Why did Stephen ask forgiveness for the people stoning him?
Stephen asked forgiveness for those stoning him because they acted in ignorance, not knowing what they were doing. His plea echoed Christ's words from the cross, Father, forgive them, and rested partly in grace but chiefly in the fact that their rejection and violence were done without understanding.
Les explains that as Stephen is stoned, he says the same thing: Forgive them. Les teaches that this was not just out of a heart of grace alone, although that was certainly part of it, but because of their ignorance. He ties it to Christ on the cross, who said, Father, forgive them, because they know not what they do. Les also points to the Old Testament economy, illustrating that if a farmer cleaning stones from his field threw one over a hedgerow and unknowingly killed someone walking on the other side, he was in total ignorance. That backdrop explains Stephen's plea for forgiveness.