Godbey's Commentary - Acts - Romans - Enter His Rest

martyrdom of Stephen, which was true, arising from the simple fact of his constitutional preeminence
among men, since he was in every way an extraordinary character, born to rule, whether
in the kingdom of Satan or God. We have a most striking secondary meaning, legitimately attachable
to this notable transaction, i.e., the succession of the dying martyr, of which no one present had the
slightest dream, Saul himself of all most alien from such a Conception. Oh, how strikingly
prophetical was this laying down of their garments at the feet of Saul, destined in the miraculous
providence of God to take the place of the dying martyr, receive the converting grace and sanctifying
power which flooded Stephen’s countenance with an unearthly radiance, misunderstood and falsely
interpreted by Saul and his clerical comrades as vile contrariness and devilish stubbornness; even
to come back to Jerusalem, enter those Hellenistic synagogues, there preach and witness precisely
as Stephen had done, and only escape the same bloody fate at the hands of that identical murderous
rabble by providential intervention, which simply prolonged his life till he could finish his work and
then die, like Stephen, a martyr for Jesus.
59. “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” This is another one of the innumerable Scriptures which
knocks the bottom out of soul-sleeping, proposing to brutalize you by taking away your immortal
soul and humbugging you with the silly delusion that you consist only of this material body, making
even heathens blush for shame; for, walking in the light of nature and the Holy Spirit, without the
precious Bible, even they believe in the soul’s immortality. Here we know that Stephen’s immortal
spirit was a distinct unity, existing independently of his body, because it left his body under the rockpile
and went up to live with God in heaven, like the disembodied spirit of every dying saint.
60. “And putting down his knees he cried with a great voice, O Lord, charge not this sin to them.”
Here we see that Stephen knelt among the stony shower and prayed for the preachers and church
officers who killed him, thus illustrating the normal posture of prayer, i.e., on the knees. Heathens,
Mohammedans and Roman Catholics all kneel. It is awfully chilling and discouraging to see great
Protestant congregations sitting up during prayers. I know nothing about such religion; the first touch
of conviction I received from God brought me to my knees, and I have stayed there. They are the
hardest part of my body. I realize no inconvenience in remaining on my knees while the hours glide
away. The proud Protestant congregations should be rebuked by the poor Pagans, Moslems, and
Romanists, all kneeling [though I fear in most cases actually worshipping devils], while they sit up
during prayers. If the crowd is too dense to kneel, you certainly can get down some way and join in
the prayer to God. Standing is a much more adoratory posture than sitting, and should be adopted
when kneeling is impracticable. No wonder the Holy Ghost has forsaken the churches, when they
throw into His face the wholesale insult of keeping their seats, gazing about and looking up like
ducks at the rain during prayer. Kneeling or prostration is the Bible posture of worship. Here we see
the spirit of true saintship manifested by Stephen, not only in forgiving, but praying for them with
his dying breath. “And saying this, he fell asleep.” Our Savior said of Lazarus: “He is not dead, but
sleepeth, and I go to awaken him.” From these Scriptures we find that the inspired phraseology as
applied to God’s saints is not death, but sleep, clearly and conclusively revelatory of the fact that
even the bodies of God’s children shall never die. Hence we should not talk about dying, but going
to sleep in Jesus in case that He tarrieth. The Bible clearly reveals the significant fact that the body
is as immortal as the soul, and will never die. If He tarrieth, my body, which, even now at the age
of sixty-five, needs nearly twice the sleep requisite for nervous vigor twenty years ago [this the
normal effect of mental and spiritual labor], will ere long become so sleepy that it will lie down in