Execution outside the city

“Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (1) This is a reference to Psalm 110:1 (Peter also quoted this verse in his message on the day of Pentecost). (2) “Son of Man” has two meanings. (a) It can mean a human being. (b) It is a Messianic title (Dan. 7:13-14). Jesus preferred the title “Son of Man” over “Son of David.” (3) The usual expression is that the Son of Man is seated at the right hand of God, but here it says, “standing at the right hand of God.” The Lord Jesus was likely standing to welcome the first martyr, Stephen. “But they shouted with loud voices, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one mind.” (1) The crowd could no longer control themselves. (2) “With one mind” means “unanimously.” (3) “Rushed” is translated from the Greek word “hormao.” The same verb is used in Luke 8:33: “And the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.” Just as the herd of pigs rushed down the cliff, the people rushed at Stephen. “When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him.” (1) Since executing a death sentence within the temple area was not permitted, the crowd drove Stephen outside the boundaries of Jerusalem. Despite their anger, they retained enough judgment to follow this rule. (2) The procedure for execution, as outlined in the Mishnah, is as follows: (a) The convict is taken to a cliff outside the city, and their clothes are stripped off. (b) One of the witnesses pushes the convict off the cliff (about 12 ft.) this could potentially break the convict’s neck and cause death. (c) Another witness throws the first stone, and then all remaining witnesses follow throwing stones. (d) Afterward, the crowd joins in throwing stones. To ensure accuracy in throwing stones, the participants remove their garments. “And the witnesses laid aside their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.” Sau’s appearance here sets the stage for the developments in the latter part of the Acts of the Apostles. The term “young man” (neanias) refers to someone up to the age of 40. Saul was likely around 30 years old at this time. He guarded the coats. Although not a member of the Sanhedrin, Saul likely held some position within the council. As the chief disciple of Gamaliel, it is highly probable that he was observing the trial. There is a grave difference between a person filled with the Holy Spirit and a person filled with anger. As for us, let us always choose to be filled with the Holy Spirit.