Studies 1 to 2
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ADA029
The murder of Stephen
Analysis of the account of the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7.54-60), the first Christian martyr. The article examines the anger of the Sanhedrin, the legally irregular character of the execution, the vision of the glorified Christ granted to Stephen, and the theological parallel Luke draws between the passion of the disciple and that of Jesus. The presence of Saul foreshadows the rest of the apostolic narrative.
Psalms 37.12 (King James Version) :The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.Noteplotteth: or, practisethKing James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org -
ADA031
The persecution
Article ADA031 examines the great persecution of the early church in Jerusalem (Acts 8.1-3), around AD 34-35. After Stephen’s martyrdom, the repression extends to all believers, women included. Saul of Tarsus is its chief architect, driven by a sincere but misdirected zeal for the Jewish traditions. This text illustrates the fulfillment of Jesus’ warnings about persecution and foreshadows Paul’s future conversion.
Acts 22.4 (King James Version) :And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org