But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
Stephen stood abandoned by every earthly support, encircled by enemies, yet he turned his eyes from the world to God the Judge of life and death. His gaze upward was not empty hope; Christ appeared to him at once, arming him with the Spirit's power so that even facing death, he triumphed gloriously. We are too earthbound to see as he did, our hearts fail at the mere rumor of danger because we have forgotten where our strength truly lies.
AI summary
The Sanhedrin were cut to the heart with rage, not sorrow, hell itself broken loose in human form, malice in perfection. They could not answer Stephen's arguments, so fury consumed them. Their wonderful discomposure stands against his wonderful composure: here is corruption in its full strength.
AI summary
Commenting on Acts 7:54-60
Then they cried out with a loud voice,.... These were not the sanhedrim, but the common people; the Ethiopic version reads, "the Jews cried out"; which, they did, in a very clamorous way, either through rage and madness, or in a show of zeal against blasphemy; and cried out, either to God to avenge the blasphemy, or rather to the sanhedrim to pass a sentence...