{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-3246","native_reference":{"book_number":510,"chapter_from":7,"chapter_to":7,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":56,"verse_to":56},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Ambrose of Milan</b>: Jesus stood as a helpmate; he stood as if anxious to help Stephen, his athlete, in the struggle. He stood as though ready to crown his martyr. Let him then stand for you that you may not fear him sitting, for he sits when he judges.… He sits to judge, he stands to give judgment, and he judges the imperfect but gives judgment among the gods.<br/><i>— Epistle 63</i></p><p><b>Arator</b>: Having the light of his heart he sees the opened heavens, so that what Christ does may not be hidden. [Christ] rises before the martyr. [Stephen] then sees him standing, though our faith is prone rather to honor him as seated. The very Flesh joined to the Thunderer does honor to itself in Stephen. The General in his foreknowledge arms those whom he summons to gifts. Lest anyone here should fight uncertainly, the body is revealed in the citadel of God as a reward to its witness.<br/><i>— ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 1</i></p><p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: He now sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven. We ought to give careful consideration to this fact with the eyes of faith to prevent the impression that he is immovably fixed in any spot so as not be permitted to stand or to walk. For, the fact that St. Stephen said that he saw him standing does not mean that St. Stephen's vision was distorted or that his statement is at variance with the words of the creed. Far be such a thought, far be such a statement from us! The Lord's dwelling in lofty and ineffable blessedness has merely been expressed in this way to indicate that he dwells there.<br/><i>— SERMON 214.8</i></p><p><b>Bede</b>: Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. Since the Lord Christ is the perfect Son of both God and man, why did the blessed martyr prefer to call Him the Son of man rather than the Son of God, when it would seem to bring more glory to call Him the Son of God rather than the Son of man, except that by this testimony the unbelief of the Jews would be confounded, as they remembered that they crucified a man and did not wish to believe Him to be God? Therefore, to strengthen the patience of the blessed martyr, the gate of the heavenly kingdom is opened, and lest the innocent man being stoned waver on earth, the crucified God-man appears crowned in heaven. Hence, because standing is the posture of one fighting or assisting, he rightly saw Him standing at the right hand of God, whom he had as a helper among the persecuting men. Nor does it seem discordant that Mark describes Him as sitting at the right hand of God, which is the position of one judging, because even now He invisibly judges all things, and in the end He will come as the visible judge of all.<br/><i>— Commentary on Acts</i></p><p><b>Bede</b>: Behold, I see the heavens opened. What we say in Latin as \"I see,\" in Greek is called θεωρῶ, from which is derived the name of the theoretical, that is, contemplative life. Through this, some of the elect, still retained in this life, with the eye of the heart more diligently cleansed, have deserved to behold divinely elevated the joys of the future life, as at present saint Stephen, as Paul, when he was caught up to the third heaven, and many others at other times. Hence also God is called Θεὸς in Greek, because He sees all things, and all things are naked and open to His eyes.<br/><i>— Retractions on Acts</i></p><p><b>Cosmas Indicopleustes</b>: This is Stephen the first martyr of the New Testament and the first Deacon, who had for his slayer the great Paul while he was as yet zealous for the law—who alone by himself contended against the whole synagogue and made the Judge of the contest rise from his seat to witness the spectacle. This is he who saw the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. For while the whole of divine scripture speaks of Him as sitting, this man saw Him standing; for the vehemence of the contest made the Judge rise up for the view. Wherefore also on being invited to ascend to that glory, he prayed for those who were stoning him, saying: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge, but do thou thyself receive my spirit. Lo! he also saw and preached the same things with the others, namely that Christ, the Prince of the second state, is in heaven, and of Him he entreated that He would receive him into that place.<br/><i>— The Christian Topography, Book 5</i></p><p><b>Hegesippus ((as quoted by Eusebius of Caesarea, AD 339))</b>: The aforesaid Scribes and Pharisees therefore placed James upon the pinnacle of the temple, and cried out to him and said: 'You just one, in whom we ought all to have confidence, forasmuch as the people are led astray after Jesus, the crucified one, declare to us, what is the gate of Jesus.'</p><p>And he answered with a loud voice, 'Why do you ask me concerning Jesus, the Son of Man? He himself sits in heaven at the right hand of the great Power, and is about to come upon the clouds of heaven.'<br/><i>— Memoirs (Book V), as quoted in Church History (Book II), Chapter 23, Section 13</i></p><p><b>Irenaeus</b>: But that both the apostles and their disciples thus taught as the Church preaches, and thus teaching were perfected, wherefore also they were called away to that which is perfect-Stephen, teaching these truths, when he was yet on earth, saw the glory of God, and Jesus on His right hand, and exclaimed, \"Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.\" These words he said, and was stoned; and thus did he fulfil the perfect doctrine, copying in every respect the Leader of martyrdom, and praying for those who were slaying him, in these words: \"Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.\" Thus were they perfected who knew one and the same God, who from beginning to end was present with mankind in the various dispensations; as the prophet Hosea declares: \"I have filled up visions, and used similitudes by the hands of the prophets.\"<br/><i>— Against Heresies Book III</i></p><p><b>Oecumenius</b>: Standing and not sitting, the blessed Stephen sees Jesus, in order to show the attention directed toward him, and to provide the contestant with great eagerness; the posture of the one assisting is shown: Moreover, since sitting was burdensome for them, he said first that he stood, hinting at his resurrection; but because he does not stand, but sits, Paul indicated by saying that he raised and sat down together, at his right hand in the heavenly places. [CHRYSOSTOM]<br/><i>— Commentary on Acts</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"3354159dc0e27ccb706d8541642ebc2ae8b2a899c1f7ec866d9f9473e927cd57","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":3246,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"daded862a5e350c6db542bb07fb60f62acbde773ca4f04204714114778818d1e","translator":null,"work":null}