Acts 7:1 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

ACTS CHAPTER 7 Acts 7:1-8 Stephen, called upon to answer the charge against him, relateth how God called Abraham, and gave him and his seed the land of Canaan by promise, Acts 7:9-16 how Joseph was sold by his brethren, and Jacob with his family went down into Egypt, Acts 7:17-36 how, when they were oppressed by the Egyptians, Moses was born, and sent to deliver Israel out of Egypt, Acts 7:37-43 that this same Moses witnessed of Christ, received the law, and experienced the disobedience and idolatry of their forefathers, Acts 7:44-50 who had the tabernacle of witness, till Solomon built the temple, Acts 7:51-53 He reproacheth his hearers with imitating their fathers rebellion against God, and persecution of his prophets, by having themselves murdered Christ, and transgressed the law they had received, Acts 7:54-60 Stung with reproach, they stone him, looking up with faith unto God, and calling upon Jesus to receive his soul, and forgive his persecutors, Then said the high priest; who was resolved to condemn any, right or wrong, that should profess Christ, as appears 1 Thessalonians 9:22. Are these things so? That he might seem just, he gives him a kind of liberty to answer for himself; not to defend his doctrine, but; to know out of his own mouth whether he preached it, or not.