By John Stott
While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”. Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep Acts 7:59-60
Stephen’s death was full of Christ. Following his speech, Luke records three further sentences that he spoke. Firstly, he said, “Look….I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” (v. 56). Perhaps Jesus had stood up to welcome his first martyr. Unwilling to listen to Stephen’s exaltation of Jesus, the Council rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Now he uttered his second sentence: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (v. 59). His prayer was similar to that which Jesus prayed just before he died, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). Thirdly, when Stephen fell on his knees, he cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). This was reminiscent of Jesus’s first words from the cross, which Luke has also recorded.
There were, in fact, several parallels between the death of Jesus and the death of Stephen. In both cases, false witnesses were produced and the charge was one of blasphemy. In both cases, too, each prayed for the forgiveness of his executioners and for the reception of his spirit. Luke concludes his narrative with the words “he fell asleep” (v. 60) – “an unexpectedly beautiful and peaceful description of so brutal a death,” wrote F.F. Bruce.
What interests many people most about Stephen is that he was the first Christian martyr. Luke’s main concern lies elsewhere, however, namely with the vital role Stephen played in the development of the worldwide Christian mission. His teaching showed already from the Old Testament that God was tied to his people, not to buildings. So now Jesus was ready to accompany his people wherever they went. This assurance is indispensable to mission.
God has bound himself to his church (promising that he will never leave it) and to his Word (promising that it will never pass away). But God’s church means people, not buildings, and God’s Word means Scripture, not traditions. As long as these essentials are preserved the building and the traditions can, if necessary go. We must not allow them to imprison the living God or to impede his mission in the world.
For Further Reading: Acts 7:54-60