The Stoning of Stephen

   Acts 7:55-60

   Good News Translation (GNT)

*************************

55  But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up
   to heaven and saw God's glory and Jesus
   standing at the right side of God.
56  "Look!" he said. "I see heaven opened and the
   Son of Man standing at the right side of God!"

57  With a loud cry the Council members covered
   their ears with their hands. Then they all
   rushed at him at once,
58  threw him out of the city, and stoned him.
   The witnesses left their cloaks in the care of a
   young man named Saul.
59  They kept on stoning Stephen as he called out
   to the Lord, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"
60  He knelt down and cried out in a loud voice,
   "Lord! Do not remember this sin against them!"
   He said this and died.

*************************

   Commentary taken from
   'The Applied New Testament Commentary'
   (Kingsway)

The Stoning of Stephen

    Acts 7:55-60

A few years earner, Jesus Himself had stood before this same Sanhedrin.
At that time the high priest had asked Jesus, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"

And Jesus had replied: "I am ...And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven".

Now Stephen says to the Jews of the Sanhedrin:
"Look ... I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God".

Jesus is at God's right hand.
We don't need a temple. We don't need to observe a lot of religious rituals. We have Jesus, the Lord of heaven, standing at God's right hand interceding for us.

Because Jesus has gone before us into heaven, we who believe in Him can now come directly into the presence of God.

All the Jews present determined at once to condemn Stephen to death.
They were so angry that they didn't even wait to get permission from the Roman governor.

In fact, Stephen hadn't said anything worthy of the death penalty. Nevertheless, they considered that he had committed blasphemy against God. Therefore, they rushed with him to the place for stoning criminals and began to stone him.

The person to be executed was placed in a deep pit, and then heavy stones were thrown down upon him. Those who had testified against the person were required to throw the first stones.

In Stephen's case, all the Jews of the Sanhedrin were witnesses against him; therefore, they were all entitled to throw the first stone. They all took off their outer clothing, so that they could more easily throw the stones.

They laid their clothing at the feet of a young man named Saul. This Saul later became the Apostle Paul. Paul never forgot how he had given approval to Stephen's death (Acts 22:20).

Even as he was dying, Stephen followed the example of His Lord. While He was on the cross, Jesus had prayed for those who were crucifying him: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing".

In the same way, Stephen prayed: "Lord, do not hold this sin against them".
Even in the midst of intense suffering, Stephen didn't look at his persecutors; he looked to God.

When trouble comes upon us, what do we see?
Do we see our enemies, our bad circumstances? Or, like Stephen, do we see God?

Stephen was the first Christian to be killed for the sake of Jesus; he was the first Christian martyr. And ever since, Stephen has been an example of strong faith and steadfastness for countless believers down through the centuries.

We also, when great trouble or persecution comes upon us, can we, like Stephen, lift our eyes to heaven and see Jesus our Saviour.

And when we see Jesus standing at the right hand of God, then we will have no need to fear.
If God is for us, who can be against us?.
Who is he that condemns?

Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Jesus?.

Other versions are available here

Return to the Home Page

  During the Interregnum
  contact the Benefice Office
  E-mail:
  thebeneficeofbhkandr at gmail dot com

  Contact the Benefice Office
  Sunday School Rooms, Church Lane,
  BUGBROOKE, Northampton, NN7 3PB
  Land Line: 01604 830373
  E-mail:
  thebeneficeofbhkandr at gmail dot com
  Mon., Tues., Wed., Thur.
  9:00^am to 11:30^am

  For Baptism bookings  (Christenings)
  to arrange an appointment please contact
  the Benefice Office.

  For Wedding bookings:
  please contact the Benefice Office to arrange
  an appointment.

  Who Made This?
  Seeing as you asked, if you can give helpful
  advice or report factual corrections and
  'deliberate mistakes',email:-
  regparker3 at gmail dot com

  Email addresses shown using words in an
  attempt to avoid 'spam',
  Type the email address replacing 'at' with '@',
  and 'dot' with '.'