shìjiàn , zàng yú Yàbólāhǎn zaì Shìjiàn yòng yínzi cóng Hāmā zǐsūn mǎi lái de fùnmù lǐ .

17 Jízhì shén yīngxǔ Yàbólāhǎn de rìqī jiāng dào , Yǐsèliè mín zaì Āijí xīngshèng zhòngduō ,

18 Zhídào yǒu bù xiǎodé Yūesè de xīn wáng xīngqǐ .

19 Tā yòng guǐjì dāi wǒmen de zōngzú , kǔhaì wǒmen de zǔzong , jiào tāmen diūqì yīnghái , shǐ yīnghái bùnéng cún huó .

20 Nàshí , Móxī shēng xià lái , jùnmĕi fēi fán , zaì tā fùqin jiā lǐ fǔ yǎng le sān gè yuè .

21 Tā beì diūqì de shíhou , fǎlǎo de nǚér shí le qù , yǎng wèi zìjǐ de érzi .

22 Móxī xué le Āijí rén yīqiè de xuéwen , shuōhuà xíngshì , dōu yǒu cáinéng .

23 Tā jiāng dào sì shí suì , xīn zhōng qǐ yì , qù kàn wàng tāde dìxiōng Yǐsèliè rén .

24 Dào le nàli , jiàn tāmen yī gèrén shòu yuān qū , jiù hù bì tā , wèi nà shòu qīyē de rén bàochóu , dǎ sǐ le Āijí rén .

25 Tā yǐwéi dìxiōng bì míngbai shén shì jiè tāde shǒu dājiù tāmen . tāmen què bù míngbai .

26 Dì èr tiān , yùjiàn liǎng gè Yǐsèliè rén zhēngdòu , jiù quàn tāmen hémù , shuō , nǐmen èr wèi shì dìxiōng , wèishénme bǐcǐ qīfu ne .

27 Nà qīfu línshè de , bǎ tā tuī kāi shuō , shuí lì nǐ zuò wǒmen de shǒulǐng , hé shĕnpàn guān ne .

28 Nándào nǐ yào shā wǒ , xiàng zuòtiān shā nà Āijí rén má .

29 Móxī tīngjian zhè huà jiù taó zǒu le , jìjū yú Mǐdiàn . zaì nàli shēng le liǎng gè érzi .

30 Guò le sì shí nián , zaì Xīnǎi shān de kuàngyĕ , yǒu yī wèi tiānshǐ , cóng jīngjí huǒyàn zhòng , xiàng Móxī xiǎnxiàn .

31 Móxī jiàn le nà yìxiàng , biàn jué xīqí . zhèng jìn qián guānkàn de shíhou , yǒu zhǔ de shēngyīn shuō ,

32 Wǒ shì nǐ lièzǔ de shén , jiù shì Yàbólāhǎn de shén , Yǐsā de shén , Yǎgè de shén . tú Móxī zhàn zhàn jìng jìng , bù gǎn guānkàn .

33 Zhǔ duì tā shuō , bǎ nǐ jiǎo shàng de xié tuō xià lái . yīnwei nǐ suǒ zhàn zhī dì shì shèng dì .

34 Wǒde bǎixìng zaì Āijí suǒ shòu de kùnkǔ , wǒ shízaì kànjian le . tāmen bēitàn de shēngyīn , wǒ yĕ tīngjian le . wǒ xià lái yào jiù tāmen , nǐ lái , wǒ yào chāi nǐ wǎng Āijí qù .

35 Zhè Móxī , jiù shì bǎixìng qìjué shuō , shuí lì nǐ zuò wǒmen de shǒulǐng , hé shĕnpàn guān de . shén què jiè nà zaì jīngjí zhòng xiǎnxiàn zhī shǐzhĕ de shǒu , chāi paì tā zuò shǒulǐng , zuò jiùshú de .

36 Zhè rén lǐng bǎixìng chūlai , zaì Āijí , zaì Hónghǎi , zaì kuàngyĕ , sì shí nián jiàn xíng le qí shì shénjī .

37 Nà céng duì Yǐsèliè rén shuō , shén yào cóng nǐmen dìxiōng zhōngjiān , gĕi nǐmen xīngqǐ yī wèi xiānzhī xiàng wǒde , jiù shì zhè wèi Móxī .

38 Zhè rén céng zaì kuàngyĕ huì zhōng , hé Xīnǎi shān shàng yǔ nà duì tā shuōhuà de tiānshǐ tóng zaì , yòu yǔ wǒmen de zǔzong tóng zaì , bìngqiĕ lǐngshòu huópo de shèng yán chuán gĕi wǒmen .

39 Wǒmen de zǔzong bù kĕn tīng cóng , fǎn qìjué tā , xīnli guī xiàng Āijí ,

40 Duì Yàlún shuō , nǐ qiĕ wèi wǒmen zào xiē shénxiàng , zaì wǒmen qiánmian yǐn lù . yīnwei lǐng wǒmen chū Āijí dì de nàge Móxī , wǒmen bù zhīdào tā zāo le shénme shì .

41 Nàshí , tāmen zào le yī gè niúdú , yòu ná jìwù xiàn gĕi nà xiàng , huānxǐ zìjǐ shǒu zhòng de gōngzuò .

42 Shén jiù zhuǎn liǎn bù gù , rènpíng tāmen shìfèng tiān shàng de rì yuè xīng chén , zhèng rú xiānzhī shū shǎng suǒ xiĕ de shuō , Yǐsèliè jiā a , nǐmen sì shí nián jiàn zaì kuàngyĕ , qǐ shì jiāng xī shēng hé jìwù xiàn gĕi wǒ má .

43 Nǐmen tái zhe mó luò de zhàngmù , hé lǐ fān shén de xīng . jiù shì nǐmen suǒ zào wéi yào jìngbaì de xiàng . yīncǐ , wǒ yào bǎ nǐmen qiā dào Bābǐlún waì qù .

44 Wǒmen de zǔzong zaì kuàngyĕ , yǒu fǎ guì de zhàngmù , shì shén fēnfu Móxī jiào tā zhào suǒ kànjian de yàngshì zuò de .

45 Zhè zhàngmù , wǒmen de zǔzong xiāng jì chéng , dàng shén zaì tāmen miànqián gǎn chū waìbāngrén qù de shíhou , tāmen tóng Yuēshūyà bǎ zhāng mù bān jìn chéngshòu wéi yè zhī dì , zhí cún dào Dàwèi de rìzi .

46 Dàwèi zaì shén miànqián mēng ēn , qíqiú wéi Yǎgè de shén yùbeì jū suǒ .

47 Què shì Suǒluómén wéi shén zàochéng diàn yǔ .

48 Qíshí zhìgāo zhĕ bìng bú zhù rén shǒu suǒ zào de . jiù rú xiānzhī suǒ yán ,

49 Zhǔ shuō , tiān shì wǒde zuòwei , dì shì wǒde jiǎo dèng . nǐmen yào wéi wǒ zào hédĕng de diàn yǔ , nàli shì wǒ ānxī de dìfang ne .

50 Zhè yīqiè dōu shì wǒ shǒu zhòng suǒ zào de má .

51 Nǐmen zhè yìng zhe jǐngxiàng , xīn yù ĕr wèi shòu gēlǐ de rén , cháng shí kàng jù Shènglíng . nǐmen de zǔzong zĕnyàng , nǐmen yĕ zĕnyàng .

52 Nà yī gè xiānzhī , bù shì nǐmen zǔzong bīpò ne . tāmen yĕ bǎ yùxiān chuánshuō nà yì zhĕ yào lái de rén shā le . rújīn nǐmen yòu bǎ nà yì zhĕ maì le , shā le .

53 Nǐmen shòu le tiānshǐ suǒ chuán de lǜfǎ , jìng bù zūnshǒu .

54 Zhòngrén tīngjian zhè huà , jiù jíqí nǎonù , xiàng sī tí fǎn yǎo yá qièchǐ .

55 Dàn sī tí fǎn beì Shènglíng chōngmǎn , déngjīng wàng tiān , kànjian shén de róngyào , yòu kànjian Yēsū zhàn zaì shén de yòubiān .

56 Jiù shuō , wǒ kànjian tiān kāi le , Rénzǐ zhàn zaì shén de yòubiān .

57 Zhòngrén dàshēng hǎnjiào , wǔ zhe ĕrduo , qíxīn yōng shàng qián qù .

58 Bǎ tā tuī dào chéng waì , yòng shítou dǎ tā . zuò jiànzhèng de rén , bǎ yīshang fàng zaì yī gè shàonián rén míng jiào Sǎoluó de jiǎo qián .

59 Tāmen zhèng yòng shítou dǎ de shíhou , sī tí fǎn hūyù zhǔ shuō , qiú Yēsū jiē shōu wǒde línghún .

60 Yòu guì xià dàshēng hǎn zhe shuō , Zhǔ a , búyào jiāng zhè zuì guīyú tāmen . shuō le zhè huà jiù shuì le . Sǎoluó yĕ xǐyuè tā beì haì .

Shǐtúxíngzhuàn 7 Commentary

Chapter 7

Stephen's defence. (1-50) Stephen reproves the Jews for the death of Christ. (51-53) The martyrdom of Stephen. (54-60)

Verses 1-16 Stephen was charged as a blasphemer of God, and an apostate from the church; therefore he shows that he is a son of Abraham, and values himself on it. The slow steps by which the promise made to Abraham advanced toward performance, plainly show that it had a spiritual meaning, and that the land intended was the heavenly. God owned Joseph in his troubles, and was with him by the power of his Spirit, both on his own mind by giving him comfort, and on those he was concerned with, by giving him favour in their eyes. Stephen reminds the Jews of their mean beginning as a check to priding themselves in the glories of that nation. Likewise of the wickedness of the patriarchs of their tribes, in envying their brother Joseph; and the same spirit was still working in them toward Christ and his ministers. The faith of the patriarchs, in desiring to be buried in the land of Canaan, plainly showed they had regard to the heavenly country. It is well to recur to the first rise of usages, or sentiments, which have been perverted. Would we know the nature and effects of justifying faith, we should study the character of the father of the faithful. His calling shows the power and freeness of Divine grace, and the nature of conversion. Here also we see that outward forms and distinctions are as nothing, compared with separation from the world, and devotedness to God.

Verses 17-29 Let us not be discouraged at the slowness of the fulfilling of God's promises. Suffering times often are growing times with the church. God is preparing for his people's deliverance, when their day is darkest, and their distress deepest. Moses was exceeding fair, "fair toward God;" it is the beauty of holiness which is in God's sight of great price. He was wonderfully preserved in his infancy; for God will take special care of those of whom he designs to make special use. And did he thus protect the child Moses? Much more will he secure the interests of his holy child Jesus, from the enemies who are gathered together against him. They persecuted Stephen for disputing in defence of Christ and his gospel: in opposition to these they set up Moses and his law. They may understand, if they do not wilfully shut their eyes against the light, that God will, by this Jesus, deliver them out of a worse slavery than that of Egypt. Although men prolong their own miseries, yet the Lord will take care of his servants, and effect his own designs of mercy.

Verses 30-41 Men deceive themselves, if they think God cannot do what he sees to be good any where; he can bring his people into a wilderness, and there speak comfortably to them. He appeared to Moses in a flame of fire, yet the bush was not consumed; which represented the state of Israel in Egypt, where, though they were in the fire of affliction, yet they were not consumed. It may also be looked upon as a type of Christ's taking upon him the nature of man, and the union between the Divine and human nature. The death of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, cannot break the covenant relation between God and them. Our Saviour by this proves the future state, ( Matthew 22:31 ) . Abraham is dead, yet God is still his God, therefore Abraham is still alive. Now, this is that life and immortality which are brought to light by the gospel. Stephen here shows that Moses was an eminent type of Christ, as he was Israel's deliverer. God has compassion for the troubles of his church, and the groans of his persecuted people; and their deliverance takes rise from his pity. And that deliverance was typical of what Christ did, when, for us men, and for our salvation, he came down from heaven. This Jesus, whom they now refused, as their fathers did Moses, even this same has God advanced to be a Prince and Saviour. It does not at all take from the just honour of Moses to say, that he was but an instrument, and that he is infinitely outshone by Jesus. In asserting that Jesus should change the customs of the ceremonial law. Stephen was so far from blaspheming Moses, that really he honoured him, by showing how the prophecy of Moses was come to pass, which was so clear. God who gave them those customs by his servant Moses, might, no doubt, change the custom by his Son Jesus. But Israel thrust Moses from them, and would have returned to their bondage; so men in general will not obey Jesus, because they love this present evil world, and rejoice in their own works and devices.

Verses 42-50 Stephen upbraids the Jews with the idolatry of their fathers, to which God gave them up as a punishment for their early forsaking him. It was no dishonour, but an honour to God, that the tabernacle gave way to the temple; so it is now, that the earthly temple gives way to the spiritual one; and so it will be when, at last, the spiritual shall give way to the eternal one. The whole world is God's temple, in which he is every where present, and fills it with his glory; what occasion has he then for a temple to manifest himself in? And these things show his eternal power and Godhead. But as heaven is his throne, and the earth his footstool, so none of our services can profit Him who made all things. Next to the human nature of Christ, the broken and spiritual heart is his most valued temple.

Verses 51-53 Stephen was going on, it seems, to show that the temple and the temple service must come to an end, and it would be the glory of both to give way to the worship of the Father in spirit and in truth; but he perceived they would not bear it. Therefore he broke off, and by the Spirit of wisdom, courage, and power, sharply rebuked his persecutors. When plain arguments and truths provoke the opposers of the gospel, they should be shown their guilt and danger. They, like their fathers, were stubborn and wilful. There is that in our sinful hearts, which always resists the Holy Ghost, a flesh that lusts against the Spirit, and wars against his motions; but in the hearts of God's elect, when the fulness of time comes, this resistance is overcome. The gospel was offered now, not by angels, but from the Holy Ghost; yet they did not embrace it, for they were resolved not to comply with God, either in his law or in his gospel. Their guilt stung them to the heart, and they sought relief in murdering their reprover, instead of sorrow and supplication for mercy.

Verses 54-60 Nothing is so comfortable to dying saints, or so encouraging to suffering saints, as to see Jesus at the right hand of God: blessed be God, by faith we may see him there. Stephen offered up two short prayers in his dying moments. Our Lord Jesus is God, to whom we are to seek, and in whom we are to trust and comfort ourselves, living and dying. And if this has been our care while we live, it will be our comfort when we die. Here is a prayer for his persecutors. Though the sin was very great, yet if they would lay it to their hearts, God would not lay it to their charge. Stephen died as much in a hurry as ever any man did, yet, when he died, the words used are, he fell asleep; he applied himself to his dying work with as much composure as if he had been going to sleep. He shall awake again in the morning of the resurrection, to be received into the presence of the Lord, where is fulness of joy, and to share the pleasures that are at his right hand, for evermore.