en 0623

06
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Stephen Speaks to
the Sanhedrin
Acts 7:1~16
Stephen begins his masterful and detailed defense of the Christian faith based on the Old
Testament. The God of glory appears to Abraham and makes a covenant through circumcision
to be a blessing to all nations.
Acts 7
1Then the high priest questioned Stephen. “Is what these people are
saying true?” he asked. 2 “Brothers and fathers, listen to me!” Stephen
replied. “The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham. At that
time Abraham was still in Mesopotamia. He had not yet begun living
in * Harran. 3 ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said. ‘Go to the
land I will show you.’
4“So Abraham left the land of Babylonia. He settled in Harran. After
his father died, God sent Abraham to this land where you are now living.
5 God didn’t give him any property here. He didn’t even give him
enough land to set his foot on. But God made a promise to him and to
all his family after him. He said they would possess the land. The promise
was made even though at that time Abraham had no child.
6Here is what God said to him. ‘For 400 years your family after you will
be strangers in a country not their own. They will be slaves and will be
treated badly. 7 But I will punish the nation that makes them slaves,’
God said. ‘After that, they will leave that country and worship me here.’
8Then God made a covenant with Abraham. God told him that circumcision
would show who the members of the covenant were. Abraham
became Isaac’s father. He circumcised Isaac eight days after he
was born. Later, Isaac became Jacob’s father. Jacob had 12 sons. They
became the founders of the 12 tribes of Israel.
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9“Jacob’s sons were jealous of their brother Joseph. So they sold him as
a slave. He was taken to Egypt. But God was with him. 10 He saved Joseph
from all his troubles. God made Joseph wise. He helped him to
become the friend of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made Joseph
ruler over Egypt and his whole palace.
11“There was not enough food for all Egypt and Canaan. This brought
great suffering. Jacob and his sons couldn’t find food. 12 But Jacob heard
that there was grain in Egypt. So he sent his sons on their first visit.
13On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was. Pharaoh
learned about Joseph’s family.
14After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family. The
total number of people was 75. 15 Then Jacob went down to Egypt.
There he and his family died. 16 Some of their bodies were brought back
to Shechem. They were placed in a tomb Abraham had bought. He had
purchased it from Hamor’s sons at Shechem. He had purchased it for a
certain amount of money.
Mission Accomplished
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One Verse
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God's
What is God´s Message for you through today´s passage?
Thank Offerings
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