Acts 7:60

Context

Stephen, one of the seven men appointed to serve by the early church in Jerusalem, is accused before the council (the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish council) and delivers a lengthy defense (Acts 7:2-53). Enraged by his words, his hearers drag him outside the city and stone him. Stephen first prays, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" (7:59). He then kneels and offers the prayer of this verse on behalf of those who are stoning him, after which he dies. The preceding verse (7:58) records that the witnesses laid down their clothes "at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul." The following chapter (8:1) states that Saul "was consenting unto his death." Stephen is the first martyr recorded in the Book of Acts.

Interpretation

• A prayer modeled on Jesus' prayer: Most commentaries note that this prayer echoes Jesus' words on the cross, "Father, forgive them" (Luke 23:34). Stephen's prayer committing his spirit in 7:59 likewise parallels Luke 23:46. Interpreters therefore read Luke, the author of both the Gospel of Luke and Acts, as linking the two works to show that the disciple's death closely mirrored that of his Master.
• A reading connected with Paul's conversion: This reading links the prayer with Saul's subsequent conversion. The saying "If Stephen had not prayed, the church would not have had Paul" is widely attributed to Augustine. Paul himself later confesses that he had consented to Stephen's death (Acts 22:20).
• A christological reading: The common interpretation holds that "Lord" in this verse, following "Lord Jesus" in the previous verse, also refers to Jesus. On this interpretation, the scene in which Stephen prays directly to Jesus in the face of death serves as evidence of how the early church understood Jesus (Christology).

Debates and Issues

• The meaning of "fell asleep": The verb in the original text (koimaō) means "to fall asleep." In the New Testament it frequently serves as a euphemism for the death of believers (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, 1 Corinthians 15:20-22). Most denominations read it as an expression of the hope of the resurrection, while also holding that deceased believers are immediately with the Lord, citing 2 Corinthians 5:8 and Philippians 1:21-23. By contrast, the Seventh-day Adventist Church holds that death is a state of unconsciousness lasting until the resurrection, and it cites such "sleep" language as one basis for that position.
• Relation to a textual problem: Jesus' prayer of forgiveness in Luke 23:34 is absent from some early manuscripts, so scholars debate whether the verse belonged to the original text. The parallel in Acts 7:60 is sometimes brought into that discussion.
• Questions of application: It remains an open question whether this prayer for unrepentant offenders means that they are not to be held accountable for their sin at all. How the prayer should be understood alongside prayers for justice (such as Revelation 6:10) is also frequently addressed in preaching and pastoral counseling.

In the Korean Church

This verse is frequently cited in sermons on love for one's enemies, forgiveness, and martyrdom. It is often presented together with the story of Pastor Son Yang-won, who forgave the young man who had killed his two sons and adopted him as his own son.

Related Passages

• Luke 23:34
• Acts 7:59
• Luke 6:27-36
• Acts 22:20
• 1 Peter 2:23