What does Stephen's prayer in Acts 7:59 reveal about his understanding of Jesus' divinity? Immediate Narrative Context Just two verses earlier, Stephen “gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55). Luke thereby positions Jesus in the place of divine authority before Stephen utters his prayer. The sequence—vision of the exalted Son, appeal to that Son—forms a seamless literary unit establishing Jesus as the heavenly Lord who can be petitioned. Prayer Directed to Jesus—A Distinctive Divine Act Prayer is a prerogative reserved for God alone in Second-Temple Judaism (2 Kings 19:15; Daniel 9:3-4). By praying to Jesus at the moment of death, Stephen testifies that: 1. Jesus is omnipresent and able to hear. 2. Jesus is sovereign over the afterlife and able to “receive” spirits. 3. Jesus shares the honors due only to God (cf. Revelation 5:13). Early Christology Embedded in Pre-Pauline Tradition Stephen’s martyrdom occurred within a few years of the resurrection, predating Paul’s letters. High Christology, therefore, was not a late theological development but the church’s earliest confession. This aligns with the pre-Pauline creeds in 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 and Philippians 2:6-11, which already call Jesus “Lord” (Κύριος), echoing YHWH of Joel 2:32. Divine Titles in Acts Luke alternates between “Lord” for God (e.g., Acts 4:24) and “Lord” for Jesus (Acts 1:21; 2:36), showing functional identity. In Acts 7:59, “Lord Jesus” is articular and absolute, marking deity (cf. Acts 2:21 quoting Joel; Acts 9:14, 21). Stephen’s Monotheism Intact Invoking Jesus does not fracture the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4) but places Jesus within the unique divine identity (cf. 1 Corinthians 8:6). Stephen, a Hellenistic Jew steeped in OT theology (Acts 6:5, 10), would not violate monotheism at the hour of death; his prayer makes sense only if he perceived Jesus as the incarnate Yahweh now exalted. Historical Reliability of Acts Archaeological finds such as the Gallio inscription at Delphi (confirming Acts 18:12-17) and the Erastus paving stone in Corinth demonstrate Luke’s accuracy, lending weight to his record of Stephen’s speech and death. If Luke is precise in civil titles and chronology, his theological reportage warrants the same trust. Psychology of Martyrdom and the Resurrection Link Behavioral science indicates people do not face violent death for what they know to be false. Stephen’s calm petition is best explained by his certainty of the risen Christ he had seen (Acts 7:56). This dovetails with the minimal-facts data establishing the resurrection as historically bedrock. Creation and Christ’s Cosmic Lordship The Colossian hymn (Colossians 1:16-17) claims, “in Him all things were created.” Intelligent design research—irreducible complexity in cellular machines, fine-tuned cosmological constants—underscores a personal Creator consistent with the New Testament’s depiction of the pre-existent Christ. Stephen’s entrustment of his spirit to the Designer of life is, therefore, logically coherent. Common Objection: “Couldn’t Stephen Be Asking an Exalted but Created Being?” 1. No precedent exists in Jewish literature for praying to an angel or patriarch to receive a spirit. 2. Revelation 22:8-9 shows angels refusing worship. Stephen encounters no such rebuke. 3. The LXX phrase ἐπικαλεῖν + the name always refers to God (Genesis 4:26; Joel 2:32). Summary Stephen’s prayer, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” reveals that the first Christian martyr regarded Jesus as fully divine—worthy of prayer, able to receive the departing soul, and sharing the titles and functions of Yahweh. Textual, linguistic, historical, and theological evidence converge to show that New Testament faith is rooted in the deity of Christ proclaimed from the church’s inception. |
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