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This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel that spoke to him in the Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received living oracles to give to us,
Verse Takeaways
1
The Church's Ancient Roots
Stephen calls the Israelites the "church in the wilderness." Commentators explain this term (Greek: ekklesia) means "congregation" or "assembly." By using it, Stephen connects God's people in the Old Testament with the new community of believers in Christ. The new church is not a replacement but the intended fulfillment of the old, showing a continuous story of God's called-out people throughout history.
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8
18th Century
Presbyterian
In the church. The word church literally means the people called out. It is applied very appropriately to the assembly o…
In the church in the wilderness (εν τη εκκλησια εν τη ερημω). Better rendered "congregation" here as in Heb 2:12 ([Reference Psalm…
19th Century
Anglican
That was in the church in the wilderness.—The word ecclesia is used, as it had been in the Septuagint ([Reference Deutero…
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Baptist
Though Moses had brought them out of Egypt, they were not obedient to him, and they wanted to go back to the land of bondage.
And, ah! brothe…
Tension is now beginning to build up in Stephen’s speech. Starting from the rather placid historical narrative of vv.2–34 and moving to the more st…
16th Century
Protestant
Stephen proceeds to set forth the perversity of the people, who though they were stirred up by so many benefits from God, yet they never ceased mal…
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17th Century
Reformed Baptist
This is he that was in the church in the wilderness Which must be understood of the children of Israel, who were the…
People deceive themselves if they think God cannot do what He sees to be good anywhere; He can bring His people into a wilderness and there speak c…