You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do you.
Read Chapter 7
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Ye stiff-necked, and uncircumcised in heart. St. Stephen, inspired by the Holy Spirit, knowing he should die a martyr, boldly reproaches them for persecuting the prophets, for putting to death the just one, that is, the Messias, foretold by the prophets. (Witham)
Observe the holy indignation of St. Stephen at the obduracy of the incredulous Jews!
Above, speaking with a view to persuasion, he said, "our fathers"; now with a view to rebuke he calls them onlu "their fathers" whom they resemble in malice.
What is the reason that at this point he speaks in the tone of invective (καταφορικὥς)? Great was his boldness of speech, when at the point to die: for in fact I think he knew that this was the case. You stiffnecked, he says, and uncircumcised in heart and ears. This also is from the prophets: nothing is of himself. You do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Acts 7:51 When it was not His will that sacrifices should be, you sacrifice: when it is His will, then again ye do not sacrifice: when He would not give you commandments, you drew them to you: when you got them, you neglected them. Again, when the Temple stood, you worshipped idols: when it is His will to be worshipped without a Temple, you do the opposite. Observe, he says not, You resist God, but, the Spirit: so far was he from knowing any difference between Them. And, what is greater: As your fathers did, he says, so do ye. Thus also did Christ (reproach them), forasmuch as they were always boasting much...
When it was not His will that sacrifices should be, you sacrifice: when it is His will, then again ye do not sacrifice: when He would not give you commandments, you drew them to you: when you got them, you neglected them. Again, when the Temple stood, you worshipped idols: when it is His will to be worshipped without a Temple, you do the opposite. Observe, he says not, You resist God, but, the Spirit: so far was he from knowing any difference between Them. And, what is greater: As your fathers did, he says, so do ye. Thus also did Christ (reproach them), forasmuch as they were always boasting much of their fathers. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One: he still says, the Just One, wishing to check them: of Whom you have been now the betrayers and murderers— two charges he lays against them — who have received the Law by the disposition of Angels, and have not kept it.
