MTh Theses

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    The Polemical Nature of Stephen’s Speech to the Sanhedrin in Acts 7
    (South African Theological Seminary Johannesburg, South Africa) Aslett, Duane; Lioy, Dan T.
    The nature and purpose of Stephen‟s speech to the Sanhedrin has been much debated by scholars and theologians. One of the troubling aspects of the speech is the relationship between it and the charges made against Stephen. A second issue is what to make of the polemical material in the speech.Many scholars view the speech as irrelevant to its setting, some even maintaining that the speech is a Lucan composition inserted into the story of Stephen‟s martyrdom. Other scholars are of the opinion that the polemical material must be eliminated in order to find the original form of the speech. The basis of the confusion regarding the speech is the relationship of the content of the speech with the charges brought against Stephen and also with the invective (counter-charges) brought by Stephen at the end of the speech.This thesis examines the polemical nature of Stephen‟s speech by examining how the content of the speech firstly defends the charges of blasphemy against Stephen and secondly serves to prove the counter-charges of blasphemy brought by him against the audience. The study shows that the speech is both a defense of the charges against Stephen and an arraignment of the counter-charges brought by him. The speech is therefore entirely relevant to its setting and cannot be a later addition to the martyrdom of Stephen. Moreover, the polemical material increases exponentially throughout the speech to culminate in the counter-charges.The conclusion of the study is that the polemical nature of Stephen‟s speech serves to show that the charges against him are false and on the contrary, that the audience stands guilty of these charges. The charges of blasphemy against temple and law are committed by the audience in resisting the Holy Spirit, who is the witness of Christ, and betraying and murdering Jesus, who is the Temple and the Law.The Church should therefore view the polemical material of the speech as an integral part of the passage, not to be discarded as some scholars suggest, but relevant as a defense of the charges brought against Stephen and proving the counter-charges brought by him. These views will influence the manner in which the Church preaches the Gospel if the Bible is viewed as the inerrant Word of God, unified in theme and purpose.
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