Stephen's Defence
Dean Alford. Acts 7:1-53 Then said the high priest, Are these things so?… In order to understand this wonderful and somewhat difficult speech, it will be well to bear in mind that a threefold element runs through it. I. He shows APOLOGETICALLY that so far from dishonouring Moses or God, he believes and holds in mind God's dealings with Abraham and Moses, and grounds upon them his preaching; that so far from dishonouring the temple, he bears in mind its history and the sayings of the prophets respecting it; and he is proceeding, when interrupted by their murmurs or inattention, he bursts forth into a holy vehemence of invective against their rejection of God. II. But simultaneously and parallel with this he also proceeds DIDACTICALLY, showing them that a future prophet was pointed out by Moses as the final lawgiver of God's people — that the Most High had revealed His spiritual and heavenly nature by the prophets, and did not dwell in temples made with hands. III. Even more remarkably does the POLEMIC element run through the speech. "It is not I, but you, who from the first times till now have rejected and spoken against God." And this element just appearing (ver. 9), and again more plainly (vers. 25-28), and again more pointedly still in ver. 35, becomes dominant in vers. 39-44, and finally prevails to the exclusion of the others in vers. 51-53. (Dean Alford.) Parallel Verses KJV: Then said the high priest, Are these things so? WEB: The high priest said, "Are these things so?"