ou remember the quotation from Moses, that Peter used on Solomon's porch, Acts 3:22 - 23? If you don't, I suggest you re-read it. Do you remember in Matthew 5, toward the end of the chapter, Jesus, in the sermon on the mount, 6 times after quoting or paraphrasing one of the 10 Commandments said,
But I say unto you.
Then he gave the law that superseded that 10 Commandment Law. Paul expressed it in this way in Galatians 3: 24-25,
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are not longer under the schoolmaster.
Can it be said plainer than that? The New Testament is filled with statements of this kind. For example, only five verses before the quotation, I just read, Paul said, (I quote from Galatians 3:19)
Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, TILL the seed should come.
Verse 16, three verses above that, defines the 'seed' as Christ. Some people today get about as upset as those Jews in the synagogue of the Libertines did, when they discover this. Of course, most people are not that way, there are a lot of good and honest hearts in this old world today, all they want is to know is the facts, v. 12, we have already read. They stirred up the people, especially the ones on the council and brought Stephen before the council. OK for the 3rd time we find another of Christ's followers before the Jewish council, standing in that same spot where Jesus stood when the chief priests and elders took counsel to put Jesus to death. Now, see if you can get this association in perspective. This was a Grecian synagogue, located in or around Jerusalem. Those synagogue leaders could not,resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake, (v. 10)
So they suborned men to give false testimony and stirred up the scribes and the elders and brought Stephen before the council. This litigation consumes the remainder of Chapter 6 and all of Chapter 7. This is the 3rd time in our study we have observed the council in session. You will recall the high priest is the chairman of this council. He was of the sect of the Sadducees and the Sadducees had brought the charges before. This time the charges are brought by the Pharisees. Now, I would assume, when the council had assembled and Stephen was standing before the court, the high priest either asked or motioned for the charges to be read or stated. The quotation in v. 13-14 is a formal statement of the charges. The false witnesses that had been groomed for this job stood and read the charges:
This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous works against this holy place and the law: for we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.
As you try to analyze this, notice the basic charge consists of the quotation in v. 13. Verse 14 is an elaboration upon this charge. A paraphrase of the basic charge would be: "Stephen continually curses the temple and the law." Notice this does not include the statement that was used to stir up the people, i.e. that he cursed God. That statement was used to stir up the elders and the scribes, also. You see the elders and scribes sat on this council, so they had heard the charges that be blasphemed God, although it was not formally stated here. Whether the statement as it stands in v. 13 would have been sufficient to justify the death penalty, had it been proven true, according to the Law of Moses, is a good question; that I am not lawyer enough to answer. I get the impression from reading this, they though so anyhow.
Now, the elaboration in v. 14: the witnesses claimed they had heard Stephen say two things. First that Jesus of Nazareth would destroy the temple. I would assume, the words, "this place" referred to the temple and not Jerusalem, although the antecedent is not absolutely clear. Second, they claimed Stephen had said that Jesus of Nazareth would change the customs which Moses delivered. With reference to the first, destroying the temple, you may remember, this same cha