Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them who foretold of the coming of the Just One: of whom you have been now the betrayers and murderers.
τινα των προφητων ουκ εδιωξαν οι πατερες υμων και απεκτειναν τους προκαταγγειλαντας περι της ελευσεως του δικαιου ου νυν υμεις προδοται και φονεις γεγενησθε
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse
“Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One.” He says “the Righteous One” in order to bring them to understanding even by this. “Of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers.” He reproves them for two things: that they did not acknowledge the prophets, and that they killed them.
"Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?" If your fathers killed these forerunners, then there is nothing surprising if I, who preach the One whom they foretold, will be killed by you, who are excessively proud of your ancestors.
"Of the coming of the Righteous One." He says "Righteous One" to show that He was unjustly killed by them. For if He is righteous, then those who killed Him are very unrighteous.
He calls Him righteous because they too could not deny this. For nowhere did they condemn Him as unrighteous. How could they condemn on this charge One who did not even have shelter?
But he sets before them their two crimes: murder and betrayal. For he says, "You have become His betrayers and murderers, you who received the law by the ordinance of angels and did not keep it." That is, the law arranged by angels and delivered by the one who appeared in the bush.
He shows that they neither obeyed nor now obey God, angels, prophets, or the Spirit.
At the same time, however, this speech is also accusatory. While reading it, one cannot fail to notice that Stephen tries, wherever possible, to set the benefactions of the saving God against the ingratitude and unbelief of the Israelites.
Thus, already in the life of the patriarchs, he points to Joseph's suffering from the envy of his brothers, the forefathers of the Israelite people (v. 9). In Egypt, the descendants of these sons of Jacob reject the saving hand of Moses (vv. 25-28, 35). In the wilderness, they reject Moses and God (vv. 39-43).
"Stiff-necked!" Stephen now says, turning to the assembly. "People uncircumcised in heart and ears!" As those men killed the ones who foretold Christ, so you have killed Christ Himself. You carry out this resistance to Christ in the name of the law. But this is false: you have not kept it (vv. 51-53).
The persecutions of the prophets, the bearers of God's Spirit whom He filled for the accomplishment of their great work, were a special expression of this disobedience and resistance. Cf. 2 Pet 1:21.
Again the reproach is somewhat generalized for the force of the speech. The speech is intensified still more in the following words: they "killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One." This means the Righteous One above all, Jesus Christ (Acts 3:14).
Although they foretold the coming of the Messiah by the Holy Spirit of God, your fathers killed them. For such resistance to His Spirit, they are all the more guilty before God.
According to tradition, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others were killed in this way. What your fathers did to the prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah, you did to the Messiah Himself. You are His betrayers and murderers.
The implied thought is this: you committed a sin so much heavier, and proved yourselves so much more impious than your fathers, as the sin of killing the Messiah is heavier than killing His prophets.
They were betrayers by handing Him over to Pilate and to death. They were murderers by crucifying the Messiah. Cf. Acts 2:23; Acts 3:13; Acts 3:15 and note.
Saint Stephen joined fathers and descendants in his accusation especially because the Jews boasted of their ancestors. Yet those ancestors did not keep the law, although it had been given by God in the presence of the angels who always serve God (see Deut 33:2; cf. Gal 3:19; Heb 2:2).
The later fathers not only refused to listen to the prophets, but also persecuted them. Meanwhile the prophets not only accused them, but also threatened them with the coming of the Messiah. They foretold Him, and you, the sons worthy of such fathers, killed Him.
According to Saint John Chrysostom, "Here he presents them as disobedient to God, to the angels, to the prophets, to the Spirit, and to all."
"If your fathers killed these forerunners, then there is nothing surprising if I too, who preach this One who was foretold, will be killed by you, who are excessively proud of your ancestors."
"He sets before them two crimes, the murder and betrayal of the Righteous One. He shows that He was unjustly killed by them, because if He is the Righteous One, then those who killed Him are very unrighteous."
In the account of Saint Stephen's death, his speech stands out, occupying the greater part of the narrative. Yet by this the account is not set apart from the others. It is enough to compare this separate narrative with such sections as 2:1-41; 13:13-52; 17:16-34; 20:17-38.
We shall see that in other places in Acts, monological speeches also form the center of the narrator's account. In Saint Stephen's speech there are many characteristic features which compel us to suppose that we have here its authentic presentation.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 24 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS