Israel Resists the Holy Spirit

51 You (A)stiff-necked[a] and (B)uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 (C)Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of (D)the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 53 (E)who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.

Stephen the Martyr

54 (F)When they heard these things they were [b]cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, (G)being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the (H)glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, “Look! (I)I see the heavens opened and the (J)Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And (K)the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, (L)receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, (M)“Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Saul Persecutes the Church

Now Saul was consenting to his death.

At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and (N)they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and (O)made great lamentation over him.

Footnotes

  1. Acts 7:51 stubborn
  2. Acts 7:54 furious

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