Journal: Westminster Theological Journal
Volume: WTJ 34:1 (Nov 1971)
Article: Acts 7: Jewish or Samaritan in Character?
Author: W. Harold Mare

WTJ 34:1 (Nov 71) p. 1

Acts 7: Jewish or Samaritan in Character?

W. Harold Mare

Does Stephen’s speech in Acts 7:2–50 represent an accurate account of facets of Old Testament history as set forth in the Hebrew Massoretic and the Septuagint texts from a Jewish-Christian viewpoint, or is it a syncretistic Samaritan interpretation of that history?

Abram Spiro in the volume on The Acts in the Anchor Bible has raised that question by stating: “Stephen was a Samaritan according to the native tradition preserved by Abul-Fath (Vilmar edition, 1865, p. 159). Acts 7:2–50 confirms this,1 for it depends on the Samaritan Pentateuch and reflects Samaritan views of Old Testament history.”2 This work further speaks of Acts 7:2–50 as “Stephen’s missionary tract.”3

In summary, Spiro’s arguments that Acts 7 depends on the Samaritan Pentateuch and reflects Samaritan views of the Old Testament4 are based on the following contentions:

(1) That Samaritan influence and viewpoint for the speech in Acts 7 can be seen in the background setting in Acts 6, where the term “Hebrews” (verse 1) refers to the

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Samaritans, who often called themselves “Hebrews”; the reference to “place” (6:13, 14) reflects Samaritan usage; and the charges of the false witnesses (6:13, 14) reflects Stephen’s Samaritan propaganda given to the city in general, and do not refer to his being on trial before the Sanhedrin.5

(2) That a number of linguistic and historical peculiarities in Acts 7:2–50 show that this speech was Stephen’s Samaritan missionary tract.6 The following linguistic features and terms are claimed to show Samaritan influence:

(a) The use of νῦν, “now,” in Acts 7:4 does not apply to the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, but rather to new...