---
title: Acts 7:59
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/acts-7-59/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/acts-7-59.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: Acts 7:59
testament: NT
section: Acts
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# Acts 7:59

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

## JW Usage

JWs acknowledge that Stephen addressed Jesus in his dying moments but argue this was a vision-based request to a nearby spirit being, not prayer in the religious sense. Prayer, they insist, belongs exclusively to Jehovah. Stephen was speaking directly to the Jesus he saw in the vision of verse 56.

## Protestant Usage

Stephen's dying words — "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" — echo Psalm 31:5 ("Into your hand I entrust my spirit"), which is addressed to Jehovah. Stephen consciously addresses to Jesus the words David addressed to God. This is one of three independent witnesses to prayer directed at Jesus: Paul "three times entreated the Lord" (2 Corinthians 12:8, where the response mentions "the power of the Christ"), and John prays "Come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20). Three authors, three contexts, same practice. If Jesus is not God, the New Testament records and approves of systematic idolatry. Acts 7:59 in the NWT itself uses the word "making appeal" — a prayerful act directed at Jesus, not merely a conversational remark.

## Arguments Using This Verse

- [Jesus Receives Worship](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/worship-of-jesus.md) — Hebrews 1:6 / Revelation 5:13–14 / Daniel 7:13–14 [Deity of Christ]
- [Call Upon the Name of the Lord Jesus](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/call-upon-name.md) — The OT worship phrase applied to Jesus [Deity of Christ]
- [Prayer to Jesus in the New Testament](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/prayer-to-jesus.md) — Acts 7:59, Revelation 22:20, 2 Corinthians 12:8 [Deity of Christ]
- [Lord Jesus, Receive My Spirit](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/stephen-receive-my-spirit.md) — Acts 7:59–60 [Soul & Hell]
- [The Angel That Bore Jehovah's Name](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/acts-7-38-angel-name.md) — Acts 7:38, Exodus 23:20-23 — an angel who forgives sin and demands absolute obedience [Deity of Christ]
- [Until Now You Have Not Asked in My Name](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/john-16-23-26-prayer-trap.md) — John 16:23-26 — the unitarian collapse on prayer [Deity of Christ]
- [Do Christians Pray to the Holy Spirit?](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/prayer-to-holy-spirit.md) — Romans 8:26-27 — the Spirit is the one praying with us [Holy Spirit]