Why Does Jesus Use Of The Forgiveness Of Stephen In Act 2
In Acts 7:52-60 the line “Lord do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:59) is a parallel to the way that Jesus forgave his enemies on the cross at his crucifixion, along with Saul on the Road to Damascus and Peter at Pentecost. In the same light, modern day saint Pope John Paul II forgave his murderer, Mehmet Ali Ağca in Rome in 1981. First, I will examine Jesus’s praise of forgiveness on the cross in Luke 23. Next, I will compare Jesus’s situation on the cross to that of Stephen in Acts 7. Then I will examine Peter’s speech in Acts 2 and Saul’s conversion on the road to Damascus in Acts 9 to see how each plays a role in expressing mercy in the light of Christ. In transitioning towards how Pope John Paul II exemplified the forgiveness of
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He is being questioned about his sayings that Jesus will destroy the temple. Stephen then gave his speech detailing the history of the Jews from Abraham through the prophets, and concluded that the Sanhedrin had murdered the prophesied Messiah; Jesus of Nazareth. In the same way as Jesus, both he and Stephen upset a crowd by a teaching that eventually lead to their death. Stephen near the end of his life makes a claim paralleling that of Jesus on the cross saying “ Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7: 60). Even at the end of his life, Stephen was able to put his trust in the lord and forgive those who were to persecute him. He had the courage and humility to ask God for forgiveness for those who were to kill him and had the heart to forgive them. Stephen, being the first martyr of the Church, followed the example Jesus set before his death forgiving those who were to persecute him. This passage also exemplifies the Lukan theme of prayer. Just as Jesus prayed to the father, Stephen was praying to Jesus for hope and forgiveness. He knows that according to Jesus, repentance is the key to salvation, not only for himself, but for those around him. Although he is about to die, Stephen wants to ensure that those responsible are forgiven and still have chance to obtain eternal
He is being questioned about his sayings that Jesus will destroy the temple. Stephen then gave his speech detailing the history of the Jews from Abraham through the prophets, and concluded that the Sanhedrin had murdered the prophesied Messiah; Jesus of Nazareth. In the same way as Jesus, both he and Stephen upset a crowd by a teaching that eventually lead to their death. Stephen near the end of his life makes a claim paralleling that of Jesus on the cross saying “ Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7: 60). Even at the end of his life, Stephen was able to put his trust in the lord and forgive those who were to persecute him. He had the courage and humility to ask God for forgiveness for those who were to kill him and had the heart to forgive them. Stephen, being the first martyr of the Church, followed the example Jesus set before his death forgiving those who were to persecute him. This passage also exemplifies the Lukan theme of prayer. Just as Jesus prayed to the father, Stephen was praying to Jesus for hope and forgiveness. He knows that according to Jesus, repentance is the key to salvation, not only for himself, but for those around him. Although he is about to die, Stephen wants to ensure that those responsible are forgiven and still have chance to obtain eternal