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The Stoning of Stephen
Act 7:54-60
When Stephen was finished speaking, those in the Sanhedrin (it does not say if some present that day were believers or not but they certaintly did not participate if so) who were unbelievers became enraged and gnashed their teeth. Obviously, Stephen's words hit their mark, just as it had with Peter's speach. With Peter though, his words had brought faith and repentance. With Stephen's, it brought rage and fury. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit was gazing into the heavens. He cried out, "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
Many times in scripture we see Yeshua referenced as "sitting at the right hand of God", in Stephens encounter though, he saw Yeshua "standing" at the right hand of God. Since Yeshua's function in heaven is to be the cohen gadol for all believers and intercede for them his posture indicates that Stephen sees him performing his High-Priest duties for which he would be standing, not be sitting.
This enraged the crowd even more and they rushed upon him, drug him out of the city and began stoning him. This is not normal behavior for the Sanhedrin and they had not even declared a verdict on Stephen yet. Stephen should have been protected by the law. It had either already been decided by the jury to put Stephen out or emotion was allowed to rule over reason.
Stoning was to take place outside the city gates (Deut 17:2-7; Lev 24:14). The witnesses were to be the first to throw stones. The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a man named Saul. Saul may have been a member of the Sanhedrin, though there is not enough information to really say, but he was present.
As they stoned him, Stephen cried out, "Lord Yeshua, receive my spirit. Do not hold this sin against them". Then he died. Stephen was the first martyr, to die for his faith in Yeshua and he learned how to face death from Yeshua himself. Both Judaism and Christianity honor their Martyrs, however, Martyrdom is neither a virtue or a goal.
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Act 7:54-60
When Stephen was finished speaking, those in the Sanhedrin (it does not say if some present that day were believers or not but they certaintly did not participate if so) who were unbelievers became enraged and gnashed their teeth. Obviously, Stephen's words hit their mark, just as it had with Peter's speach. With Peter though, his words had brought faith and repentance. With Stephen's, it brought rage and fury. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit was gazing into the heavens. He cried out, "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
Many times in scripture we see Yeshua referenced as "sitting at the right hand of God", in Stephens encounter though, he saw Yeshua "standing" at the right hand of God. Since Yeshua's function in heaven is to be the cohen gadol for all believers and intercede for them his posture indicates that Stephen sees him performing his High-Priest duties for which he would be standing, not be sitting.
This enraged the crowd even more and they rushed upon him, drug him out of the city and began stoning him. This is not normal behavior for the Sanhedrin and they had not even declared a verdict on Stephen yet. Stephen should have been protected by the law. It had either already been decided by the jury to put Stephen out or emotion was allowed to rule over reason.
Stoning was to take place outside the city gates (Deut 17:2-7; Lev 24:14). The witnesses were to be the first to throw stones. The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a man named Saul. Saul may have been a member of the Sanhedrin, though there is not enough information to really say, but he was present.
As they stoned him, Stephen cried out, "Lord Yeshua, receive my spirit. Do not hold this sin against them". Then he died. Stephen was the first martyr, to die for his faith in Yeshua and he learned how to face death from Yeshua himself. Both Judaism and Christianity honor their Martyrs, however, Martyrdom is neither a virtue or a goal.
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