Day 232: Acts 7:54–8:1

They threw [Stephen] out of the city and began to stone him. And the witnesses laid their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul (v. 58).

The Bible mentions Saul for the first time in Acts 7:58. “The witnesses laid their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul” (hcsb). Remember him in this role of coat-watcher, because it’s the last time you’ll see it. Saul’s zeal quickly took him on to active persecution of the followers of Jesus.

Yes, Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death. The original Greek word for approval is suneudokeo. Are you ready for this? It means “to take pleasure with others.” It is a word sometimes used of both parties in a marriage who are mutually pleased with something (see 1 Cor. 7:12–13). Applying the original meaning to Saul’s actions, the scene becomes clearer. He was pleased with their actions, and they were pleased with his approval. A mutual admiration society. To provide further startling clarity, consider that the verb tense of the word describing Saul’s action expresses continuous or repeated action. In other words, Saul was virtually cheering throughout the entire exhibit. He didn’t just give his approval when Stephen breathed his last. He cheered at every blow, like points on a scoreboard.

As Jesus watched, He didn’t miss a single nod of Saul’s phylacteried head. Remember, Christ was up on His feet at the time (see v. 56). Can you imagine the alloy of emotions He must have experienced as He looked on the two key players in the kingdom that day? One for Him; one against Him. One covered in blood; the other covered by prayer shawls. One who could not save himself from men; the other who could not save himself from sin. One dead in body but alive in spirit; the other alive in body but dead in spirit. One loved by God; and the other loved by God. Grace, grace, God’s grace.

Just a day in the life of a man named Stephen. A shooting star. He had one brief performance. One chance on stage. But it was absolutely unforgettable. As the curtain fell on his life, he received a standing ovation from the only One who really mattered. I have a feeling that seconds later the two of them hadn’t changed positions much. Christ was still on His feet. Stephen was still crumpled to his knees. How sweet to imagine the first heavenly words he heard that day: “Welcome, Stephanos, My joy and My crown.”