Final prayer

“They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!’” (1) While feeling the impact of the stones hitting him, Stephen said to Jesus, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” This is very similar to Jesus’ prayer in Luke 23:46: “Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit.” (2) Stephen entrusted his spirit to the Lord Jesus. This verse serves as evidence of Jesus’ divinity. “Then he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’” (1) In Jewish custom, before being stoned, it was customary to confess one’s sins. Alternatively, one might simply pray, “May my death be atonement for all my sins.” (2) Stephen’s approach was different. (a) He knelt down and cried out with a loud voice. He shouted loudly enough for the leaders, false witnesses, and the crowd to hear. (b) “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” This is similar to Jesus’ prayer in Luke 23:34: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (3) “He fell asleep” is a euphemism for death. His body ceased to move, and his soul returned to God. At the resurrection, his body and soul will be reunited.

Is stoning a violation of Roman law?

(1) The Jews did not have the authority to carry out capital punishment. Therefore, to execute Jesus, they needed to secure a conviction in a Roman court. However, Stephen’s execution was carried out without involvement from the Roman court. Why was this the case? (2) There are significant differences between the trials of Jesus and Stephen. (a) Jesus was well-known, whereas Stephen was not. (b) In Jesus’ case, there was a risk of inciting the anger of the populace (which could lead to a revolt, putting the leaders at risk of being charged with sedition). (c) In Stephen’s case, the council members judged that they could execute him without provoking a riot (at that time, Pilate was entangled in political issues back in Rome). Why did God allow Stephen to be killed? This is a difficult question. One thing we can say is that God can use even this tragedy for His purposes. Stephen’s martyrdom triggered intense persecution against the church in Jerusalem. However, this led to the expansion of evangelism. When faced with trials, let’s choose faith and hope.