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Act_7:54-60
Act_7:55-56. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost.—While his hearers yielded more and more to their violent passions, and were filled with a carnal fire, and, indeed, with a spirit from the bottomless pit, the soul of this faithful witness, on the contrary, was filled, by the grace of God, with a heavenly fire—he was full of the Holy Ghost from above. Instead of looking at the men who surrounded him, and whose increasing fury might have inspired him with fear, or awakened a carnal zeal in his own soul, he looked up, and, full of faith and hope, directed his longing glance towards heaven. And he gazes in the spirit, in an ecstasy, on an object which the eye of the body cannot behold, and which no other person in that place saw at that moment, namely, the äüîá Èåïῦ (comp. ὁ Èåὸòô . äüîçò , Act_7:2), the celestial splendor in which God himself appears; he saw, too, Jesus standing on the right hand of God. As a fearless confessor, he declares aloud all that he beholds. He mentions, in Act_7:56, two particulars which characterize this internal vision:—first, the heavens are opened even unto the innermost sanctuary, unto the highest heaven (and here the plural number claims attention) [“the third heaven,” 2Co_12:2; see the note on the passage in a subsequent volume.—Tr.].; secondly, he sees the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. It is remarkable that he here applies the name to Jesus, ὁ õἱὸò ôïῦ ἀíèñþðïõ , which the Saviour himself so frequently employs, while the four Gospels do not mention a single case in which it was pronounced by another; and neither the evangelists nor the apostles employ it themselves in the Gospels, the Acts, or the Epistles. [The phrase: “like unto the Son of man”, Rev_1:13; Rev_14:14, is peculiar.—Tr.]. But here Stephen, to whom, perhaps, the language in Dan_7:13-14, [or, possibly, that in Mat_26:64 (Alford)] occurred at the moment, applies this name to the Messiah, Jesus. The employment of it in the present passage is, unquestionably, an evidence of the historical fidelity of the narrative before us.—Another peculiarity in the language of Stephen is the circumstance that he sees Jesus standing ( ἑóôῶôá ) on the right hand of God. The Lord is always described, both in his own statements (Mat_26:64), and in those of the apostles and evangelists (e. g., Eph_1:20; Mar_16:19), as sitting at the right hand of God. Here, too, the language before us strikingly differs from the usual form of expression, and thus furnishes another illustration of the genuineness and fidelity of the whole narrative. What is implied by the fact that Jesus is standing at the right hand of God? Doubtless, that he has arisen, and stands ready to receive and welcome this faithful witness (comp. Act_7:59), quasi obvium Stephano. (Bengel). [Chrysostom had already replied to the question just proposed: ἵíá äåßîῃ ôὴí ἀíôßëçøéí ôὴí åἰò ôὸí ìÜñôõñá . (Alf. ad loc.).—Tr.]. The credibility of this statement respecting the vision, is attested by the circumstance that it was seen by him alone, and by no other, inasmuch as the account in Act_7:55 could have been derived only from his own words as reported in Act_7:56. It is needless to resort either to the attenuating interpretation that Stephen merely intended to express his unshaken faith in the glorification of Jesus, and in his own early entrance into heaven (Michaelis), or to the neutralizing conjecture that the historian himself had simply wished to give distinctness and force to his individual view, by expressing himself as if an ecstatic vision had actually been granted to Stephen.
Act_7:57. Then they cried out.—The exasperation of the hearers reached its height, and could no longer be controlled, when Stephen bore witness, in accordance with the vision, to the exaltation and glorification of Jesus. They began to utter loud cries, in order that he might not be understood, and stopped their ears, so that they might not hear his supposed blasphemies. Then they rushed upon him in a body, drove him with violence from the city and stoned him. The session of the council was suddenly brought to a close by the fanatical tumult which commenced; and the lapidation which followed, was, professedly, a religious act, an example of popular justice. It is apparent that a judicial decision had not yet been formally announced (Ewald), and, further, that no sentence pronounced by the Sanhedrin had yet been submitted to the Roman procurator, without whose sanction the Jews could not inflict capital punishments [Joh_18:31]. In these respects the proceedings were unjustifiable and illegal. But we are by no means authorized by the facts before us, to assert that such a tumultuary termination of a session of the Sanhedrin (which obviously began amid much excitement), could not possibly have occurred in reality. There is no reason whatever for denying the historical accuracy of the narrative, and assuming, as Baur and Zeller are inclined to do, first, that the whole occurrence was nothing more, even from the beginning, than a popular tumult, and secondly, that the account of the official action of the Sanhedrin should be wholly rejected, as an unhistorical addition.—They cast him ἔîù ôῆò ðüëåùò , in accordance with the law, Lev_24:14, that a blasphemer should be stoned “without the camp”, in order that the abode of the people might not be desecrated by an execution. [Comp. 1Ki_21:13; Heb_13:12-13.]
Act_7:58. Stoned him; the term ἐëéèïâüëïõí is here employed summarily, or by way of anticipation, and is not to be understood in the sense that they prepared or attempted (conatus) to stone him; the fact itself is stated in its proper order in the next verse.—And the witnesses laid down their clothes.—The men who had witnessed against Stephen, Act_6:13, were required by the law (Deu_17:7) to cast the first stones on the transgressor. In order that they might not be impeded in the act by their wide and flowing upper garments, they laid these aside, and intrusted them to the care of the young man who was named Saul. Then they and the rest of the people hurled stones at Stephen.
Act_7:59. Stephen, calling upon, etc.—The dying martyr uttered two exclamations: the first is a petition referring to himself; he beseeches Jesus, the exalted Lord, to receive his departing spirit unto himself in heaven. He utters the second with a loud and distinct voice, on his knees; it is an intercessory petition for the forgiveness of his murderers. [It is “copied from our Lord’s upon the cross, Luk_23:34” (J. A. Alex.), but “no parallel to it can be found out of Christian history.” (Hack.).—Tr.].— ÌἢóôÞóῃò — ôÞí ἁì . ôáýôçí , literally translated, is: “Establish not this sin unto them”, (comp. Rom_10:3), the antithetic or corresponding term [to ἱóôÜíáé , here, subj. aor.—Tr.] being ἀöéÝíáé . Others translate: “Weigh not this sin unto them”, i.e. “Do not recompense them according to strict justice.” Both of the petitions are addressed to Jesus; this is, undeniably, true of the former, unless we offer violence to the text, (namely, by arbitrarily pronouncing ̔ Ἱçóïῦ to be a genitive); [“It is in the vocative case, as in Rev_22:20.” (de Wette).—Tr.]; it is equally true with regard to the latter, [For the words: upon God, in the English version, see note 3 above, appended to the text.—Tr.]
Act_7:60. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.—Luke describes the end of Stephen by designedly employing a word [occurring, e. g., Joh_11:11; Act_13:36; 2Pe_3:4], which does not, at first view, seem to correspond in the least to a violent and bloody death. He evidently intends to imply by it, that the end of the noble disciple had, nevertheless, been peaceful, through the divine power and grace of the Redeemer, who overcame for him the terrors of a bloody death, and received his spirit. For although Stephen was overpowered and murdered by lawless violence and a brutal fury that was set on fire of hell, nevertheless, even when he succumbed, he gained a glorious victory by his steadfast faith, his forgiving love, and his patience. The people of Israel seemed, indeed, to have prevailed, when they silenced this enlightened and bold confessor of Jesus, by robbing him of life. But they sustained a vast moral and religious loss, through their implacable hostility towards Stephen, their increased obduracy and opposition to the truth, and the growing power which their mad passions acquired over them. They degraded themselves, became a prey to their delusions and passions, and were, in truth, not the conquering, but the conquered party.
2. The Son of man standing on the right hand of God.—Stephen sees and recognizes Jesus; he had doubtless previously known him on earth, loved him as his Lord, and often heard the term “Son of man” proceeding from his lips. He now sees him, exalted to the right hand of God, it is true, but still appearing as man. The Redeemer is, and remains, He who was born of a woman [Gal_4:4], true man.—The Scriptures employ various modes of expression, when the state of exaltation of Jesus Christ is described. The apostles and evangelists say that he sat down (Mar_16:19; Rev_3:21), or that God set him at his right hand (Eph_1:20). Jesus himself says: “Ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming, etc.” (Mat_26:64). And here Stephen sees him standing at the right hand of God. All these terms express, partly, the most perfect personal union of Jesus with God the Father, and, partly, the plenitude of his divine power and authority. But these different modes of expression are, without doubt, designed to prevent the Christian from adhering to any one conception exclusively, as if it alone corresponded to the reality, and to remind him that any term which may be employed, is still only an image presented to our faith, and not the heavenly reality itself as an object of sight.
3. We cannot entertain, a single doubt, suggested by exegetical considerations, that Stephen called on Jesus himself, and prayed to Him. He had, in his ecstatic vision, seen Jesus, looking down on him with kindness and love, willing and ready to receive him. Nothing was, therefore, more natural, than that he should call on Him in behalf of himself and his murderers. Who would censure him for doing so? It is precisely because Jesus is exalted to the right hand of God the Father, is most intimately united with him, and participates in the government of all things, that men are at liberty and under obligations to call on him in prayers addressed directly to him. [“The Christians called on Jesus, Act_9:14; Act_9:21; Act_22:16; comp. Act_2:21; Rom_10:12-13.” (de Wette); see above, Exeg. note on Act_1:24.—Tr.].—Such prayers cannot impair, indeed, they rather promote, the divine honor of the Father (Php_2:10 ff.), who has so highly exalted Jesus Christ his Son, that men may honor him, even as they honor the Father [Joh_5:23], The case would, of course, be very different, if an individual should pray to Christ alone, and never call on God the Father; the New Testament furnishes no authority for such a course either by precept or example. The prayers which occur in it, are, in the great majority of cases, addressed to God, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
4. The martyrdom of Stephen is the only case of the kind which is described in detail in the Acts, and, indeed, in the whole New Testament. He is the first of all those who, under the new covenant, sealed their testimony with their blood; a cloud of witnesses followed after him. And the history of these martyrs, who died for the sake of the Gospel, and kept “the patience and the faith of the saint
[Rev_13:10], abounds in instructive materials. But here, too, as elsewhere [see Doctr. etc. on Act_7:44-53, No. 1], the sinful tendency of man to substitute the creature for the Creator, and to allow Him to recede from the view, through whom alone salvation can be obtained, and who alone possesses absolutely perfect merit, has more than once betrayed its influence. To this error the history of Stephen is already intended by the Holy Spirit to offer a barrier; for, in the first place, we have here the only case of martyrdom of which the New Testament gives a full account; and, in the second place, even this narrative designs, when its whole tenor is carefully examined, to give prominence and glory, not to Stephen, but, in truth, to Jesus Christ alone. For if the sufferings and death of Stephen exhibit any noble and holy features, and if they, in any form, terminate in victory, this is the result solely of “the fellowship of” Stephen’s “sufferings” with those of Christ, he “being made conformable unto His death.” [Php_3:10]. As Jesus prayed on the cross: “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit,” [Luk_23:46], so Stephen prayed: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And as the Redeemer offered up the supplication for his enemies: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do,” [Luk_23:34], so Stephen offered an entreaty in behalf of his murderers: “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” The dying man’s soul is, very evidently, occupied with the crucifixion of Jesus, and with the words which he pronounced on the cross. It was, indeed, Christ himself, dwelling in him by faith, who spoke through him and suffered in him; Stephen’s soul, his words and his acts, like a mirror, reflected the image of Jesus himself. In him and in his martyrdom, Christ was glorified.
Act_7:55. Looked up into heaven.—Heaven accepts of that which the earth rejects. (Starke).—God grants to many dying believers, through his great mercy, a foretaste of the joys of life eternal.—Jesus standing on the right hand of God.—The exalted Saviour: I. Sitting on the right hand of the Majesty on high [Heb_1:3; Heb_8:1]; (a) ruling over all with God; (b) the Judge of the world; but also, II. Standing, ready (a) to protect his people against their enemies; (b) to receive them, when they have “fought the good fight of faith” [1Ti_6:12].
Act_7:56. Behold, I see the heavens opened.—The heavens opened above the death-bed of the believer.—The Son of man standing, etc.—It is only through Christ, and in him, that the heavens are opened, whether we live, or whether we die.—Christ, even on the right hand of God, is still the Son of man; the instruction and consolation, which this truth affords, whether we contemplate the present life, or the life to come.
Act_7:58. And cast him out of the city, and stoned him.—Blessed are the afflictions that conduct us to God himself! When the world casts us from its bosom, we ascend to Abraham’s bosom. (Starke).—He, too, was thrust out of the city, whose name Stephen confessed. The faithful witnesses of Jesus still hear the cry repeated: “Out of the city!” We cannot long preach Christ in any city without molestation; even if stones are not always thrown at us, the filth of slander is heaped upon us. (Gossner).—Now liest thou there, beloved Stephen! This is the reward which the world gives to the servants and faithful followers of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. Such is the death of true saints. (Luther).—The stones which the world casts at the witnesses of God: they become, I. Monuments, proclaiming the shame of the enemies of the truth; II. Precious stones, in the crowns of glorified martyrs; III. The seed of a new life for the Church of Christ.—A young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.—They stone one witness, but God is preparing another to take his place. (Starke).
Act_7:59. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!—Lord Jesus! Lord Jesus! This is the glorious battle-cry of the children of God, the watchword by which we recognize one another, the sound of the trumpet at which the walls of Jericho fall down. It rings in the Church of God like the alarm-bell which proclaims that a conflagration is raging in the city—it resounds like the signal-gun when the enemy approaches. Lord Jesus! This is the cry of the new-born babe in Christ, the exclamation of the aged pilgrim who is leaving the world—it is the utterance of all their grief and their hope. Lord Jesus! This is our sword, our pilgrim’s staff, our whole dependence. Stephen commits his soul into the hands of his King: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” O sure and blessed refuge of the soul! We are happy when we fall into these priestly hands, and are offered up on this altar. Many an individual becomes aware only in the last moments of his life, that he has a soul, which can no longer walk in the same way with the flesh. Whither shall this soul go? Shall it return to the world? But the gate is closed. Shall it fall into the hands of Satan? That would be an awful doom. Shall it fall into the hands of the Almighty? But he is a consuming fire. Shall it seek Jesus? But it does not believe in him. Cruel perplexity! Stephen’s soul enjoys a holy calm—it knows the way of peace. He reposes on the bosom of his Mediator: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” (Krummacher).
Act_7:60. Lord, lay not this sin to their charge!—This petition of Stephen, viewed in its different aspects: as the petition, I. Of a dying man; II. Of a man who forgets his personal concerns; III. Of a man who seeks nothing but the kingdom of God. (Schleiermacher).—Si Stephanus non sic orasset, ecclesia Paulum non haberet. (Augustine).—He fell asleep.—Not many words are expended on the pains and death endured by Stephen; they were a “light affliction and but for a moment” [2Co_4:17], “not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.” [Rom_8:18]. Hence, the historian briefly says: “He fell asleep.” It may, in truth, be said, that when the saint dies, he falls asleep; “there remaineth a rest to the people of God.” [Heb_4:9]. (Apost. Past.).—The best will and testament of the Christian: it is that which commends, I. The soul, to heaven; II. The body, to the earth; III. Friends, to the divine protection; IV. Enemies, to the divine compassion. (Starke).—The death of Stephen: I. Directing his last glance to heaven; II. Bearing his last testimony to the Lord; III. Devoting his last care to his spirit; IV. Offering his last prayer for his enemies. (Florey).—The suffering and dying Stephen, a mirror reflecting the image of the crucified Jesus: I. The shame of the cross; both appearing before the same great Council, falsely accused, unjustly condemned, cast out of the city; II. The glory of the cross; in both, fearlessness in self-defence, patient endurance, ardent love of enemies (the first word of Jesus [Luk_23:34], the last of Stephen), a blessed hope of heaven (the last word of Jesus, the first of Stephen).—The Christian’s chamber of death: I. The battle-field on which faith overcomes the word; II. The sanctuary of holy love; III. The scene of the triumph of Christian hope.—The first evangelical martyr: I. The cause for which he suffers; II. The divine aid which he receives; III. The frame of mind in which he dies. (Krummacher).—The power of Christ, manifested in believers: I. He enables them to confess him with such joyousness and courage, that no enemies can resist them, Act_6:8-10; II. He adorns them with such purity of life, that even the tongue of slander cannot reach them, Act_6:11-13; III. He fills them with such meekness and love, that they pray even for their worst enemies; Act_7:59; IV. He soothes them in the hour of death, by affording them a view of his eternal glory, Act_7:55; Act_7:59. (Leonh. and Spiegelh.).—The example of Stephen: it teaches us, that the Christian possesses, I. The zeal and the wisdom of faith, in his walk and conversation; II. The serenity and the courage of faith, in his trials; III. The confidence and the peace of faith, in the hour of death. (Bachmann).—The honorable badges by which the Lord distinguished the nobility of soul of his faithful disciple Stephen: I. He was full of faith and power, and did great wonders and miracles among the people [ch. Act_6:8]; II. He was filled with a cheerful and unshrinking courage, when he suffered from the injustice of the world; III. He beheld the approach of death with firmness and holy hope; IV. His memory was blessed [Pro_10:7], and wrought a new life (Saul), even after he had fallen asleep. (W. Hofacker).—Stephen, and his three crowns (his Greek name signifies, a crown): I. The beautiful crown of grace, with which the Lord adorned him in his words and works; II. The bloody crown of thorns, which, like his Saviour, he wore in suffering and in death; III. The heavenly crown of honor, which was laid up [2Ti_4:8] in eternity for this faithful martyr.—The three birthdays of the Christian: inconsequence of the birth of Christ, I. Our spiritual birth becomes possible; II. Our bodily birth is a welcome event; III. Our eternal birth is sure. (Strauss, on the festival of St. Stephen [Dec. 26], in allusion to Christmas [Dec. 25].).—The manifestation of Jesus Christ is both unto life, and unto death: I. It is unto life (the primitive church; the power of the wisdom and the words of Stephen); II. It is unto death (bodily, spiritual death); III. In death, it is unto life (the happy end of Stephen; the conversion of Saul). (W. Hofacker).—The manger, the path to the cross; the cross, the path to heaven. (Kapff).—The manger, the cross, and the crown, the three stations in the life of the disciple, as of the Master.—The dying Stephen, a conqueror: I. He overcomes the murderous cry of a hostile world, when he looks with the eye of faith into heaven, Act_7:54-55; II. He overcomes the bitterness of death, when he serenely commits his spirit into the hands of Jesus, Act_7:56-58; III. He overcomes his own flesh and blood, when he offers an intercessory prayer for his murderers, Act_7:59.—Why is Stephen’s death the only case of martyrdom described in the New Testament? I. This narrative exhibits the leading features of all succeeding cases of martyrdom; II. It stands alone, in order that here, too, the glory of Christ may not be diminished, and that we may, like the dying Stephen himself, look first of all to Him who is the author and finisher of our faith. [Heb_12:2].
Footnotes:
Act_7:56. Tischendorf, who follows the authority of A. B. C. [also Cod. Sin.], prefers the reading äéçíïéãìÝíïõò to ἀíåῳãì .; the latter is the usual reading, and is attested by D. E. H., as well as some of the fathers. [Lach. and Alf. concur with Tisch.—Tr.]
Act_7:57. êñÜîáíôïò , in place of the usual reading, êñÜîáíôåò , is found only in one manuscript [a minuscule ms.], and is unquestionably spurious. [The plural, of text rec., is found also in Cod. Sin., and is retained by all the recent editors.—Tr.]
Act_7:59. [“Upon God is introduced by the Geneva version, and King James’s, no doubt with a good design, but with a very bad effect, that of separating Stephen’s invocation from its object, and obscuring, if not utterly concealing, a strong proof of the divinity of Christ.” (Alexander).—Tr.]