Acts 7:51–60

Resisting the Holy Spirit

51 “You stiff-necked b people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! c You are always resisting the Holy Spirit; as your ancestors did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? d They even killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers e you have now become. 53 You received the law under the direction of angels f and yet have not kept it.”

The First Christian Martyr

54 When they heard these things, they were enraged in their hearts g and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, filled by the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw God’s glory, with h Jesus standing at the right hand of God, i and he said, 56 “Look! I see the heavens opened and the * Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” j

57 Then they screamed at the top of their voices, covered their ears, and together rushed against him. 58 They threw him out of the city and began to stone k him. And the witnesses laid their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. l 59 They were stoning Stephen as he called out: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” m 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, n “Lord, do not charge them with this sin!” And saying this, he fell * asleep. o