The Relationship of Jewish and Gentile Believers to the Law Between A.D. 30 and 70 in the Scripture

and sees worship in Jerusalem as a divinely granted fulfillment of the original promise. Stephen next narrates with approval the giving of the covenant of circumcision to Abraham and records the "lawfully correct" circumcision of Isaac on the eighth day (7:8). 35 60 The largest section of this, the longest speech recorded by Luke, is devoted to Moses (7: 17-44), the giver of the Law. Moses is presented from beginning to end in the most favorable light; none of his weaknesses are ever mentioned. To the Old Testament statement that Moses was a "goodly child" (Exod 2:2) Stephen adds "in the sight of God" (7:20) underscoring the divine approval. Even his murder of the Egyptian and consequent flight to the desert are cast in the most favorable light (7:23-29). Moses is described as the divinely approved "ruler and deliverer" (7:35) credited with performing signs and wonders (7:35) who spoke directly with God at Sinai (7:38). Then, in perhaps his most remarkable and direct answer to the charge made against him concerning the "customs of Moses," Stephen describe ,;, the Law which Moses received from God as "living oracles" (116yta swvTa , 7:38). If Stephen considered Moses and the Law to have been anything except God's gracious gift to be treasured, he hid his feelings well. concerning the Temple, "he speaks incessantly against this holy place" and "will de troy thi place," 6: 13-14) as "this place" (Tonov To0Tov ) would suggest this correlation. The writer of 2 Maccabees uses the same familiar terminology: 2 Maccabees 5: 19-20, "But the Lord did not choose the nation for the sake of the holy place, but the place for the sake of the nation . 20 Therefore the place itself hared in the misfortunes that befell the nation and after ard participated in its benefits; and what was for aken in the wrath of the Almight wa re t red again in all it glory when the great Lord becam r onciled" (NR ) . onzelmann e tephen' word "and worship me in this place" a a replacement of the rd f du 3: 12, "you shall wor hip God on thi mountain ." Whatever the original te t a , it i that tephen ha changed it to "thi place ," which onzelmann al o e a a r £ r n Temple, "opoc;, 'mountain,' i replaced by Tonoc;, 'plac ,' thu inai i r pla ed b J ru al m or the emple (the two meaning e entiall th am thing)" H ns nz lm nn, Act of the Apo tie , d . Id n Jay pp and hri t ph r R. Matthe , tran . J m 1m ur , A. homa Kr ab 1, and D nald H. Ju I, Herm n i (Phil d lphi : rtr Pr 1987), 2. onzelmann , h no hint riti i Ill n rt h r ," Ibid , _