How could the holy spirit help Stephen when he was stoned to death?

Answer 1

In this account of Stephen, found in The Bible book of Acts chapter 7 verses 51-60, it makes mention of God's Holy Spirit filling Stephen specifically in verse 55. Here it shows how Holy Spirit gave Stephen peace and strength when he was able to look up to the heavens and see Jesus Christ sitting at the right hand of God. Holy spirit helped him to say with his dying breath, in verse 60, "'Jehovah [God], do not charge this sin against them'." A cross scripture found at Matthew 5:44 helps us to see that Jesus instructed his followers in the Sermon on the Mount to "continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you." This was remembered by Stephen, because at Mark 13:11 it states, "but when they are leading you along to deliver you up, do not be anxious beforehand about what to speak; but whatever is given for you are not the ones speaking, but the holy spirit is." This scripture, when read in context is speaking about persecution done against the preaching work that Jesus commissioned his followers to do. It also helps us to understand that during moments of persecution, God's Holy Spirit is helping to guide us and allows us to remember the things we should say in such a time of opposition or tribulation. When Stephen was telling God to forgive those who were stoning him out of anger of the message he was proclaiming, he was being borne along by God's Holy Spirit, which had filled him at the time. John 14:26 helps us to understand that Jehovah God's Holy Spirit helps to guide us further, for Jesus spoke these words, "but the helper, the holy spirit, which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach you all things and bring back to your minds all the things I told you." It is quite evident that the Holy Spirit, which is God's helper, allowed Stephen to remember what Jesus had said in his Sermon on the Mount, about "pray[ing] for those persecuting you." (Matthew 5:44)