Acts 7:51–8:1

RESISTING THE HOLY SPIRIT

⁵¹“You stiff-necked^u people with uncircumcised hearts and ears!^v You are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your ancestors did, you do also. ⁵²Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?^w They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers^x you have now become. ⁵³You received the law under the direction of angels^y and yet have not kept it.”

THE FIRST CHRISTIAN MARTYR

⁵⁴When they heard these things, they were enraged^D and gnashed their teeth at him. ⁵⁵Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.^{z 56}He said, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”^aa

⁵⁷They yelled at the top of their voices, covered their ears, and together rushed against him. ⁵⁸They dragged him out of the city and began to stone^ab him. And the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.^{ac 59}While they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”^{ad 60}He knelt down and cried out with a loud voice,^ae “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And after saying this, he fell asleep.^af

SAUL THE PERSECUTOR

8Saul agreed with putting him to death. On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.^a