7:54 眾人聽見這話就極其惱怒,向司提反咬牙切齒。
7:55 但司提反被聖靈充滿,定睛望天,看見上帝的榮耀,又看見耶穌站在上帝的右邊,
7:56 就說:「我看見天開了,人子站在上帝的右邊。」
7:57 眾人大聲喊叫,摀著耳朵,齊心擁上前去,
7:58 把他推到城外,用石頭打他。作見證的人把衣裳放在一個少年人名叫掃羅的腳前。
7:59 他們正用石頭打的時候,司提反呼籲主說:「求主耶穌接收我的靈魂!」
7:60 又跪下大聲喊著說:「主啊,不要將這罪歸於他們!」說了這話,就睡了。掃羅也喜悅他被害。
When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
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當司提反從聖經見證主耶穌就是基督,也指出以色人過去的罪惡,讓「眾人」(猶太公會)的人受不了,益顯現出他們的罪惡,也激起他們對司提反的怒氣,導致整個「殉道事件」不斷的往前推。
然而在這樣的狀態,上帝並沒有差遣天使來拯救司提反脫離這群「惡人」,卻是讓他「被聖靈充滿,定睛望天,看見上帝的榮耀,又看見耶穌站在上帝的右邊」!
所以他就勇敢宣告:「我看見天開了,人子站在上帝的右邊。」
這樣的宣告卻讓眾人更激動,也更激發他們的惡行:「眾人大聲喊叫,摀著耳朵,齊心擁上前去,把他推到城外,用石頭打他。」
當然司提反最後的下場就是為主殉道,雖然如此他仍為迫害他的人禱告:「主啊,不要將這罪歸於他們!」說了這話,就睡了。可見他為主殉道的喜樂使他勝過疼痛了!
然而這件事也讓我們看見另一個人的開始,就是使徒保羅,雖然他也在逼迫者的行列,但是上帝後來卻大大使用他,讓我們感受到上帝大能作為的運行,是超乎我們想像的!
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