This is the last in the series of daily notes for Easter Season, during which we have explored the Son of Man sayings of Jesus in the Gospels of Luke and John. Today’s note is on Acts 7:55-56—the last Son of Man verse in Luke-Acts, and one of only four occurrences of the expression “Son of Man” outside of the Gospels (the others being Heb 2:6 [quoting Ps 8:4ff] and Rev 1:13; 14:14 [referring to Dan 7:13]).
Acts 7:55-56
Most of the Son of Man sayings in Luke relate either to: (1) Jesus’ suffering and death, or (2) his exaltation to Glory (and future return in Judgment). As I have previously discussed, the use of “son of man” in the first instance would seem to identify Jesus specifically with humankind in its mortality (weakness, suffering and death); in the second, he identifies himself as the Divine/Heavenly figure (of Daniel 7:13ff) who will appear at the end-time Judgment by God. These two aspects of the expression “Son of Man” are present during the night of Jesus’ arrest and “trial” before the Sanhedrin (Lk 22:22, 48 and Lk 22:69), and also in the Angelic announcement of Lk 24:7 where the predictions of Jesus’ Passion (Lk 9:22, 44-45; 18:31-33) are connected with the Resurrection.
When we turn to the book of Acts, the theme of Jesus’ suffering (and death) continues—both with regard to the message that is proclaimed by the disciples (Acts 1:16; 2:23ff; 3:13-15, 17-18; 4:10, 27-28; 5:30 etc), and as a pattern for their own experience of suffering and persecution (cf. throughout chapters 3-7), predicted by Jesus himself (Lk 12:11-12; 21:12-19). So also the theme of Jesus’ exaltation (cf. below). Acts 7:55-56 represents the climactic moment of the Stephen narrative, which spans chapters 6-7:
- 6:1-7: Introduction, setting the stage for the conflict
- 6:8-15: The conflict with Stephen, including his arrest and appearance before the Sanhedrin
- 7:1-60: The Sermon-Speech and Execution of Stephen
- 7:1: The question of the High Priest to Stephen, which serves as the immediate narrative introduction to the Speech
- 7:2-53: The Sermon-Speech of Stephen
- 7:54-60: The response to the Speech and Execution of Stephen
- 8:1a: Transitional verse, mentioning Saul/Paul’s role in the execution
- 8:1b-4: Narrative summary describing the onset of Persecution (led by Saul)
Of the three major scenes in Acts which show the early believers in conflict with the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem (cf. Acts 4:1-22; 5:17-42), it is the Stephen narrative which most clearly follows the pattern of Jesus’ Passion. The parallels (some more precise than others) may be outlined as follows:
- Stephen was “full of faith/trust and the Holy Spirit” and “full of the favor (of God) and power” (Acts 6:5, 8)
—Jesus likewise, at the beginning of his ministry (Lk 4:1), was said to be “full of the Holy Spirit”; cf. also Lk 4:14 and Lk 1:15, 17; 2:40. - Stephen did “great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8)
—Cf. especially the notice of Jesus’ miracles in Acts 2:22 - It is stated that Stephen’s opponents “did not have strength to stand against the wisdom and the Spirit in which he spoke” (Acts 6:10)
—Cf. Luke 20:26, etc; 21:15 - The accusation of blasphemy (i.e. insult/slander against God) (Acts 6:11)
—The declaration of the High Priest (Mark 14:64 par), implied in Lk 22:71 - Stephen’s opponents “stirred together” the crowds etc. against him (Acts 6:12)
—The Jewish authorities “shook up” the crowds against Jesus (Mark 15:11, not in Luke) - “They seized him and led him into the Sanhedrin” (Acts 6:12b)
—Cf. Luke 22:52, 54, 66; 23:1, also the specific mention of “Elders and Scribes” (Lk 22:66) - False witnesses give testimony, involving the Temple (Acts 6:13)
—False witnesses against Jesus rel. to the “Temple-saying” (Mark 14:57-59 par, not in Luke) - The claim that Jesus would destroy the Temple (Acts 6:14)
- Stephen stands in the middle of the Council (cf. Luke 22:66)
- The question by the High Priest regarding the truth of the accusations (Acts 7:1)
—The specific question in Mark 14:60 par (not in Luke); cf. also Mk 14:61 par; Lk 22:67, 70 - Stephen’s vision of the Son of Man (Acts 7:55-56)
—Jesus’ answer to the Council regarding the Son of Man (Lk 22:69 par; in Matt/Mark, seeing the Son of Man) - The reaction of the Council (including tearing their garments) (Acts 7:52; Mark 14:63-64 par, cf. Lk 22:71)
- Stephen is taken outside of the city to be put to death (Acts 7:58, cf. Lk 23:26, 33)
- Stephen’s dying words: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59)
—Jesus’ dying words: “Father, into your hands I place [i.e. give] along my spirit” (Lk 23:46) - Stephen asks God to forgive those putting him to death: “Do not hold up this sin against them” (Acts 7:60)
—Jesus’ prayer of forgiveness on the cross (Lk 23:34 [not in some MSS]) - After Stephen’s death “there came to be… a great persecution upon the Church” (Acts 8:1)
—After Jesus’ death “there came to be darkness upon the whole land” (Luke 23:44)
From a narrative standpoint, these parallels illustrate vividly the disciple following in Jesus’ footsteps, even to the point of death (Lk 5:11, 27-28; 9:23, 57-62; 18:22, 28; 21:12-19; 22:39, 54; 23:27, 49 pars; cf. also Mk 10:38-40, etc). Let us compare specifically the Son of Man parallel:
Jesus’ saying (Lk 22:69):
“From now on, the Son of Man will be sitting out of [i.e. on/at] the right hand of the power of God”
The formula in Mark/Matthew is:
“[From now] you will see the Son of Man sitting out of [i.e. on/at] the right hand of the Power, and coming with/upon the clouds of Heaven“
The declaration by Stephen (in Acts 7:56) is:
“I behold the heavens opening through and the Son of Man standing out of [i.e. on/at] the right hand of God“
The preceding narrative in verse 55 adds the following details: (1) he saw the glory of God, and (2) Jesus is specifically identified as the Son of Man (“Jesus standing at the right hand of God”).
The use of the verb dianoi/gw (“open through[out], open thoroughly”) is interesting, as it appears to be a favorite of Luke’s—7 of the 8 occurrences in the New Testament are in Luke-Acts, and five of these refer to the knowledge and awareness of Jesus, and of coming to faith, etc. Note:
-
- Luke 24:31—”and their eyes were opened through [dihnoi/xqhsan] and they knew upon [i.e. recognized] him…”
- Luke 24:32—”Were our hearts not burning [i.e. being set on fire] [in us] as he spoke with us in the way, as he opened through [dih/noigen] to us the Writings [i.e. Scriptures]?”
- Luke 24:45—”Then he [i.e. Jesus] opened through [dih/noicen] their mind for th(eir) bringing together the Writings [i.e. understanding the Scriptures]”
- Acts 16:14—”a certain woman {Lydia}… of whom the Lord opened through [dih/noicen] (her) heart”
- Acts 17:3—Paul gathered through [i.e. discussed, argued] with them from the Scriptures, “opening through [dianoi/gwn]…that it was necessary for the Anointed (One) to suffer and stand up (again) out of the dead, and that this Yeshua is the Anointed (One)…” (cf. Luke 9:22; 24:7, 26, 46)
The early chapters of Acts (chs. 1-7) are still connected in many ways with the Gospel narrative, so it is fitting perhaps that they close with this vision by Stephen of the Son of Man, a fulfillment of the sayings by Jesus such as that in Luke 22:69. His vision confirms the reality of Jesus’ exaltation to heaven (at the right hand of God) and of his identity as the divine/heavenly Son of Man. Christ’s presence in heaven at God’s right hand was a common motif in early Christian tradition (Acts 2:25, 33ff; 5:31; Rom 8:34; Col 3:1; Eph 1:20; 1 Pet 3:22; Heb 1:3, etc), largely influenced by Psalm 110:1 (Acts 2:34; Heb 1:13). The remainder of the book (chapters 8-28), on the other hand, narrates the spread of Christianity outside of Judea, out into the wider Greco-Roman world, and thus focuses more precisely on the message (the Gospel) of Jesus, and how people respond to it. If Stephen saw a vision of heaven “opened”, that is, the revelation of God in the person of Jesus, so also do believers have their hearts and minds “opened” to the truth, and, in turn, proclaim the message of Christ to others, “opening” and explaining the Scriptures.
