⁵¹“How stubborn can you be? How can you be so heartless and disobedient? You’re just like your ancestors. They always opposed the Holy Spirit, and so do you! ⁵²Was there ever a prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute? They killed those who predicted that a man with God’s approval would come. You have now become the people who betrayed and murdered that man. ⁵³You are the people who received Moses’ Teachings, which were put into effect by angels. But you haven’t obeyed those teachings.”

Stephen Is Executed

⁵⁴As council members listened to Stephen, they became noticeably furious. ⁵⁵But Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. He looked into heaven, saw God’s glory, and Jesus in the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne. ⁵⁶So Stephen said, “Look, I see heaven opened and the Son of Man in the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the throne!”

⁵⁷But the council members shouted and refused to listen. Then they rushed at Stephen with one purpose in mind, ⁵⁸and after they had thrown him out of the city, they began to stone him to death. The witnesses left their coats with a young man named Saul.

⁵⁹While council members were executing Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, welcome my spirit.” ⁶⁰Then he knelt down and shouted, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them.” After he had said this, he died.

8TH CHAPTER

¹Saul approved of putting Stephen to death.

On that day widespread persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem. Most believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

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