QUICK FACTS: ACTS 7:55–56 — WHO DID STEPHEN SEE IN HEAVEN?
Does Stephen’s Vision Show That the Father and the Son Are Distinct?
Research by Simon Brown
Acts 7:55–56 records one of the most remarkable visions in the New Testament.
Just moments before Stephen was stoned to death, he looked into heaven and described exactly what he saw.
And his words raise an important question about the identity of God, the Father, and Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
ACTS 7:55–56
Berean Literal Bible
“But being full of the Holy Spirit, having looked intently into heaven, he saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
and he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens having been opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’”
The wording is striking.
Stephen sees:
THE GLORY OF GOD
and
JESUS STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.
Then Stephen identifies Jesus as:
“THE SON OF MAN STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.”
That distinction is explicitly present in the Greek text as well: God (Theou) and Jesus (Iēsoun), with Jesus described as standing at the right hand “of God” (tou Theou). (Bible Hub)
So what can we learn from Stephen's extraordinary vision?
QUICK FACT 1 — STEPHEN SAW GOD AND JESUS
Read Stephen's words carefully.
He does not simply say:
“I saw Jesus.”
Instead, Acts tells us that Stephen:
“saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”
And Stephen himself says:
“I see…the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
Acts therefore presents a real distinction between God and Jesus, the Son of Man. (Bible Hub)
Whatever theological conclusions someone may subsequently draw concerning the nature of Jesus, we should first allow the passage to say exactly what it says.
JESUS IS STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.
This becomes particularly important when we examine Modalism and Oneness theology.
QUICK FACT 2 — JESUS IS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD
Stephen's vision is not an isolated description.
The New Testament repeatedly presents Jesus as being exalted to the right hand of God.
LUKE 22:69
Jesus says:
“From now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”
ACTS 2:33
Peter describes Jesus as:
“Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God…”
ACTS 5:31
Peter again says:
“God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior…”
Notice the consistent distinction:
GOD EXALTS JESUS.
JESUS IS AT GOD'S RIGHT HAND.
JESUS IS THE SON OF MAN.
Stephen's vision fits naturally into this repeated New Testament pattern.
QUICK FACT 3 — THIS PRESENTS A SERIOUS QUESTION FOR MODALISM
Modalism, and modern forms of Oneness Pentecostal theology associated with it, reject the idea that the Father and Son are two distinct divine persons.
Oneness theology understands Father, Son and Holy Spirit as manifestations or ways in which the one personal God reveals Himself, rather than as three eternally distinct divine persons. (Wikipedia)
But now consider Stephen's vision.
Stephen sees:
JESUS
standing
AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.
If the Father and the Son are simply the same divine person, we have an important question:
WHO IS JESUS STANDING BESIDE?
Stephen does not describe one person changing from one manifestation into another.
Nor does he say:
“I see Jesus, who is the Father.”
Instead, he says:
“I see…the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
This is why Acts 7:55–56 presents such an important challenge to Modalism.
RELATED RESEARCH — WHAT’S WRONG WITH MODALISM?
I have already examined Modalism and the Oneness understanding of God in much greater detail in a separate article:
WHAT’S WRONG WITH MODALISM?
That study examines the wider biblical evidence concerning the Father and the Son, while this Quick Facts article concentrates specifically on Stephen's remarkable vision in Acts 7:55–56.
The central question is simple:
If the Father and the Son are the same person, how can Scripture repeatedly present the Son speaking to the Father, being sent by the Father, being loved by the Father, being raised by God, and ultimately standing at God's right hand?
For the full investigation:
READ ARTICLE — What’s Wrong with Modalism?
QUICK FACT 4 — JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD
What title does Scripture repeatedly give Jesus?
THE SON OF GOD.
Jesus Himself says:
JOHN 10:36
“I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?”
Peter declares:
MATTHEW 16:16
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
And John explains the very purpose of his Gospel:
JOHN 20:31
“These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God…”
Notice what John does not say:
“These are written that you may believe Jesus is God the Father.”
His stated purpose is that we believe:
JESUS IS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD.
This distinction agrees naturally with Stephen's vision.
The Son of God is standing at the right hand of God.
QUICK FACT 5 — JESUS HAS A GOD
There is another important fact that should not be overlooked.
After His resurrection, Jesus tells Mary Magdalene:
JOHN 20:17
“I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”
Notice the words of the risen Jesus:
“MY FATHER”
and
“MY GOD.”
Jesus still identifies another as His God.
And remarkably, the glorified Jesus continues using this language in Revelation.
REVELATION 3:12
Jesus repeatedly says:
“my God.”
This fits naturally with Stephen's vision:
Jesus is standing at the right hand of God.
QUICK FACT 6 — WHO IS THE “ONE GOD”?
Paul gives us another remarkably clear statement:
1 CORINTHIANS 8:6
“Yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ…”
Notice Paul's wording:
ONE GOD — THE FATHER
and
ONE LORD — JESUS CHRIST.
Jesus is unquestionably given an extraordinarily exalted position in the New Testament.
He is the Christ.
He is God's Son.
He is Lord.
He is the risen Messiah.
He sits at God's right hand.
But Paul still identifies:
“ONE GOD, THE FATHER.”
Jesus makes an equally important distinction while praying to His Father:
JOHN 17:3
“This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.”
Again we have two distinguishable subjects:
THE ONE WHO SENT
and
THE ONE WHO WAS SENT.
The Father is called:
“THE ONLY TRUE GOD.”
Jesus is:
“JESUS CHRIST” — THE ONE WHOM HE SENT.
QUICK FACT 7 — DOES ACTS 7:55–56 ALSO DISPROVE THE TRINITY?
Here we need to be careful and fair.
Acts 7:55–56 creates a particularly direct challenge to Modalism, because Modalism denies the kind of personal distinction between Father and Son that Trinitarian Christianity affirms.
Historic Trinitarianism does not teach that Jesus is the Father.
Trinitarians believe the Father and Son are distinct persons who share the one divine being.
Therefore:
PROVING THAT JESUS IS DISTINCT FROM THE FATHER DOES NOT, BY ITSELF, DISPROVE THE TRINITY.
That would misrepresent what Trinitarians actually believe.
The deeper question is this:
DOES SCRIPTURE IDENTIFY JESUS AS A SECOND PERSON WITHIN THE ONE GOD?
Or does Scripture identify:
THE FATHER AS THE ONE GOD
and
JESUS AS HIS SON, MESSIAH AND EXALTED LORD?
That question cannot be settled from Acts 7:55–56 alone.
We must compare the whole testimony of Scripture.
And this is why passages such as:
John 17:3
1 Corinthians 8:6
1 Timothy 2:5
John 20:17
and
Acts 7:55–56
are so important when investigating the identity of the one true God.
QUICK FACT 8 — WHAT ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT?
There is another fascinating detail in Stephen's vision.
Acts says:
“But he, being full of the Holy Spirit…”
Stephen then looks into heaven and sees:
“the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”
The passage therefore mentions:
THE HOLY SPIRIT
GOD
and
JESUS.
But we should not make Acts 7:55 say more than it actually says.
The verse does not stop to define the nature or personhood of the Holy Spirit.
Nor does it give a formal doctrine of the Trinity.
Its immediate emphasis is Stephen's vision of God's glory and Jesus standing at God's right hand.
Therefore, this passage should be combined with the rest of Scripture rather than made to answer questions it does not explicitly address.
QUICK FACT 9 — STEPHEN CALLED JESUS “THE SON OF MAN”
This detail is especially interesting.
Stephen does not announce:
“I see God the Son.”
He says:
ACTS 7:56
“I SEE…the SON OF MAN standing at the right hand of GOD.”
“Son of Man” was one of Jesus' most characteristic titles.
And Stephen's words echo Jesus' own declaration before the Jewish authorities that the Son of Man would be seen at the right hand of God's power.
Now, just before Stephen dies, he sees exactly that:
THE RISEN SON OF MAN
standing
AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.
The distinction could hardly be more visually striking.
QUICK FACT 10 — WHAT DID STEPHEN ACTUALLY SEE?
Sometimes theological debates become enormously complicated.
But before introducing centuries of creeds, councils and theological terminology, we should begin with the biblical text itself.
Stephen looked into heaven.
What did he see?
THE GLORY OF GOD
and
JESUS STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.
What did Stephen call Jesus?
THE SON OF MAN.
Where was Jesus?
AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.
Stephen's words do not identify the Father and Son as the same person.
Instead, the vision presents Jesus with God, standing at God's right hand. The wording of Acts 7:55–56 itself consistently maintains that distinction. (Bible Hub)
THE QUESTION EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD ASK
We should not begin by asking:
“How can I make this passage fit the doctrine I already believe?”
Instead, we should ask:
“WHAT DID STEPHEN ACTUALLY SEE?”
Acts gives us the answer:
“THE GLORY OF GOD AND JESUS STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.”
And Stephen himself declares:
“I SEE THE HEAVENS OPENED, AND THE SON OF MAN STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.”
That is the biblical evidence before us.
The Father is not the Son.
Jesus is not His own Father.
Jesus is the risen and exalted Son of Man, standing at the right hand of God.
And Jesus Himself said:
JOHN 10:36
“I AM THE SON OF GOD.”
RELATED RESEARCH
What’s Wrong with Modalism?
Research by Simon Brown
wwwrealdiscoveriesorg-simon.blogspot.com
John 1:1
- John 1:1 — Does "The Word Was God" Mean Jesus Is Almighty God?
- IS THE WORD JESUS IN JOHN 1:1?
- What Is the Truth About John 1:1 to 5?
- WHY John 1:1 is not about Jesus!
Hebrews 1:10 – Did God Really Say to the Son, “You Laid the Foundation of the Earth”?
- WHO IS THE ONE TRUE GOD? New video!
- The Greatest Commandment Ever Given — Who Is the One True God?
- Mark 12:29 — Why Did Jesus Quote the Shema?
- Deuteronomy 6:4 — The Shema: "Hear, O Israel, Yahweh Our God Is One"
- John 10:30 — What Did Jesus Mean by "I and the Father Are One"?
- John 8:58 — What Did Jesus Mean by "Before Abraham Was, I Am"?
- John 20:28 — Did Thomas Really Call Jesus Almighty God?
- John 14:9 — "He Who Has Seen Me Has Seen the Father" Explained
- John 17:3 — Jesus Confirmed That the Father Alone Is the Only True God
- John 17:5 — Did Jesus Exist with the Father Before the World Began?
- 2 Peter 1:1 — Another Trinitarian Misunderstanding?
- Colossians 1:15–17 — Does "Firstborn of All Creation" Mean Jesus Was Created?
- Hebrews 1:2 — Did God Create the Universe or the Ages Through His Son?
- Who Is the Alpha and the Omega?
- Did the Doctrine of the Trinity Originate with Jesus Christ and His Apostles?
- Is Jesus God, or the Son of God? What Does the Whole Bible Teach?
- Scriptures Proving Yahweh: The One True God of Israel Is the Creator Alone.
- John 6:38 — How Did Jesus Come Down From Heaven?



No comments:
Post a Comment