They threw Stephen out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”; and when he said this, he fell asleep. Now Saul was consenting to his execution. (Acts 7:58-60)
The story of Stephen, the first martyr (Proto-Martyr) of the church is important for the detail about Saul (who would become Paul). It is interesting that the gospel writer of Luke-Acts patterns the death of Stephen on the death of the Lord, having him echo Jesus’ words from the Cross.
