John Calvin Commentary Acts 7:55

"But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God," — Acts 7:55 (ASV)

Because he was full. We can hardly express into what peril the servant of Christ was brought when he saw himself surrounded by raging enemies; the goodness of his cause was oppressed, partly by false accusations and malice, and partly by violence and outrageous outcries; he was surrounded by stern countenances on every side; he himself was dragged to a cruel and horrible kind of death; he could find help and ease nowhere.

Therefore, being thus destitute of human help, he turns to God. We must first note this: Stephen looked to God, who is the judge of life and death (turning his eyes from looking at the world), when he was brought into extreme despair about everything, while nothing but death was before his eyes.

After this, we must also add that his expectation was not in vain, because Christ appeared to him immediately. Although Luke indicates that he was now armed with such power of the Spirit that he could not be overcome, so that nothing could hinder him from beholding the heavens; therefore, Stephen looks up toward heaven, that he may gather courage by beholding Christ; so that in dying he may triumph gloriously, having overcome death.

But as for us, it is no wonder if Christ does not show himself to us, because we are so focused on and bound to the earth. Consequently, our hearts fail us at every slight rumor of danger, and even at the falling of a leaf.

And that for good reasons; for where is our strength if not in Christ? But we overlook the heavens, as if we had no help anywhere else, except only in the world.

Furthermore, this vice can be remedied by no other means than by God lifting us up by His Spirit, since we are naturally focused on the earth.

Therefore, Luke gives this reason why Stephen looked up steadfastly toward heaven: because he was full of the Spirit.

We must also ascend to heaven, having this Spirit as our director and guide, whenever we are oppressed with troubles. And surely, until He illuminates us, our eyes are not so sharp-sighted that they can reach heaven. Indeed, the eyes of the flesh are so dull that they cannot ascend to heaven.

He saw the glory of God. Luke indicates, as I have said, that Christ appeared immediately to Stephen as soon as he lifted up his eyes toward heaven. But Luke previously tells us that Stephen had been given other eyes than his physical eyes, since with these other eyes he flies up to the glory of God.

From this we must gather a general comfort: that God will be no less present with us if, forsaking the world, all our senses strive to come to Him; not that He appears to us by any external vision, as He did to Stephen, but He will so reveal Himself to us within that we may indeed feel His presence. And this manner of seeing ought to be sufficient for us, when God not only declares by His power and grace that He is near, but also proves that He dwells in us.