Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Stephen Is Seized While Doing Miracles And Proclaiming Christ With Irresistible Wisdom

⁸ Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹ But some of the ones from the synagogue being called “of Freedmen^[a]”— both^[b] Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and the ones from Cilicia and Asia— rose-up, debating^[c] with Stephen. ¹⁰ And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. ¹¹ Then they secretly-induced^[d] men [to begin] saying that “We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God”. ¹² And they stirred-up the people and the elders and the scribes. And having suddenly-come-upon him, they seized him and brought him to the Sanhedrin. ¹³ And they put-forward false witnesses, saying, “This man does not cease speaking words against this holy place and the Law. ¹⁴ For we have heard him saying that this Jesus the Nazarene will tear-down this place, and change the customs which Moses handed-down to us”. ¹⁵ And having looked-intently at him, all the ones sitting in the council [chamber] saw his face was like a face of an angel.

You Always Resist God! Your Fathers Killed The Prophets, And You The Messiah

⁵¹ “Stiff-necked ones, and uncircumcised in your hearts and ears— you are always resisting^[a] the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, you also^[b] are doing. ⁵² Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed the ones having announced-beforehand about the coming of the righteous One, of Whom you now became^[c] betrayers^[d] and murderers— ⁵³ you who received the Law by the directions^[e] of ^[f] angels and did not keep it!”

Stephen Reports Seeing Jesus At The Right Hand of God. The Jews Stone Him To Death

⁵⁴ And hearing these things, they were infuriated in their hearts, and were grinding their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But being full of the Holy Spirit, having looked-intently into heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right side of God. ⁵⁶ And he said, “Behold— I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right side of God!” ⁵⁷ And having cried-out with a loud voice, they held-shut their ears, and rushed against him with-one-accord. ⁵⁸ And having driven him outside of the city, they were stoning him. And the witnesses laid-aside their garments at the feet of a young-man being called Saul. ⁵⁹ And they were stoning Stephen while he was calling-upon Jesus and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”. ⁶⁰ And having put down his knees, he cried-out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not set this sin against them”. And having said this, he fell-asleep.