Acts 7:59
Verse
Context
The Stoning of Stephen
58They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.59While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”60Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Sermons







Summary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God - The word God is not found in any MS. or version, nor in any of the primitive fathers except Chrysostom. It is not genuine, and should not be inserted here: the whole sentence literally reads thus: And they stoned Stephen, invoking and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! Here is a most manifest proof that prayer is offered to Jesus Christ; and that in the most solemn circumstances in which it could be offered, viz., when a man was breathing his last. This is, properly speaking, one of the highest acts of worship which can be offered to God; and, if Stephen had not conceived Jesus Christ to be God, could he have committed his soul into his hands? We may farther observe that this place affords a full proof of the immateriality of the soul; for he could not have commended his spirit to Christ, had he believed that he had no spirit, or, in other words, that his body and soul were one and the same thing. Allowing this most eminent saint to have had a correct notion of theology, and that, being full of the Holy Ghost, as he was at this time, he could make no mistake in matters of such vast weight and importance, then these two points are satisfactorily stated in this verse: 1. That Jesus Christ is God; for Stephen died praying to him. 2. That the soul is immaterial; for Stephen, in dying, commends his departing spirit into the hand of Christ.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
calling upon God and saying, Lord Jesus, &c.--An unhappy supplement of our translators is the word "God" here; as if, while addressing the Son, he was really calling upon the Father. The sense is perfectly clear without any supplement at all--"calling upon [invoking] and saying, Lord Jesus"; Christ being the Person directly invoked and addressed by name (compare Act 9:14). Even GROTIUS, DE WETTE, MEYER, &c., admit this, adding several other examples of direct prayer to Christ; and PLINY, in his well-known letter to the Emperor Trajan (A.D. 110 or 111), says it was part of the regular Christian service to sing, in alternate strains, a hymn to Christ as God. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit--In presenting to Jesus the identical prayer which He Himself had on the cross offered to His Father, Stephen renders to his glorified Lord absolute divine worship, in the most sublime form, and at the most solemn moment of his life. In this commitment of his spirit to Jesus, Paul afterwards followed his footsteps with a calm, exultant confidence that with Him it was safe for eternity (Ti2 1:12).
Tyndale Open Study Notes
7:59-60 Stephen’s prayer, Lord, don’t charge them with this sin, is strikingly similar to Jesus’ prayer at his crucifixion (Luke 23:34). Jesus clearly taught his followers the importance of both forgiveness (Matt 6:14-15; Mark 11:25; see Luke 11:4; 17:3-4) and prayer (Luke 11:5-10; 18:1-8; see also Acts 1:12-15; 4:23-31; 12:5; Jas 5:16-18). The Lord answered Stephen’s prayer affirmatively in the case of Saul (Acts 9:1-43).
Acts 7:59
The Stoning of Stephen
58They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.59While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”60Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Help Wanted: A Messenger
By Warren Wiersbe4.7K37:33ACT 7:59HEB 4:12In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of having a message to deliver when speaking or singing. He expresses disappointment in those who can deliver beautiful performances but lack substance in their message. The speaker also discusses the courage required to deliver a message, citing examples from the Bible where messengers faced severe consequences for their words. He concludes by challenging the audience to examine their own qualifications as messengers and emphasizes the importance of obedience in delivering God's message.
It's Sunday but Monday's coming..
By George Verwer1.9K49:59ACT 1:8ACT 5:29ACT 6:5ACT 7:59ROM 15:20PHP 2:3COL 3:23This sermon emphasizes the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit and the need for believers to have a global mission vision, praying for and reaching out to nations around the world. It challenges Christians to boldly proclaim the gospel, prioritize integrity and obedience to God, and be willing to sacrifice for the sake of Christ. The speaker encourages a deep commitment to following Jesus, even unto death, and highlights the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in everyday life.
On Eagles' Wings Pt 173
By Don Courville29825:35Radio ShowGEN 4:8GEN 5:24GEN 5:27GEN 6:14NUM 12:3PRO 14:34JER 44:4MAT 11:28JHN 3:3ACT 7:59In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the need for individuals, families, churches, and communities to turn back to God and bring about a revival. He encourages listeners to approach their city fathers and local authorities to address the violation of God's principles in their communities. The speaker highlights the importance of repentance and acknowledges that America is in a desperate situation due to turning away from God and accepting unbiblical teachings and doctrines. He shares a powerful story of a man who was protected by God in battle, illustrating the significance of American history intertwined with faith.
Acts Highlights - Part 3
By George Verwer13933:58Book Of ActsGEN 12:4EXO 2:20ACT 7:46ACT 7:59In this sermon, the speaker discusses the message of Stephen, who emphasizes the guilt of the people before God. Stephen talks about the history of Abraham, Moses, and David, highlighting their importance. The speaker emphasizes the need for flexibility and availability to the leading of the Holy Spirit, even for those with administrative responsibilities in the church. The sermon then shifts to discussing the testimony of Philip, another servant of the Lord who was involved in practical work but also actively shared the gospel. The speaker emphasizes the concept of radical grace and the importance of forgiveness, as demonstrated by Stephen in his final moments.
Stephen Your Witness
By Tom Macartney0ACT 6:8ACT 7:55ACT 7:59ACT 8:1ACT 11:19COL 3:1HEB 12:1Tom Macartney preaches about the significance of Stephen in the Bible, highlighting his role as a key witness in Acts and a vital link in God's plan, impacting Paul's life and ministry. Stephen's vision of Christ in glory and as Head of His church reveals the true nature of Christianity as God's new creation, emphasizing the importance of understanding and embracing the heavenly vision. Through Stephen's witness, we learn about the situation in the church in the New Testament and the tragic confusion in church history, urging us to be the Lord's witnesses and evaluate the quality of our own witness.
Homily 5 1 John 3:9-18
By St. Augustine0LUK 23:34JHN 15:13ACT 7:59ROM 13:81CO 13:2PHP 1:211JN 3:91JN 3:141JN 3:17St. Augustine preaches about the importance of charity and love as the ultimate test of being born of God. He delves into the concept of sin and how one cannot claim to be without sin, yet emphasizes that those born of God do not continue in sin. Augustine highlights the significance of loving one another, drawing from the story of Cain and Abel to illustrate the contrast between the children of God and the children of the devil. He stresses that true love involves sacrificial actions, even to the point of laying down one's life for others, mirroring Christ's ultimate sacrifice.
Xiii. the Death of Pollio
By Martyrs of the Catacombs0ACT 7:591CO 15:55PHP 1:21REV 2:10REV 6:9In the midst of the brutal spectacle at the Coliseum, the story of Pollio and the Christian martyrs unfolds, showcasing unwavering faith and courage in the face of imminent death. Despite the bloodthirsty demands of the crowd, the martyrs, like Pollio and Marcellus, stood firm in their devotion to God, willing to sacrifice their lives for their faith. The seraphic expression on the face of the boy facing the tiger reflects a deep spiritual connection and readiness to meet death with heavenly anticipation. The ultimate victory of these martyrs lies not in earthly survival but in the eternal promise of a crown of life from God for their faithful endurance unto death.
Epistle 85
By George Fox0DEU 18:15JER 10:14JER 31:34HAB 2:18JHN 5:25ACT 3:22ACT 7:48ACT 7:591CO 7:311PE 1:41JN 2:27George Fox emphasizes the importance of following the light of Christ to find rest and witness the new covenant, where personal teaching from man is not needed. He urges listeners to let the light reveal sin, worldly evils, and unrighteousness, guiding them to stand in the light to see Jesus. Fox warns against vain thoughts and idolatry, encouraging people to listen to the voice of the Son of God for true life. He references Stephen's martyrdom and Moses' prophecy to highlight the significance of hearing and obeying the prophet raised by God.
Honour Due to the Person of Christ — the Nature and Causes of It.
By John Owen0LUK 17:5LUK 23:46JHN 5:23JHN 20:28ACT 7:56ACT 7:59HEB 4:151PE 1:21REV 5:8REV 22:20John Owen preaches about the importance of honoring and worshiping the person of Christ in all acts of religion, emphasizing that all divine honor is due to the Son of God incarnate. He highlights the necessity of considering the glory, life, and power of the Christian religion in relation to the person of Christ, stating that he is the object of divine honor and worship. Owen explains that in times of distress, gracious discoveries, persecution, growth in grace, and even in death, believers should make especial applications unto Christ through prayer for various needs and experiences.
The People Who Receive the Saints' Rest
By Richard Baxter0MRK 2:17LUK 12:32LUK 17:21JHN 3:3ACT 7:59EPH 1:4PHP 1:232TH 1:7HEB 4:9REV 5:9Richard Baxter preaches about the heavenly rest designed for the people of God, who are chosen by God before the foundation of the world and are born again spiritually. These individuals experience conviction of sin, their own insufficiency, and are convinced of the full sufficiency of Jesus Christ. The will of the people of God is changed by their conviction, leading them to accept Christ as Savior and Lord with their whole soul. Baxter urges self-examination to see if one truly belongs to the people of God and emphasizes the importance of abiding in Christ and enduring to the end.
Examine Yourselves in the Light of God's Grace
By Robert Traill02SA 23:5JOB 40:4PSA 119:128ACT 7:59ACT 15:1ROM 3:21ROM 7:12GAL 2:21PHP 3:8HEB 11:71JN 4:1Robert Traill preaches on the importance of not frustrating the grace of God by seeking righteousness through the law, emphasizing that true believers cannot commit this sin. He highlights the glorious display of God's grace in justifying sinners through the righteousness of Christ and warns against doctrines that darken, perplex, mix, or oppose the grace of God. Traill urges the congregation to test the spirits, align their thoughts with God's Word, and examine their own hearts in light of God's law, Christ's righteousness, and the grace of God.
The Cross and the Holy Spirit
By Watchman Nee0JHN 1:12ACT 7:59ACT 9:141PE 1:171JN 3:1The sermon focuses on the significance of calling upon God, as seen in the Greek word 'epikaleomai,' which means to call upon or invoke deity for aid or support. This concept is highlighted in various instances in the Bible, such as Stephen calling upon the Lord in his final moments and believers being described as those who 'call upon Thy Name.' The sermon emphasizes the dual nature of God as both a loving Father and an impartial Judge, urging believers to live in reverential fear and obedience, knowing that God will judge each person's actions. The ultimate goal is for believers to practice their position as children of God, walking in holiness and acknowledging God as their Father.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God - The word God is not found in any MS. or version, nor in any of the primitive fathers except Chrysostom. It is not genuine, and should not be inserted here: the whole sentence literally reads thus: And they stoned Stephen, invoking and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! Here is a most manifest proof that prayer is offered to Jesus Christ; and that in the most solemn circumstances in which it could be offered, viz., when a man was breathing his last. This is, properly speaking, one of the highest acts of worship which can be offered to God; and, if Stephen had not conceived Jesus Christ to be God, could he have committed his soul into his hands? We may farther observe that this place affords a full proof of the immateriality of the soul; for he could not have commended his spirit to Christ, had he believed that he had no spirit, or, in other words, that his body and soul were one and the same thing. Allowing this most eminent saint to have had a correct notion of theology, and that, being full of the Holy Ghost, as he was at this time, he could make no mistake in matters of such vast weight and importance, then these two points are satisfactorily stated in this verse: 1. That Jesus Christ is God; for Stephen died praying to him. 2. That the soul is immaterial; for Stephen, in dying, commends his departing spirit into the hand of Christ.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
calling upon God and saying, Lord Jesus, &c.--An unhappy supplement of our translators is the word "God" here; as if, while addressing the Son, he was really calling upon the Father. The sense is perfectly clear without any supplement at all--"calling upon [invoking] and saying, Lord Jesus"; Christ being the Person directly invoked and addressed by name (compare Act 9:14). Even GROTIUS, DE WETTE, MEYER, &c., admit this, adding several other examples of direct prayer to Christ; and PLINY, in his well-known letter to the Emperor Trajan (A.D. 110 or 111), says it was part of the regular Christian service to sing, in alternate strains, a hymn to Christ as God. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit--In presenting to Jesus the identical prayer which He Himself had on the cross offered to His Father, Stephen renders to his glorified Lord absolute divine worship, in the most sublime form, and at the most solemn moment of his life. In this commitment of his spirit to Jesus, Paul afterwards followed his footsteps with a calm, exultant confidence that with Him it was safe for eternity (Ti2 1:12).
Tyndale Open Study Notes
7:59-60 Stephen’s prayer, Lord, don’t charge them with this sin, is strikingly similar to Jesus’ prayer at his crucifixion (Luke 23:34). Jesus clearly taught his followers the importance of both forgiveness (Matt 6:14-15; Mark 11:25; see Luke 11:4; 17:3-4) and prayer (Luke 11:5-10; 18:1-8; see also Acts 1:12-15; 4:23-31; 12:5; Jas 5:16-18). The Lord answered Stephen’s prayer affirmatively in the case of Saul (Acts 9:1-43).